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Bogotá’s No Car and Motorcycle Day Returns on 5 February

By Richard Emblin - January 29, 2026

On Thursday 5 February, Bogotá will once again ask its citizens to imagine the city differently. For 16 hours, from 5.00 a.m to 9.00 p.m., private cars and motorcycles will largely disappear from the streets as Colombia’s capital marks the 28th edition of its Día Sin Carro y Sin Moto. The annual pause, approved by […]

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 […]

President Gustavo Petro announced Tuesday that his trip to the White House on February 3 will benefit the "life of humanity". Photo: Presidencia

Colombia’s Petro claims U.S. “kidnapped” Maduro during Caracas strike

By The City Paper Staff - January 28, 2026

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Tuesday that Nicolás Maduro should be returned to Venezuela to face trial in his home country, calling the U.S. military operation that captured the ousted leader in Caracas earlier this month a “kidnapping” that violated Venezuelan sovereignty. “They have to return him and have him tried by a Venezuelan […]

Colombia, Ecuador locked in trade dispute as pipeline tariff jumps 900%

By The City Paper Staff - January 27, 2026

Ecuador has sharply increased tariffs on Colombian crude oil transported through its pipeline system, deepening a trade and energy dispute between the two Andean neighbours that has already disrupted electricity exports and bilateral commerce. Ecuador said on Tuesday it had raised the tariff paid by Colombia for each barrel of oil transported through the state-owned […]

As Fighting Engulfs Briceño, Colombia, Schools Forced to Close

By The City Paper Staff - January 26, 2026

The school year had barely begun when gunfire forced children in rural northern Colombia to cower under their desks in fear and silence. On the same day students were returning to classrooms after the Christmas and New Year holidays, fighting between illegal armed groups erupted near Briceño, in the northeast of Antioquia. By nightfall, schools […]

Colombia, Ecuador in trade and energy spat after Noboa announces 30% “security” tariff

By The City Paper Staff - January 22, 2026

Colombia and Ecuador have started exchanging trade retaliations after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced a 30% “security” tariff on imports from Colombia, escalating tensions between Andean neighbours over border security cooperation. Noboa said the measure would take effect on Feb. 1 and would remain in place until Colombia shows “real commitment” to jointly tackle drug […]

Five of the Metro de Bogotá trains are currently in the Colombian capital. Photo: Alcaldía de Bogotá

Bogotá declares Metro Line 2 tender void after no bids received

By The City Paper Staff - January 21, 2026

The Bogotá mayoralty has declared the tender process for the construction of the capital’s second metro line void after no bids were submitted by the deadline, Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán said on Tuesday, highlighting ongoing challenges facing Colombia’s most ambitious infrastructure project. Galán said none of the prequalified consortia presented final offers before the cutoff […]

U.S President Donald Trump and his AI image of Canada, Venezuela and Greenland with the U.S flag. Photo: Truth Social

Trump shows AI map with Canada, Greenland and Venezuela under U.S flag.

By The City Paper Staff - January 20, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday there was “no going back” on his goal to bring Greenland under U.S. control, refusing to rule out the use of force and escalating tensions with European allies already bracing for a renewed transatlantic trade dispute. Trump’s remarks followed a series of social media posts featuring AI-generated images, […]

Federal Jury Awards Drummond $256 Million in Colombia Defamation Case

By The City Paper Staff - January 19, 2026

A federal jury in the United States has awarded coal producer Drummond Company Inc. $256 million after finding that a prominent human-rights attorney and his associates orchestrated a campaign of false accusations linking the company to paramilitary violence in Colombia. The verdict, delivered on January 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District […]

RCN Poll Reveals Cepeda’s 30% Ceiling, Right’s Path to Consolidation

By The City Paper Staff - January 19, 2026

Colombia’s presidential race has entered poll season with a revealing snapshot from Noticias RCN and Spanish firm GAD3 that points to an election defined less by early frontrunners than by who can consolidate votes after March’s inter-party consultations. At first glance, Historic Pact senator Iván Cepeda appears comfortably ahead. The RCN poll places him at […]

Beatriz González, one of Latin America’s most influential contemporary artists, died Jan. 9 at her home in Bogotá at 93. Photo: Hernán Díaz/Colección de Arte. Banco de la República.

Beatriz González: The Artist of Colombia’s Political Memory (1932-2026)

By Richard Emblin - January 15, 2026

Beatriz González, one of Latin America’s most influential contemporary artists, whose boldly colored, deliberately unrefined paintings and installations confronted Colombia’s long history of political violence, public mourning and social inequality – while also reshaping the country’s most important public art collection – died on Jan. 9, 2026, at her home in Bogotá. She was 93. […]

Why a Strong Peso Is Making a Colombia Vacation More Expensive

By Timothy Langham - January 14, 2026

For much of the past decade, Colombia built a reputation as one of travel’s great value destinations: culturally rich, visually stunning, and refreshingly affordable. A strong U.S. dollar, competitive hotel rates, and inexpensive food and transport helped turn cities like Medellín and Cartagena into global favorites, while smaller destinations thrived on a steady flow of […]

Right-wing candidate De la Espriella leads Colombia presidential race, shows latest poll

By Richard Emblin - January 13, 2026

Far-right independent candidate Abelardo De la Espriella, widely known by the nickname “El Tigre” (The Tiger), has taken the lead in Colombia’s presidential race five months ahead of the election, according to a new poll by AtlasIntel published by Semana magazine. The survey places De la Espriella, founder of the pro-democracy movement Defensores de la […]

Petro–Trump Phone Call Defuses U.S.–Colombia Tensions

By The City Paper Staff - January 8, 2026

It was a frustrating night for the roughly 6,000 supporters gathered in Bogotá’s Plaza de Bolívar to hear President Gustavo Petro deliver what many expected to be a fiery, anti-imperialist address. After waiting for hours in cold, rainy conditions, demonstrators waved placards reading “Yankee Go Home,” “Out Trump,” and “Respect Colombia,” anticipating a confrontational speech […]

Petro Calls Colombians to the Streets After Trump Raises Military Option

By The City Paper Staff - January 7, 2026

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called on supporters to mobilise nationwide on Wednesday to defend “national sovereignty,” sharply escalating a diplomatic crisis with the United States after President Donald Trump said a U.S. military operation against Colombia “sounds good” to him. The demonstrations are expected to take place in Bogotá’s Plaza de Bolívar, Parque Lourdes […]

Trump floats U.S. military action against Colombia after Maduro capture

By The City Paper Staff - January 5, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump escalated rhetoric toward Colombia on Sunday, suggesting that a U.S. military operation against the country — which he said could be dubbed “Operation Colombia” — was a possibility following Washington’s capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump described Colombian President Gustavo Petro as “a […]