Latest News

Petro’s deafening silence over Maduro’s 2024 election threats

By Richard Emblin - February 5, 2024

Venezuelan President Maduro’s authoritarian declaration to win the 2024 elections “by any means necessary” appears to have left Washington out in the cold, and Colombian President Petro’s conspicuous silence on the recent barring of opposition leader María Corina Machado raises damning questions about his commitment and the administration of President Joe Biden in securing democracy across the region.

Colombia’s Petro accuses AG Barbosa of “institutional coup”

By The City Paper Staff - February 5, 2024

Colombian President Gustavo Petro sparks political turmoil, accusing Attorney General Francisco Barbosa of orchestrating an “institutional coup,” prompting calls for street mobilizations to defend his presidency.

Bogotá hosts first No Car Day on Thursday with Galán as Mayor

By The City Paper Staff - January 31, 2024

Bogotá is hosting the first No Car Day of 2024, and first with Carlos Fernando Galán as Mayor. The all-day event will clear the capital’s streets of more than 1,8 million vehicles.

Bogotá Mayor Galán commended for management of wildfire crisis

By The City Paper Staff - January 29, 2024

As Bogotá grapples with air quality alerts given large forest fires that blazed out of control last week, Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán is being praised for his management of the crisis and environmental protection efforts.

Bogotá unites in solidarity as wildfires ravage unique ecosystem

By The City Paper Staff - January 26, 2024

Bogotá rallies in unprecedented solidarity as wildfires devastate unique Andean forest, with residents supporting 600 emergency responders and donating supplies, while efforts to rescue and protect the diverse wildlife continue.

Colombia’s high-altitude Andean wetlands ravaged by devastating forest fires

By The City Paper Staff - January 24, 2024

Colombia battles a severe environmental crisis with 21 forest fires, fueled by unseasonably high temperatures and an extended El Niño weather pattern, threatening fragile biodiversity and the Andean high-altitude wetlands.

Ancestral dance at the heart of Cali’s Loma de la Cruz

By Gaia Neiman - January 23, 2024

In the heart of Cali, a dance workshop led by Jaguar, a local Yanakuna tribesman, defies urban challenges, uniting diverse communities in a vibrant celebration of forgotten roots and ancestral traditions.

S&P Global assigns a “negative” outlook to Colombia in 2024

By The City Paper Staff - January 19, 2024

Standard & Poor’s warns of a potential downgrade for Colombia’s credit rating in 2024, citing a negative outlook amid economic challenges, including exports, and weak investor confidence.

Members of the Presidential Guard return Simón Bolívar's sword to the Liberator's estate in central Bogotá. Photo: Presidencia

Bolívar’s sword returns to Liberator’s estate Casa Quinta in Bogotá

By The City Paper Staff - January 18, 2024

Fifty years after the sword of Simón Bolívar was stolen by the M-19 guerrilla during a seige of the Liberator’s estate in Bogotá, Colombia’s Ministry of Culture returned the iconic weapon the Casa Quinta for audiences to admire.

Ecuador: From model of Latin American stability to nation in crisis

By The Conversation - January 17, 2024

The drug violence that erupted on January 9 in Ecuador’s Quito and Guayaquil sends an ominous message across Latin America, given the nation’s long standing reputation of stability in the region.

Death toll from devastating Chocó landslide stands at 39 lives

By Richard Emblin - January 16, 2024

The devastating Chocó landslide has claimed 39 lives, prompting emergency response from Colombian authorities as heavy rains continue in the department.

Petro rents Davos venue for US$1.2 M ahead of World Economic Forum

By The City Paper Staff - January 15, 2024

As world leaders descend on Davos, Switzerland, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro has cancelled this attendance at the 54th edition of the World Economic Forum.

US Embassy warns foreigners of using Dating Apps in Colombia

By The City Paper Staff - January 12, 2024

With a surge in recent arrests and tragic deaths, and US Embassy in Colombia has issued an emergency alert for foreigners using dating apps in the country.

COVID variant JN.1 pushes Bogotá’s ICU occupancy to 80%

By The City Paper Staff - January 10, 2024

The Colombian capital, Bogotá, is grappling with a surge in cases of the COVID JN.1 variant with ICU occupancy reaching 80%. Health authorities on alert with infectious variant.

Tourists urged to stay calm with shark sightings in San Andrés

By The City Paper Staff - January 9, 2024

A shark sighting near the shore of San Andrés’s Spratt Bight beach sparks a marine conservation appeal from Coralina, urging calm and respect for the delicate balance of the archipelago’s ecosystems.

Avianca named most punctual airline in world for 2023

By Richard Emblin - January 3, 2024

Colombia’s Avianca named the world’s most punctual airline of 2023 by Cirium, marking a recovery from challenges amid dynamic shifts in the global aviation landscape and Chapter 11.