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Rituals: Art, memory and the rituals that hold communities together

By Richard Emblin - September 21, 2026

A new exhibition at the Banco de la República in Bogotá brings together 19 recently acquired works exploring spirituality, ancestral knowledge, memory and the rituals of everyday life. In a world defined by acceleration, information overload and increasing disconnection, the ritual has taken on a renewed significance. It can be a ceremony, a prayer, a […]

ARTBO 2026: Four days of art, commerce and Bogotá’s cultural crowd

By Richard Emblin - September 18, 2026

For four days every September, Bogotá’s art world moves into Ágora Bogotá, where collectors, curators, gallerists, artists, designers, students and the city’s cultural crowd converge for ARTBO, the capital’s annual international art fair. And then there is the opening night. The inauguration of ARTBO has become something of a ritual on Bogotá’s cultural calendar, when […]

Festival El Mundo brings 13 nations together through food in Bogotá

By The City Paper Staff - September 17, 2026

Bogotá is preparing to turn gastronomy into a meeting point for cultures with the first edition of the Festival Gastronómico y Cultural El Mundo en el Corazón de Bogotá, taking place September 19 and 20 at Parque El Country. Admission is free to the two-day festival, which brings together 13 participating nations and the UN […]

19 minors reported missing in Bogotá in a single week

By The City Paper Staff - September 16, 2026

The disappearance of children and adolescents has become a growing concern in Bogotá after the city’s Security Secretariat reported 19 cases during the last week, the majority involving minors. Twelve of those reported missing were subsequently found alive, while the search continues for the remaining seven. Authorities said several of the cases were linked to […]

Rubio Arrives in Colombia as Washington Seeks New Strategic Alliance

By The City Paper Staff - September 8, 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to arrive in Barranquilla on Tuesday afternoon for a high-level meeting with Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella, in what could become a defining moment in the reconstruction of relations between Bogotá and Washington. The visit, confirmed by Colombia’s Foreign Ministry, will be Rubio’s first official trip […]

Bogotá’s Sacred Music Festival Turns 15 With ‘La Concordia’

By Richard Emblin - September 4, 2026

Bogotá’s iconic Teatro Colón is the starting point for a month-long exploration of music, spirituality and the many ways in which cultures find common ground in a city of contrasts. The occasion is the 15th edition of the International Sacred Music Festival, which opens on under a theme that is both musical and quietly ambitious: […]

Colombia Denies Entry to Nearly 19,000 Foreigners Since 2022

By The City Paper Staff - July 27, 2026

Colombia’s immigration authority has denied entry to nearly 19,000 foreign nationals since President Gustavo Petro took office in August 2022, citing national security concerns, immigration violations, fraudulent documentation and other legal grounds, according to figures released Monday by Migración Colombia. The government said 18,994 foreigners were refused entry between August 2022 and June 2026 under […]

Colombia’s Mayors back De la Espriella’s anti-crime crackdown

By The City Paper Staff - July 6, 2026

Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella said he will sign a decree on Aug. 7, the day he is sworn into office, creating special “Urban Security Defense Blocs” in the country’s largest cities as part of a sweeping security crackdown and a broader shift away from the outgoing government’s security strategy. De la Espriella, who […]

Omar Rayo’s ‘Labyrinth’ Reframes Modern Latin American Art

By Richard Emblin - June 30, 2026

At first glance, Omar Rayo’s paintings appear to belong to the orderly universe of geometry. Crisp black-and-white planes fold into one another with astonishing precision, ribbons weave endlessly through impossible spaces, and flat surfaces suddenly acquire the illusion of depth. For decades, these hypnotic compositions have earned the Colombian artist comparisons with the international Op […]

Where Strangers Become Friends: The Home Dining Experience of Seis y Seis

By Richard Emblin - June 26, 2026

The front door opens onto a spacious Bogotá apartment overlooking a tree-lined street in La Cabrera. There is no maître d’ waiting behind a podium, no hostess stand, no reservations book resting beside an espresso machine. Instead, Claudia Cepeda welcomes each guest personally, offering an aperitif before inviting them to settle into the living room. […]

U.S. Embassy warns Americans of possible election-related unrest in Colombia

By The City Paper Staff - June 19, 2026

The United States Embassy in Bogotá has urged American citizens to exercise caution ahead of Colombia’s presidential runoff election on Sunday, warning of possible protests, transport disruptions and isolated violence, prompting a sharp rebuke from President Gustavo Petro, who accused Washington of unnecessarily alarming foreign nationals. The security alert, issued on Thursday, comes as Colombia […]

Bogotá ramps up security ahead of Colombia’s pivotal presidential runoff

By Richard Emblin - June 18, 2026

Bogotá is stepping up security and emergency preparations ahead of Sunday’s presidential runoff, deploying more than 12,500 police officers across the Colombian capital while easing alcohol restrictions after reaching a compromise with the city’s hospitality sector during the FIFA World Cup. Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán and Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez chaired a high-level Security Council […]

In Bogotá, a Storied Market District Invites Travelers to Look Beyond Its Reputation

By Richard Emblin - June 11, 2026

By 7 a.m., San Victorino is already in motion. Delivery carts rattle across uneven sidewalks. Shopkeepers roll up metal shutters to reveal stacks of denim, sequined dresses and school uniforms. Buyers from Colombia’s Caribbean coast negotiate prices over coffee, while students weave through the crowd on their way to class. The district hums with the […]

From Prose to Fabric: WHITMAN and the Art of Slow Made Fashion

By Richard Emblin - June 2, 2026

In a city where fashion retail can often feel hurried, transactional and beholden to the churn of seasonal algorithms, WHITMAN builds its universe around a radically different proposition: that clothing should invite pause. Step inside one of the Colombian fashion house’s softly lit stores in Bogotá, Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Medellín, and there is an immediate […]

Voting Begins in Colombia’s Closely Watched Presidential Race

By Richard Emblin - May 31, 2026

Much of Colombia woke up to temperate weather and clear skies over the capital, Bogotá. As lines began to form outside polling stations when they opened at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, voters cast their ballots in one of the country’s most closely watched presidential elections in decades, a contest that could redefine the political direction […]

Colombia Enters Final Week of Contentious 2026 Presidential Campaign

By Richard Emblin - May 25, 2026

Colombia entered the final week of campaigning on Monday ahead of a presidential election that has exposed deep political divisions, sharpened ideological tensions and raised concerns over the country’s security and economic future. The three leading candidates in the 2026 race wrapped up major public appearances over the weekend with rallies across Bogotá, where supporters […]