Latest News

SATENA flight carrying 15 loses contact over Colombia’s Catatumbo

By Richard Emblin - January 28, 2026

A Beechcraft 1900 aircraft operating a domestic flight for Colombia’s state-owned airline SATENA lost contact with air traffic control on Wednesday while flying over the Catatumbo region in the northeastern department of Norte de Santander, an area heavily affected by armed conflict and the presence of illegal armed groups. In an official statement, SATENA said […]

Colombia records 40,663 murders under Petro, surpassing Santos and Duque

By The City Paper Staff - December 9, 2025

Colombia has recorded 40,663 homicides during the first three years of President Gustavo Petro’s government, surpassing the totals reported under the administrations of Iván Duque and Juan Manuel Santos, according to a report published Tuesday by the Centro de Paz y Seguridad of Universidad Externado. The report documents killings between August 2022 and August 2025, […]

Child Recruitment in Colombia Surges 300 Percent Warns UNICEF

By The City Paper Staff - November 21, 2025

Every 20 hours, somewhere in Colombia, a child vanishes into the ranks of an illegal armed group. That is the grim calculation released this week by UNICEF and the United Nations, which warn that the forced recruitment of minors has surged to levels not seen in decades, undermining Colombia’s efforts to contain its internal conflict. […]

U.S. Senate Warns of Hezbollah Expansion in Colombia and Venezuela

By The City Paper Staff - October 23, 2025

Hezbollah’s growing foothold in Latin America has found its epicenter in Venezuela and along the porous 2,000-km long Colombia-Venezuela border, where U.S. lawmakers and former counterterrorism officials warn the militant group has built financial and logistical networks with the support of the Maduro regime and illegal armed groups. “Venezuela is a willing safe haven for […]

The so-called "Congreso de los Pueblos" has occupied five government buildings this week. Photo: Richard Emblin

Bogotá: “Criminal structures” behind Congress of the Peoples protest

By The City Paper Staff - October 16, 2025

A wave of coordinated protests and building occupations by the social movement known as the “Congress of the Peoples” has raised alarms in Bogotá this week, after Interior Minister Armando Benedetti claimed that “criminal structures” are behind the unrest, pointing to alleged infiltration by armed groups, most notably the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla. The […]

War for Gold: Colombia’s Sur de Bolívar trapped as ELN expands to Pacific

By Richard Emblin - August 5, 2025

The ELN guerrilla has intensified its offensive in Colombia’s Sur de Bolívar, deploying drones and battling rivals armed groups for control of alluvial gold mines. The region has become a testing ground for aerial terror, forcing some 7,500 to be confined in this dangerous chapter of the internal conflict.

Does Colombia’s “Binational Zone” with Venezuela Legitimize an Illegitimate Regime?

By Richard Emblin - July 24, 2025

Colombia and Venezuela have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a “binational zone of peace, unity, and development” along their shared border. Former President Álvaro Uribe called the initiative “unacceptable” and described it as a step toward surrendering Colombian sovereignty

Cocaine Production Hits Record High, Colombia’s Coca Crop at 253,000 Hectares

By The City Paper Staff - June 26, 2025

Global cocaine production hit a record 3,708 tons in 2023, driven by a surge in coca cultivation in Colombia, the UN reported. Cocaine use, seizures, and drug-related environmental crimes are rising worldwide, with Indigenous communities in the Amazon disproportionately affected by violence, displacement, and illegal gold mining

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.

ELN commanders claim Petro’s Total Peace is becoming “Total War”

By Richard Emblin - March 10, 2025

ELN commanders in Colombia claim President Petro’s “Total Peace” policy is escalating the conflict in Catatumbo, accusing the government of shifting to military action rather than peace talks. The violence has displaced tens of thousands, with no resolution in sight.

Colombia opens peace talks with paramilitary Self-Defense Forces of Sierra Nevada

By Richard Emblin - February 24, 2025

The Colombian government of President Petro has launched peace talks with the Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada (ACSN), aiming to dismantle the group’s criminal activities in the world’s highest coastal mountain range and reintegrate its members, amid escalating violence and territorial disputes with armed groups.

ELN attacks in Cúcuta reveal armed control over Colombian border city

By The City Paper Staff - February 21, 2025

Cúcuta grapples with a deep security crisis after ELN attacks injure seven. The government deploys thousands of police and soldiers, offering rewards for information on those responsible for the escalating violence in the Colombian border city.

Colombia’s Justice Minister sounds alarm over child suicides linked to forced recruitment

By The City Paper Staff - February 17, 2025

Colombia’s Justice Minister Ángela María Buitrago warned of rising child suicides linked to forced recruitment by armed groups. Cases surged over 1,000% in four years, particularly in rural areas like Chocó, highlighting the government’s struggle to protect vulnerable youth.

ELN flag spotted on Bogotá’s AutoNorte, Cali denounces FARC clandestine radio

By The City Paper Staff - February 14, 2025

Authorities in Bogotá closed a major motorway after an ELN flag was found near the city’s northern entrance. No explosives were discovered. Police are investigating possible criminal group involvement. Similar flags and a bomb cylinder were found in other regions on anniversary of Camilo Torres’ death.

In Colombia’s Chocó, ELN landmines trap communities in fear

By Richard Emblin - February 12, 2025

Landmines planted by the ELN guerrilla across Colombia’s Chocó have trapped communities in fear, preventing farming and medical evacuations. Governor Nubia Córdova urges government action as violence displaces thousands. Troop deployments fall short, highlighting the need for demining and social investment.

Defence Minister resigns as ELN violence engulfs Colombia’s Chocó

By The City Paper Staff - February 11, 2025

Colombia faces escalating violence as ELN guerrillas and the Clan del Golfo battle for control in Chocó, displacing thousands and confining over 50,000 residents. Defense Minister Iván Velásquez resigns amid worsening security, leaving vulnerable communities at the mercy of illegal armed groups.