Latest News

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

Read More →

Over 1,200 indigenous protesters occupy Bogotá’s Plaza de Bolívar

By Richard Emblin - April 3, 2025

Some 1,200 Indigenous people from Colombia’s southwestern departments have gathered peacefully in Bogotá’s Plaza de Bolívar for a third consecutive day, calling for a meeting with President Gustavo Petro to discuss violence in their territories and the government’s unfulfilled commitments.

Read More →

They Are Girls, Not Wives: Colombia Passes Law Banning Child Marriage

By The City Paper Staff - November 14, 2024

Colombia has passed a landmark law banning child marriage, making it illegal for anyone under 18 to wed, even with parental consent. The new legislation closes a 137-year-old legal loophole and aligns Colombia with other Latin American countries committed to protecting children’s rights.

Read More →

Colombia recognizes Indigenous Peoples as Environmental Authorities ahead of COP16

By The City Paper Staff - October 16, 2024

President Gustavo Petro signed a decree granting indigenous communities environmental authority over their territories. The move comes as Colombia prepares for COP16, highlighting indigenous roles in biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystem management

Read More →

Colombia’s Portable Universe heads to Montreal Museum of Fine Arts 

By The City Paper Staff - May 25, 2023

One of the most important collections of pre-Columbian artifacts will go on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibition Portable Universe: Thought and Splendor of Indigenous Colombia was first shown to audiences in Los Angeles.

Read More →

Indigenous Guard occupy Bogotá’s historic Plaza de Bolívar

By Richard Emblin - May 7, 2023

In a defiant act to pressure the Colombian Congress in approving the National Development Plan and Health Reform of the government of President Gustavo Petro, some 400 members of the Indigenous Guard are occupying the steps of the Capitol.

Read More →

What to know before buying Colombia’s iconic mochila

By Lex Treinen - January 18, 2023

For connoisseurs of Colombia’s iconic shoulder-bag, a mochila is more than a stylish and practical accessory. It is a means to connect with ancestral knowledge and a weaving practices handed-down through generations.

Read More →

Colombia’s indigenous peoples lead peaceful anti-government protest

By Richard Emblin - October 21, 2020

Wednesday’s National Strike across Colombia is being conducted in peace as demonstrators filled Bogotá’s historic center accompanied the Indigenous Guard.

Read More →

Colombia’s Amazonian peoples fear “extermination” with COVID-19 as total cases reach 12,930

By The City Paper Staff - May 13, 2020

The capital of Amazonas, Leticia, remains at the epicenter of the Colombian outbreak and the region’s many indigenous groups fear “extermination” with COVID-19.

Read More →