Thursday, September 24, 2026

Latest News

What next for Santa Marta after De la Espriella militarized the coastal city?

By The City Paper Staff -

An uneasy calm settled over Santa Marta on Wednesday, with the Caribbean-facing boardwalk of the city’s historic waterfront noticeably quieter than usual, its bustling street vendors absent and the early-morning joggers few and far between. Across the old city, colonial streets that would normally be filling with residents, tourists and workers remained largely empty. Shops […]

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De La Espriella vows to get ‘Pinocho’ after death of paramilitary leader in Santa Marta

By The City Paper Staff -

Santa Marta woke on Tuesday to deserted streets, closed businesses and suspended transport following the killing of a senior commander of the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), as President Abelardo De La Espriella vowed to pursue the armed group’s leadership. José Luis Pérez Villanueva, alias “Cholo”, described by authorities as the second commander […]

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19 minors reported missing in Bogotá in a single week

By The City Paper Staff -

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 […]

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

By The City Paper Staff -

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 […]

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De la Espriella declares all criminal groups in Colombia ‘terrorists’ in sweeping security crackdown

By The City Paper Staff -

Colombia’s Abelardo De La Espriella has declared that every illegal armed and criminal organization operating in Colombia will be treated as a terrorist group, signaling a sharp hardening of his government’s security policy only weeks after taking office. Speaking during a security council in Barranquilla on Sunday, President De La Espriella said his government would […]

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

By The City Paper Staff -

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 […]

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De la Espriella gives Colombia’s armed groups one month to surrender

By The City Paper Staff -

Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Thursday gave the country’s illegal armed groups one month to submit to justice, pledging to abandon the broad negotiations pursued by the outgoing administration and instead adopt a hardline security strategy aimed at dismantling criminal organizations. Speaking after receiving his official credentials from the National Election Council (CNE) […]

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Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella Pledges a ‘Miracle Nation’

By María Claudia Peña -

Standing behind a bulletproof screen beneath Barranquilla’s towering Ventana al Mundo monument, President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella delivered a triumphant yet carefully choreographed victory speech Sunday night, promising to restore security, revive confidence in Colombia’s democratic institutions and govern for all Colombians after one of the closest presidential elections in the country’s modern history. Addressing […]

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

By The City Paper Staff -

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 […]

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

By Richard Emblin -

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 […]

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After an Impeccable Campaign, Colombia’s “Tiger” Faces His Greatest Test

By Richard Emblin -

For the better part of a year, Colombians endured a presidential campaign in which a crowded field of hopefuls traded accusations, unveiled ambitious manifestos and promised to rescue a nation exhausted by polarization, economic uncertainty and a growing sense of institutional drift. When the dust settled, one candidate had consistently risen above the political cacophony: […]

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Colombia’s 2021 National Strike violence was coordinated with illegal armed groups

By The City Paper Staff -

A landmark ruling by the Superior Tribunal of Bogotá has delivered one of the strongest judicial rebukes yet of the narrative surrounding Colombia’s 2021 National Strike, concluding that some of the most destructive episodes of violence during the protests were not spontaneous acts of social unrest but part of a coordinated criminal strategy involving illegal […]

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U.S. Issues Strong “Do Not Travel” Advisory for Southwestern Colombia

By Richard Emblin -

The United States has updated a “do not travel” warning for large parts of southwestern Colombia after a wave of terrorist attacks have left over 20 people dead, underscoring growing international concern over the country’s deteriorating security situation and prompting regional authorities to demand stronger support from the leftist government of President Gustavo Petro. The […]

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Colombia reels from worst terrorist attack in decades as Petro celebrates birthday

By The City Paper Staff -

Colombians are expressing outrage and grief after a bombing attributed to dissident factions of the former FARC killed 20 people and left injured 46, marking the country’s deadliest attack in over a decade. The blast on Saturday afternoon tore through a stretch of the Pan-American Highway near Cajibío, in the southwestern department of Cauca, leaving […]

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Bogotá Mayor Galán calls for 8,000 more police after deadly film set attack

By Richard Emblin -

Bogotá’s mayor has called for a major expansion of the city’s police force following a deadly knife attack on a television production set and a separate killing at a public transport station, as authorities warn of shifting patterns of urban crime in Colombia’s capital. Carlos Fernando Galán said the city requires at least 8,000 additional […]

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‘Invisible narco’ who enabled Tren de Aragua’s entry into Bogotá captured in police operation

By The City Paper Staff -

Colombian authorities have captured the alleged crime boss “Mison,” also known as the “invisible narco”, who played a key role in facilitating the arrival of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua in the capital Bogotá The suspect, also known as “El Viejo,” was detained in Ecuador and handed over to Colombian authorities at the […]

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