Latest News

Colombia’s De la Espriella announces military strike against FARC dissidents in Guaviare

By The City Paper Staff - August 27, 2026

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced Thursday that the country’s Armed Forces have carried out a military strike against the FARC dissident faction commanded by alias Calarcá in the southern department of Guaviare. According to initial reports, eight members of the criminal armed group have been killed. De la Espriella said the operation, code-named […]

Wildfires Consume 30,000 Hectares Across Tolima, Criminal Groups Suspected

By Richard Emblin - August 24, 2026

More than 30,000 hectares have been burned across Colombia’s Tolima department as firefighters battle one of the region’s worst wildfire emergencies in years, but authorities are now investigating a darker possibility: that some of the fires are being deliberately set by criminal groups seeking to divert security forces, destabilize communities and gain control of territory. Interior […]

Shakira Pledges US$1.25 M to Rebuild Earthquake-Damaged Schools in Chocó

By Richard Emblin - August 19, 2026

Colombia’s Shakira has pledged US$1.25 million toward rebuilding schools and educational infrastructure damaged by the earthquake that struck Colombia’s Pacific region on August 10, announcing a major recovery initiative during a visit to Chocó on Monday. The award-winning singer and pop superstar arrived in Quibdó accompanied by American philanthropist Howard Graham Buffett, representatives of CAF, […]

UNGRD Decision Not to Request Foreign Rescuers Sparks Controversy

By The City Paper Staff - August 14, 2026

Amidst the rubble and destruction caused by Monday’s devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake across much as Central and Southwest Colombia, reports are surfacing that the leftist government of ex-President Gustavo Petro initially decided that the country did not need specialized international search-and-rescue teams. According to a letter signed by Javier Pava, the former head of the National […]

Colombia Earthquake: Death Toll Rises to 202 as Rescue Operations Continue Into Third Day

By The City Paper Staff - August 12, 2026

The death toll from Colombia’s devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake rose to 202 on Wednesday, according to the latest report from the country’s Institute of Legal Medicine, as rescue crews continued searching collapsed buildings and authorities assessed the full scale of destruction three days after the earthquake struck. The Institute said that, as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, […]

Colombia Quake Toll Rises to 181 as Rescue Crews Search for Survivors Under Rubble

By The City Paper Staff - August 11, 2026

The death toll from Colombia’s powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake rose to 181 on Tuesday, with over 1300 injured and estimated 200 missing as rescue crews continued searching collapsed buildings across the country’s western and central regions. Authorities warned that the death toll is likely to rise as emergency teams work through the rubble of damaged and […]

Powerful 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Colombia, Collapsing Buildings Across Western Cities

By The City Paper Staff - August 10, 2026

A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, killing at least two people and causing significant damage across the country, with buildings collapsing in several cities and a tower of the historic cathedral in Manizales partially collapsing. The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, with its epicenter near San José del […]

Where Silence Still Speaks: Discovering the Monastery of Ecce Homo in Boyacá

By Richard Emblin - July 31, 2026

Eight kilometres beyond the whitewashed streets and polished boutiques of Villa de Leyva, the traffic fades into birdsong and the landscape begins to exhale. The road winds through vineyards, olive groves, patchwork fields and ochre hills before arriving at one of Colombia’s most quietly extraordinary places: the Monastery of Santo Ecce Homo in Sutamarchán. It […]

Colombia’s De la Espriella to Close 14 Embassies, Cut Ties With Cuba and Nicaragua

By The City Paper Staff - July 27, 2026

Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo De la Espriella announced Sunday, a sweeping overhaul of the country’s diplomatic network, pledging to close 14 embassies and 15 consulates. He also pledged to sever diplomatic relations with Cuba and Nicaragua, and redirect budget cuts toward security and public investment after taking office on August 7. In a video message posted […]

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 […]

Petro Uses Independence Day Address to Challenge Election Results

By Richard Emblin - July 21, 2026

Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro used his final Independence Day address to Congress on Monday to question the legitimacy of Colombia’s presidential election, accuse the United States of imposing the country’s next leader and urge supporters to prepare mass protests if the incoming government reverses his reforms. The speech, delivered less than three weeks before […]

New U.S.-Colombia chapter takes shape as Rubio meets Colombia’s vice president-elect

By The City Paper Staff - July 16, 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Colombia’s Vice President-elect José Manuel Restrepo on Wednesday, signaling what both sides described as the beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations as President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella prepares to take office on Aug. 7. The closed-door meeting at the State Department brought together senior members of […]

Colombia’s President-Elect Breaks With Tradition, Plans Military Base Inauguration

By The City Paper Staff - July 14, 2026

In one of the most symbolic breaks with Colombia’s republican traditions in modern history, President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced Monday that he intends to be sworn into office on August 7 at a military garrison in southern Colombia rather than Bogotá’s iconic Plaza de Bolívar, where every democratically elected Colombian president in recent decades […]

Colombia Marks First Holiday Dedicated to Nation’s Patroness, the Virgin of Chiquinquirá

By Richard Emblin - July 11, 2026

On Monday, Colombians will celebrate a new national holiday for the first time in the country’s history, honoring Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, the patroness of Colombia, in a commemoration that blends centuries of religious tradition with a renewed political symbolism under President-elect Abelardo De la Espriella. Established under Law 2578 of 2026, […]

Colombia’s President-Elect Urges International Oversight for Democratic Transition

By The City Paper Staff - July 8, 2026

Colombia’s president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, has appealed to the international community to closely monitor the country’s democratic transition, as outgoing President Gustavo Petro and opposition leader Iván Cepeda attempt to undermine the August 7 transfer of power. In a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, the criminal defense lawyer said he had […]

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 […]