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 […]
Latest News
Voting Begins in Colombia’s Closely Watched Presidential Race
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 […]
Former Colombia FM Álvaro Leyva Accuses Petro of Undermining Colombia’s Elections
Former Colombian Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva Durán launched a blistering attack against President Gustavo Petro just days before Colombia heads to the polls on May 31, warning of what he described as looming threats to the country’s democratic institutions and accusing the government of preparing to reject an unfavorable electoral outcome. In a lengthy manifesto […]
Exiled Venezuelans may well support regime change – but diasporas don’t always reflect the politics
Protest and military action raised the prospect of regime change in Iran and Venezuela, and the voices of both countries’ diasporas were heard loud and clear through the media of their host nations. Venezuelan exiles in the U.S. were, according to the popular narrative, broadly behind President Donald Trump and his plan to “run Venezuela,” […]
Democracy Deferred: Did Washington Abandon María Corina Machado?
The extraction of Nicolás Maduro on Saturday was meant to signal the end of an era. Instead, it has exposed an uncomfortable truth that may loom over Washington weeks and months after the “shock-and-awe” attacks in central Caracas have waned from headlines: was Venezuela’s democratic opposition sidelined at the very moment it appeared closest to […]
Petro mobilizes Civic Day to defy Congress on social reforms
Colombia’s Gustavo Petro has declared March 18 a “Civic Day” to rally support for his social reforms, bypassing Congress. By pressuring workers to march, Petro risks deepening political divides and setting a dangerous precedent of governance through mass mobilization over the due legislative process.
Colombians rally against President Petro in growing wave of discontent
Tens of thousands of Colombians stage peaceful protests against President Gustavo Petro’s government, expressing discontent over internal security and unpopular reforms.
Colombia’s democracy targeted as pro-Petro mob attacks Supreme Court
President Gustavo Petro faces mounting criticism as a demonstration orchestrated by his coalition turns chaotic, risking the safety of Colombia’s Supreme Court.
Does Colombia’s ELN pose a threat to democracy in Andean nations?
The assassination of Ecuador’s Fernando Villavicencio underscores a broader landscape of political turmoil, with assassination plots, affecting Venezuela, and Colombia.
Democracy and Colombia: “They have lost respect for us”
Colombians on both sides of the political divide are voting out of fear. Political parties have been replaced by personality cults. Candidates are no longer statesmen, but rather, influencers.
Opinion: Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez is dead
After fighting cancer for more than a year and a half, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez died today at age 58.