Latest News

Global Condemnation Follows Assassination Attempt on Colombian Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe

By Richard Emblin - June 8, 2025

World leaders condemned the assassination attempt on Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe, now in “gravely critical” condition. The U.S., Italy, Chile, and others called it an attack on democracy, urging justice and blaming rising political violence in Colombia.

Miguel Uribe Turbay in Critical Condition After Assassination Attempt in Bogotá

By Richard Emblin - June 8, 2025

Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay is in critical condition after being shot in the head during a campaign event in Bogotá. A 15-year-old suspect is in custody. Authorities are investigating the motive as the country reels from the brazen attack on a presidential hopeful.

Rasmussen Star: New Orchid Species Discovered in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada

By The City Paper Staff - June 7, 2025

Researchers in Colombia have discovered a new orchid species, Epidendrum Rasmussenii, in the cloud forests of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The endangered orchid highlights the region’s extraordinary biodiversity and the urgent need for conservation amid increasing deforestation.

Avianca Expands Fleet in Strategic Deal with Singapore’s BOC Aviation

By Richard Emblin - June 6, 2025

Colombia’s flagship Avianca airlines has signed a lease agreement with Singapore-based BOC for nine Airbus A320neo aircraft, reinforcing its fleet expansion plans. The deal highlights Singapore’s growing aviation influence and global reference as a logitics hub for emerging markets.

LATIDO: Chef Fernando Arévalo is the Colombian “Heartbeat” of Singapore

By Richard Emblin - June 4, 2025

Latido, a new restaurant in Singapore’s Chinatown by Colombian chef Fernando Arévalo, offers a heartfelt take on Colombian cuisine. Blending memory, identity, and innovation, the menu draws on Arévalo’s roots and culinary journey, from Bogotá to New York to Asia. Each dish tells a personal, evolving story of home.

Petro Accused of Democratic Rupture as He Vows to Bypass Colombia’s Congress

By Richard Emblin - June 4, 2025

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro shas parked outrage after vowing to bypass Congress and impose a referendum by decree, defying the Senate’s rejection. Critics call it a constitutional rupture and authoritarian overreach, accusing Petro of dismantling democratic checks to force through his agenda amid collapsing support and growing condemnation from civic society.

Artist of Earth and Time: Colombian artist Hugo Zapata dies at 80

By Richard Emblin - June 3, 2025

Hugo Zapata (1945–2025), renowned Colombian sculptor, passed away at 80 in El Retiro. Known for monumental black stone works evoking earth and ancestral memory, Zapata transformed Colombia’s public art landscape. His elemental forms bridged nature and spirit, leaving behind a legacy carved in stone and rooted in timeless reflection.

Petro “Loses the Street” as National Strike stalls with rising discontent

By Richard Emblin - June 1, 2025

President Petro’s failed national strike and empty plazas reveal his dwindling public support. As violent protests disrupt daily life, Colombians are turning away from his rhetoric, signaling that the President who once owned the streets has now lost them.

What Indonesia’s Floating Solar Project can teach Colombia about a clean energy future

By Richard Emblin - May 26, 2025

The Cirata Reservoir project in Indonesia’s West Java offers a blueprint for Colombia’s renewable transition and regional cooperation with Southeast Asia. As the largest floating solar project in SouthEast Asia, Cirata is driving Indonesia toward a greener and sustainable future.

Petro wants to revive Bolívar’s dream of a 21st-Century Gran Colombia

By Richard Emblin - May 25, 2025

Colombian President Gustavo Petro renewed calls to rebuild Gran Colombia as a 21st-century regional alliance. Speaking in Ecuador, he proposed integration with Venezuela and Panama, advocating for shared citizenship, digital infrastructure, and energy cooperation, while warning of rising authoritarianism and foreign interference in Latin America.

Petro halts extradition of Dissident Commander “HH” wanted in U.S. for drug trafficking

By The City Paper Staff - May 23, 2025

Colombian President Gustavo Petro suspended the U.S. extradition of dissident commander Gabriel Yepes Mejía, sparking tensions with Washington. The move, tied to peace talks, risks sanctions as Colombia deepens ties with China and distances itself from traditional U.S. alliances.

Colombia braces for 48-hour National Strike as Petro calls for popular revolt

By The City Paper Staff - May 22, 2025

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has backed a two-day national strike on May 28–29, urging mass mobilizations after Congress blocked his popular consultation. Labor unions will lead protests amid growing political tensions and institutional deadlock.

South is the new East: Stories shaping China – Latin America relations

By Cui Xingyu - May 14, 2025

China and Latin America are strengthening ties through infrastructure, education, and cultural exchange. From port construction in Peru to traditional medicine in Argentina, personal stories highlight how deepening cooperation is building bridges across continents.

Violin Contest of Bogotá spotlights Colombian composition with Jury of virtuosos

By Richard Emblin - May 13, 2025

Bogotá launches its first International Violin Competition, offering generous prizes and star-studded global jury. Twenty finalists will compete this November, with free masterclasses and donated violins benefiting young Colombian talents. Deadline for entries: May 31.

Canada’s Cordoba Minerals sells Colombia stake in Alacrán to Chinese Consortium

By The City Paper Staff - May 12, 2025

Canada’s Cordoba Minerals has sold its remaining 50% stake in Colombia’s Alacrán copper project to China’s JCHX-led consortium, marking its exit from the country after a decade of operations.

Since FARC Accord, some 1,494 minors recruited by Colombia’s armed groups

By The City Paper Staff - May 9, 2025

Illegal armed groups operating in Colombia are increasingly turning to social media platforms to forcibly recruit children and adolescents into their ranks, according to a harrowing new report by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).At least 1,494 children and adolescents have been forcibly recruited since the 2016 peace accord.