Colombia’s Gustavo Petro has once again stirred controversy with the United States after claiming that the Department of State may have revoked his travel visa.
The Banco de la República’s Semana de las Semillas (Seed Week), held April 21–26 at MAMU in Bogotá, highlights seed preservation as biocultural heritage. Events in Santa Marta, Quibdó, and Buenaventura celebrate ancestral food traditions, agroecological knowledge, and community resistance to industrial agriculture.
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 has declared a national health emergency amid a yellow fever outbreak, with 76 cases and 34 deaths reported. President Gustavo Petro has ordered a mass vaccination campaign, targeting both rural and urban areas. Bogotá has set up immunization points at bus terminals and El Dorado Airport to curb further spread.
Italian molecular biologist Alessandro Coatti, 42, was found dismembered near Santa Marta, Colombia, after traveling through South America. A former senior officer at the UK’s Royal Society of Biology, his death is being investigated for possible links to illegal armed groups operating in the Sierra Nevada.
The Colombian peso slumped amid Wall Street’s sell-off and falling oil prices, but has steadied near COP$4,400 to the USD. The currency remains volatile as global markets rebound on hopes of tariff negotiations.
U.S.- Colombia relations are under strain after U.S. Secretary Kristi Noem described her meeting with President Petro as “contentious,” claiming he was friends with cartel members. Colombia has categorially rejected the remarks, calling them false and damaging to bilateral cooperation on security and migration.
With 105 foreign investment projects in 2024, the Colombian capital stands out as a magnet for expansion in services, retail, and technology. Great connectivity for the business community, world-class cultural events and a highly-skilled workforce has secured Bogotá as a trusted destination for investors.
Colombia has signed a letter of intent to purchase between 16 and 24 modern fighter jets from Sweden. The deal with aircraft manufacturer SAAB would replace the country’s ageing Israeli Kfirs with the JAS39 Gripen.
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.
Bogotá and much of Colombia will face heavy rainfall until mid-June, IDEAM warns. Increased precipitation raises risks of floods, landslides, and river overflows, particularly in Andean and Caribbean regions. Authorities urge preventive measures amid worsening weather conditions.
Carlos Lehder, one of the founding leaders of the Medellín Cartel and a key figure in the history of cocaine trafficking, was arrested by Colombian authorities upon his arrival from Germany on Friday, March 28.
Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia hosted DHS Secretary Kristi Noem at the San Carlos Palace in Bogotá where an agreement was signed that would expand the sharing of biometric data for law enforcement and migration controls.
FARC dissidents launched coordinated attacks across ten municipalities in the department of Cauca, Colombia, killing one soldier and injuring over 80 people. Explosives strapped to motorbikes, drone strikes, and armed assaults have prompted heightened security in the southwest of the country.
In the first high-level visit by a member of U.S. President Donald Trump’s new administration, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will meet with Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia on Thursday in Bogotá.
The U.S. objective to impose secondary tariffs on all countries purchasing Venezuelan oil and gas has stalled President Petro’s plans for greater energy integration. Petro has urged Ecopetrol to explore Qatari gas imports amid rising domestic shortages and potential trade tensions with Washington.