Colombia’s high-altitude Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta has become the latest flashpoint in the country’s worsening rural security crisis, after armed clashes between illegal groups left Indigenous communities trapped in the crossfire and triggered a humanitarian evacuation mission. Authorities confirmed that at least nine wounded civilians, including two minors, were evacuated following heavy fighting between […]
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Petro opens consultation on ‘Black Line’ after Colombia court ends protection decree
President Gustavo Petro has announced the start of a consultation process with ethnic communities to draft a new decree protecting the sacred “Black Line” of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta after Colombia’s highest administrative court annulled the previous legal framework governing the ancestral territory. The announcement came late on March 4 during an interethnic […]
Tayrona Park closure highlights security risks on Colombia’s Caribbean coast
The Colombian government temporarily closed last week PNN Tayrona National Natural Park following threats against park staff and escalating violence between rival armed groups fighting for control of drug trafficking corridors along the Caribbean coast. The shutdown, announced on Feb. 17 by Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia, was described as a preventive measure to protect […]
Rasmussen Star: New Orchid Species Discovered in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada
Researchers in Colombia have discovered a new orchid species, Epidendrum Rasmussenii, in the cloud forests of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The endangered orchid highlights the region’s extraordinary biodiversity and the urgent need for conservation amid increasing deforestation.
New bird species “El Dorado Antpitta” discovered in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada
Colombia has made another breakthrough in ornithology with the discovery of ‘El Dorado Antpitta’. This elusive bird species was found in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada by Fundación ProAves, marking a rare find and underscoring the region’s rich biodiversity.
Security concerns return for foreigners visiting Colombia’s Tayrona Park
Amidst the landscapes of Tayrona National Park in Colombia, security concerns resurface for foreigners exploring its paradisiacal yet troubled historical terrain.
A coming-of-age hike into Colombia’s Sierra Nevada
On a first trip to Colombia as an adult, Maya Salgado decided to do the five-day hike to the Sierra Nevada’s Lost City, and archaeological wonder that could become a “paradise lost” with mass tourism.
Spiritual leaders from the Sierra Nevada make historic visit to Bogotá
A delegation of spiritual leaders from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta made their first visit to Bogotá to petition the national government for greater conservation of their ancestral territory.
An appeal to help the community of Minca and its tourism-dependent residents
Hundreds of families in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are facing abject poverty as hostels and tourism-related businesses remain closed with the nationwide quarantine.
John Lundin: Quarantined in the Heart of the World
John Lundin, a former Chicago chaplain and Dalai Lama biographer is spending his Colombian quarantine at the spiritual Heart of the World, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
One Starry Night Toad in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Revered as a symbol of fertility by the Elders of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a rare harlequin toad is the focus of a conservation/photography project.
Arhuaco youth in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada launch Earth Guardians
A group of youngsters in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta have launched the Colombia chapter of Earth Guardians to spread the word on climate change.
Does Colombian cacao have a semisweet future?
Cacao, the raw ingredient in chocolate, stands poised to become Colombia’s next big export, especially if artisan beans continue to attract global consumers.