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FARC will release all minors under 15 as part of the peace process with the Colombian government.

Ex-FARC admit to recruiting 18,677 children during Colombia conflict

By Richard Emblin - March 4, 2026

Colombia’s transitional justice system has reached a morally charged milestone. The seven former commanders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) guerrilla have formally accepted responsibility for the recruitment of 18,677 minors during the country’s decades-long internal conflict, acknowledging not only the scale of the practice but also the sexual and reproductive abuses that […]

UN report warns Colombia faces worsening human rights crisis

By Richard Emblin - February 26, 2026

Colombia is at risk of sliding back into one of the darkest chapters of its recent history, according to a stark new report by the United Nations, which warns that escalating violence, territorial control by illegal armed groups and political instability are eroding hard-won human rights gains. The annual assessment by the Office of the […]

Caracol Reveals Complicity Between FARC Dissidents and Colombian Army

By The City Paper Staff - November 24, 2025

President Gustavo Petro is confronting explosive accusations of treason and complicity after a Noticias Caracol investigative report revealed alleged channels of communication and the transfer of highly classified military intelligence from the Armed Forces to FARC dissidents led by alias Calarcá. The report broadcast on Sunday has plunged the leftist administration into political turmoil and […]

Palace of Justice: Forty Years, Four Peace Processes, and No Peace

By Luis Guillermo Plata - November 9, 2025

I remember perfectly the morning of November 6, 1985. I was 18 years old, a high school conscript serving in the Presidential Guard Battalion. Chaos reigned. Commanders shouted orders as we deployed in trucks and on foot – not only toward Plaza de Bolívar, but to different corners of Bogotá. No one knew where the […]

Colombia’s JEP Sentences Ex-FARC for Mass Kidnappings

By Richard Emblin - September 16, 2025

Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) tribunal issued its first sanctions against seven former FARC commanders, holding them responsible for kidnapping over 21,000 people. Classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity, the commanders received eight-year restorative sanctions under the 2016 peace accord.

Colombians to mobilize August 7 in defense of Uribe with 12-year Sentence

By Richard Emblin - August 4, 2025

Former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe was sentenced to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and bribery, sparking nationwide demostrations in his defense for August 7. Critics say President Petro is using the case to rewrite Colombia’s conflict history and legitimize former FARC’s human rights abuses.

Uribe’s Defense Team Decries ‘Lawfare’ After Historic Guilty Verdict

By Richard Emblin - July 29, 2025

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was found guilty of witness tampering, but his defense claims the trial was politically motivated and legally flawed. They argue the judge ignored exculpatory evidence and relied on a discredited witness. Uribe’s legal team plans to appeal, calling the verdict an attack on due process.

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez addresses a crowd in Santa Fe de Antioquia. Photo: Twitter/Alvaro Uribe.

Guilty Verdict Against Álvaro Uribe Sparks Condemnation from U.S Lawmakers

By Richard Emblin - July 29, 2025

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was found guilty of witness tampering and abuse of process, becoming the country’s first ex-head of state convicted at trial. U.S. Republican lawmakers condemned the verdict as political persecution, while Uribe’s legal team plans to appeal. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday.

Ex-FARC Commanders Admit to Forcible Recruitment of More Than 18,000 Minors

By The City Paper Staff - July 10, 2025

The six former FARC commanders of the Secretariat admitted to recruiting more than 18,000 children during Colombia’s armed conflict, calling it a grave mistake before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.

Ex-Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva claims Petro has a drug problem

By The City Paper Staff - April 23, 2025

In a respectful, yet unapologetic letter to President Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s former Foreign Minister, Álvaro Leyva Durán expressed his deep disappointment in the current adminstration and blames the leftist leader’s “erratic behaviour” on substance abuse.

Pope Francis, Advocate of Colombia’s Peace Accord, Dies at 88

By The City Paper Staff - April 21, 2025

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and tireless advocate for Colombia’s 2016 peace accord with FARC rebels, died at 88. His 2017 visit helped heal a war-torn nation. Revered globally for championing reconciliation, he bridged faith and diplomacy during a transformative era for the Catholic Church.

Colombia’s AG ordered to provide information on 546 disappeared members of security forces

By Richard Emblin - March 3, 2025

Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) gave the Attorney General’s Office 45 days to provide information on 546 disappeared members of the armed forces, aiming to advance their identification and ensure victims’ rights to truth and justice.

Humanitarian crisis erupts in Colombia’s Catatumbo amid ELN violence

By The City Paper Staff - January 20, 2025

Over 11,000 people have fled Colombia’s Catatumbo region amid escalating violence between ELN and FARC dissidents. The death toll has reached 100. As the Armed Forces deploy additional troops, President Petro may declare a state of internal disturbance.

ELN and FARC dissidents fight for control of Colombia’s Catatumbo

By The City Paper Staff - January 18, 2025

Clashes between Colombia’s ELN guerrilla and FARC dissidents in the mountainous Catatumbo region have killed 30, injured 20, and displaced 100 families. President Gustavo Petro suspended peace talks, citing war crimes, as violence disrupts vulnerable communities, commerce, and education.

Human remains discovered at Medellín’s La Escombrera, believed to be Colombia’s largest mass grave

By The City Paper Staff - December 19, 2024

Colombia’s JEP and missing persons entity UBPD have uncovered human remains at La Escombrera, Medellín’s largest municipal dump, and remains linked to over 500 forced disappearances during the internal conflict.

Colombia’s JEP indicts ex-FARC commanders on War Crimes and Child Recruitment

By The City Paper Staff - November 13, 2024

Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has indicted six former FARC commanders on war crimes charges, including child recruitment and severe abuses committed against minors during the internal conflict.