Latest News

De La Espriella launches all-out offensive against corruption and “white-collar criminals”

By The City Paper Staff - September 14, 2026

Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella launched a forceful attack on corruption during an televised address to the nation Sunday, targeting both those convicted of crimes involving public funds and those who, he says, attempt to use their positions, influence or personal connections to secure special treatment. In a speech focused on the victims of […]

What we remember when we remember 9/11

By The Conversation - September 11, 2026

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you learned of the September 11 terrorist attacks that occurred 25 years ago? Do you remember what you saw on television or how you felt? Is your memory highly detailed, and are you confident that what you are remembering is an accurate recollection […]

Rubio’s Whirlwind Visit Signals a New Era in U.S.-Colombia Relations

By Richard Emblin - September 9, 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s whirlwind visit to Colombia on Tuesday marked a decisive shift in relations between Washington and Bogotá, with President Abelardo De La Espriella presenting his government as a renewed strategic partner for the United States in Latin America. Meeting in Barranquilla, the alternate seat of Colombia’s presidency since De La […]

De la Espriella to Take Office in Cali in Unprecedented Presidential Investiture

By The City Paper Staff - August 7, 2026

Abelardo de la Espriella will be sworn in as Colombia’s president on Friday, August 7, in an unprecedented inauguration ceremony held outside the capital Bogotá, with the formal transfer of power taking place at the Arena of the Universidad Santiago de Cali (USC) before the new president delivers his first address to the nation from […]

Rubio expected to lead U.S. delegation to presidential inauguration in Cali

By The City Paper Staff - July 30, 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend the inauguration of Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo De La Espriella on August 7, a ceremony that will make history as the country’s first presidential transfer of power to be held outside Bogotá. The inauguration will take place at 3:00 p.m. at the Arena USC on the […]

Colombia’s De la Espriella to Close 14 Embassies, Cut Ties With Cuba and Nicaragua

By The City Paper Staff - July 27, 2026

Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo De la Espriella announced Sunday, a sweeping overhaul of the country’s diplomatic network, pledging to close 14 embassies and 15 consulates. He also pledged to sever diplomatic relations with Cuba and Nicaragua, and redirect budget cuts toward security and public investment after taking office on August 7. In a video message posted […]

New U.S.-Colombia chapter takes shape as Rubio meets Colombia’s vice president-elect

By The City Paper Staff - July 16, 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Colombia’s Vice President-elect José Manuel Restrepo on Wednesday, signaling what both sides described as the beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations as President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella prepares to take office on Aug. 7. The closed-door meeting at the State Department brought together senior members of […]

Colombia’s President-Elect Breaks With Tradition, Plans Military Base Inauguration

By The City Paper Staff - July 14, 2026

In one of the most symbolic breaks with Colombia’s republican traditions in modern history, President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced Monday that he intends to be sworn into office on August 7 at a military garrison in southern Colombia rather than Bogotá’s iconic Plaza de Bolívar, where every democratically elected Colombian president in recent decades […]

Colombia Resets Foreign Policy With Omar Bula as Incoming Foreign Minister

By Richard Emblin - July 9, 2026

Colombia is preparing for one of its most significant foreign policy realignments in more than two decades as President-elect Abelardo De La Espriella assembles a government that promises to restore close strategic relations with the United States and other Western democracies, while distancing the country from the ideological alliances that defined the presidency of Gustavo […]

Colombia’s President-Elect Urges International Oversight for Democratic Transition

By The City Paper Staff - July 8, 2026

Colombia’s president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, has appealed to the international community to closely monitor the country’s democratic transition, as outgoing President Gustavo Petro and opposition leader Iván Cepeda attempt to undermine the August 7 transfer of power. In a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, the criminal defense lawyer said he had […]

Colombia’s VP-elect rejects Cepeda’s call for “Civil Disobedience” as tantrum

By The City Paper Staff - July 2, 2026

Colombia’s Vice President-elect José Manuel Restrepo on Wednesday condemned opposition senator Iván Cepeda for calling on supporters to engage in “peaceful civil disobedience” unless President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella renounces his U.S. citizenship before taking office, describing the move as “an anti-democratic tantrum” and an attack on the country’s democratic institutions. The confrontation marks a […]

De la Espriella gives Colombia’s armed groups one month to surrender

By The City Paper Staff - June 25, 2026

Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Thursday gave the country’s illegal armed groups one month to submit to justice, pledging to abandon the broad negotiations pursued by the outgoing administration and instead adopt a hardline security strategy aimed at dismantling criminal organizations. Speaking after receiving his official credentials from the National Election Council (CNE) […]

Iván Cepeda concedes election defeat, Petro begins transition to De la Espriella government

By The City Paper Staff - June 24, 2026

Colombian leftist senator Iván Cepeda formally conceded defeat on Wednesday, acknowledging conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella as the country’s president-elect after electoral authorities confirmed that the official vote count closely matched the preliminary tally. The concession, coupled with outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s announcement that he would begin the formal transition of power, marked a […]

Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella Pledges a ‘Miracle Nation’

By María Claudia Peña - June 23, 2026

Standing behind a bulletproof screen beneath Barranquilla’s towering Ventana al Mundo monument, President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella delivered a triumphant yet carefully choreographed victory speech Sunday night, promising to restore security, revive confidence in Colombia’s democratic institutions and govern for all Colombians after one of the closest presidential elections in the country’s modern history. Addressing […]

Abelardo ‘El Tigre’ de la Espriella wins Colombia’s presidency by narrow margin

By Richard Emblin - June 21, 2026

Conservative firebrand Abelardo “El Tigre” de la Espriella has been elected Colombia’s next president after defeating hard-left rival Iván Cepeda in Sunday’s presidential runoff by less than one percentage point, capping one of the closest and most consequential elections in the country’s recent democratic history. According to National Registry Bulletin 18, De la Espriella secured […]

U.S. Embassy warns Americans of possible election-related unrest in Colombia

By The City Paper Staff - June 19, 2026

The United States Embassy in Bogotá has urged American citizens to exercise caution ahead of Colombia’s presidential runoff election on Sunday, warning of possible protests, transport disruptions and isolated violence, prompting a sharp rebuke from President Gustavo Petro, who accused Washington of unnecessarily alarming foreign nationals. The security alert, issued on Thursday, comes as Colombia […]