WEATHER ALERT
US recognizes Venezuela's opposition candidate as president-elect months after the disputed election
Read full article: US recognizes Venezuela's opposition candidate as president-elect months after the disputed electionThe U.S. government has recognized Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González as the “president-elect” of the South American country, months after President Nicolás Maduro claimed to have won the July election.
UN chief calls for more pledges, private sector input to save global biodiversity at Colombia summit
Read full article: UN chief calls for more pledges, private sector input to save global biodiversity at Colombia summitU.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged delegates at a major biodiversity summit to follow through on pledges to help save global biodiversity and for the private sector to come on board.
Efforts to combat deforestation in Colombia hindered because of armed groups, report finds
Read full article: Efforts to combat deforestation in Colombia hindered because of armed groups, report findsThe International Crisis Group is reporting that Colombia's government efforts to control deforestation in the Amazon are being hampered by the actions of left-wing dissidents who control the area.
Colombian electoral authorities open investigation against President Petro's 2022 campaign
Read full article: Colombian electoral authorities open investigation against President Petro's 2022 campaignElectoral authorities in Colombia have ruled in favor of investigating financial misconduct allegations against the 2022 campaign that got President Gustavo Petro elected.
Colombia suspends peace talks with ELN rebel group after a deadly attack on the military
Read full article: Colombia suspends peace talks with ELN rebel group after a deadly attack on the militaryColombia has suspended peace talks with the National Liberation Army, or ELN, after blaming the rebel group for an attack that killed two soldiers and injured more than 20.
Colombia's president says attack on army base 'practically ends' peace talks with ELN rebels
Read full article: Colombia's president says attack on army base 'practically ends' peace talks with ELN rebelsAn attack on a military base in eastern Colombia killed two soldiers and injured at least 21, Colombia’s military says, as tensions escalate between Colombia’s government and one of the nation’s largest remaining rebel groups.
Cocaine trade in the rugged Micay Canyon threatens Colombia's peace efforts
Read full article: Cocaine trade in the rugged Micay Canyon threatens Colombia's peace effortsIn the rugged Micay Canyon of southwestern Colombia, rebel groups have beefed up their presence over the past two years despite efforts by Colombian President Gustavo Petro to negotiate peace deals with these irregular armies under a strategy known as total peace.
EU: Maduro has not shown 'necessary public evidence' to declare victory in Venezuela elections
Read full article: EU: Maduro has not shown 'necessary public evidence' to declare victory in Venezuela electionsThe European Union's top diplomat says that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has “not provided the necessary public evidence” to prove he was the winner of July’s elections.
Brazil, Colombia and Mexico in talks with Venezuelan government and opposition on election crisis
Read full article: Brazil, Colombia and Mexico in talks with Venezuelan government and opposition on election crisisA senior Mexican official says that since Venezuela’s disputed presidential election nine days ago, officials from Brazil, Colombia and Mexico are in constant contact with representatives of both Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González, seeking a solution to the country’s political crisis.
Masked assailants ransack Venezuela opposition leader's headquarters as post-election tensions mount
Read full article: Masked assailants ransack Venezuela opposition leader's headquarters as post-election tensions mountHalf a dozen masked assailants have ransacked the headquarters of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in an escalation of violence against President Nicolás Maduro's opponents after the disputed presidential election.
Venezuela's Maduro asks top court to audit the presidential election, but observers cry foul
Read full article: Venezuela's Maduro asks top court to audit the presidential election, but observers cry foulPresident Nicolás Maduro has asked Venezuela’s high court to conduct an audit of the presidential election after opposition leaders disputed his claim of victory.
Colombia's president signs bill to ban bullfighting in the South American country
Read full article: Colombia's president signs bill to ban bullfighting in the South American countryColombia's president has signed a bill that bans bullfights in the South American country, further reducing the short list of nations around the world where the centuries-old tradition is still legal.
Florida jury finds Chiquita Brands liable for Colombia deaths, must pay $38.3M to family members
Read full article: Florida jury finds Chiquita Brands liable for Colombia deaths, must pay $38.3M to family membersA federal jury in Florida has found that Banana giant Chiquita Brands must pay $38.3 million to 16 family members of people killed during Colombia’s long civil war by a violent right-wing paramilitary group funded by the company.
Colombia's congress votes to ban bullfights, dealing a blow to the centuries-old tradition
Read full article: Colombia's congress votes to ban bullfights, dealing a blow to the centuries-old traditionColombia’s congress has voted to ban bullfights in the South American nation, delivering a serious blow to a centuries-old tradition that has inspired songs and novels but has become increasingly controversial in the countries where it is still practiced.
Colombia breaks diplomatic ties with Israel but its military relies on key Israeli-built equipment
Read full article: Colombia breaks diplomatic ties with Israel but its military relies on key Israeli-built equipmentColombia has become the latest Latin American country to announce it will break diplomatic relations with Israel over its military campaign in Gaza.
Colombia's president says country will break diplomatic relations with Israel over war in Gaza
Read full article: Colombia's president says country will break diplomatic relations with Israel over war in GazaColombian President Gustavo Petro says his government will break diplomatic relations with Israel effective Thursday in the latest escalation of tensions between both countries over the Israel-Hamas war.
Tens of thousands of Colombians protest against the leftist president's reform agenda
Read full article: Tens of thousands of Colombians protest against the leftist president's reform agendaThousands of Colombians have taken to the streets in the latest rebuke of leftist President Gustavo Petro’s reform agenda.
Colombia threatens to break ties with Israel if it doesn't comply with a UN cease-fire resolution
Read full article: Colombia threatens to break ties with Israel if it doesn't comply with a UN cease-fire resolutionColombian President Gustavo Petro has threatened to break off diplomatic ties with Israel if the country doesn't comply with a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
Colombia suspends ceasefire with faction of ex-FARC rebels following attack on Indigenous community
Read full article: Colombia suspends ceasefire with faction of ex-FARC rebels following attack on Indigenous communityColombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a ceasefire with one of the handful of armed groups with which he hoped to negotiate peace accords.
Colombia extends cease-fire with National Liberation Army as rebels promise to stop kidnappings
Read full article: Colombia extends cease-fire with National Liberation Army as rebels promise to stop kidnappingsColombia’s government and the nation’s largest remaining guerrilla group have reached a last-minute deal to extend a cease-fire that began last year by six months.
Colombia declares a disaster because of wildfires and asks for international help
Read full article: Colombia declares a disaster because of wildfires and asks for international helpColombia’s government has issued a disaster declaration and requested help from the international community to combat raging wildfires affecting the South American country.
Piedad Cordoba, an outspoken leftist who straddled Colombia's ideological divide, dies at age 68
Read full article: Piedad Cordoba, an outspoken leftist who straddled Colombia's ideological divide, dies at age 68Piedad Córdoba, an outspoken Colombian lawmaker who for decades championed the rights of her fellow Afro-Colombians while undertaking huge risks as a go-between to leftist rebel groups, has died.
Colombia extends cease-fire with FARC splinter group in bid to reduce rural violence
Read full article: Colombia extends cease-fire with FARC splinter group in bid to reduce rural violenceColombia’s government has extended a cease-fire with the FARC-EMC rebel group that was set to expire this week, as both sides hold peace talks in Bogota that seek to reduce violence in rural parts of the country.
Bolivia severs diplomatic ties with Israel as Chile and Colombia recall their ambassadors
Read full article: Bolivia severs diplomatic ties with Israel as Chile and Colombia recall their ambassadorsBolivia’s government has severed diplomatic relations with Israel, accusing it of carrying out “crimes against humanity” in the Gaza Strip.
Colombian president's statements on Gaza jeopardize close military ties with Israel
Read full article: Colombian president's statements on Gaza jeopardize close military ties with IsraelEscalating tensions between Colombia and Israel over the Gaza war could undo decades of close military ties between them.
Israel suspends military exports to Colombia over its president's criticism of Gaza siege
Read full article: Israel suspends military exports to Colombia over its president's criticism of Gaza siegeIsrael has suspended security exports to Colombia in an escalating diplomatic spat over online messages by Colombia’s president comparing Israel’s siege of Gaza to the actions of Nazi Germany.
Mexico's president says 10,000 migrants a day head to US border; he blames US sanctions on Cuba
Read full article: Mexico's president says 10,000 migrants a day head to US border; he blames US sanctions on CubaMexico’s president says that about 10,000 migrants per day are heading to the U.S. border, and he blames U.S. economic sanctions on countries like Cuba and Venezuela for the influx.
Colombia's presidential office manipulates video of President Petro at UN to hype applause
Read full article: Colombia's presidential office manipulates video of President Petro at UN to hype applauseThe Colombian government manipulated a video to alter the applause received by President Gustavo Petro received during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Colombian leader summons intense oratory for a bleak warning: that humanity is making itself extinct
Read full article: Colombian leader summons intense oratory for a bleak warning: that humanity is making itself extinctColombian President Gustavo Petro has delivered an ominous prophecy with grandiose language.
Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, known for his inflated forms, has died at age 91
Read full article: Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, known for his inflated forms, has died at age 91Renowned Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, whose depictions of people and objects in plump, exaggerated forms became emblems of Colombian art around the world, has died.
Thousands take to Colombia’s streets to protest 50% increase in gasoline prices
Read full article: Thousands take to Colombia’s streets to protest 50% increase in gasoline pricesThousands of protesters on cars and motorbikes have taken to the streets of Colombia’s main cities to reject recent hikes in gasoline prices that have drastically increased the price of fuel in the South American country.
Senator Rubio urges Biden administration to reject a former warlord's extradition to Colombia
Read full article: Senator Rubio urges Biden administration to reject a former warlord's extradition to ColombiaFlorida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is calling on the Biden administration to reject Colombia’s request for extradition of a former warlord after he was named a peace envoy in the South American nation.
Colombia's first leftist president is stalled by congress and a campaign finance scandal
Read full article: Colombia's first leftist president is stalled by congress and a campaign finance scandalColombian President Gustavo Petro took office laying out ambitious goals for the nation’s first leftist government.
Son of Colombia's president arrested as part of money laundering probe
Read full article: Son of Colombia's president arrested as part of money laundering probePolice have arrested the son of Colombia’s president as part of a high-profile money laundering probe into funds he allegedly collected during last year’s presidential campaign.
Biden administration suspends satellite monitoring of Colombian coca crops as cocaine surges
Read full article: Biden administration suspends satellite monitoring of Colombian coca crops as cocaine surgesThe Biden administration has quietly suspended satellite monitoring of coca crops in Colombia amid a surge of cocaine flowing into the U.S. from South America.
Venezuela government's ban on longtime foe draws attention to the opposition's presidential primary
Read full article: Venezuela government's ban on longtime foe draws attention to the opposition's presidential primaryMaria Corina Machado has been a longtime foe of Venezuela’s government, and not exactly a unifying figure for its critics.
Thousands take to the streets in Colombia to protest leftist government's reforms
Read full article: Thousands take to the streets in Colombia to protest leftist government's reformsThousands of people are marching in Colombia to voice their frustration with President Gustavo Petro’s government and its attempts to make sweeping changes to the nation’s health and pension systems, and its labor laws.
Germany hands over 2 Indigenous masks to Colombia as it reappraises the past
Read full article: Germany hands over 2 Indigenous masks to Colombia as it reappraises the pastGermany has handed over to Colombia two masks made by the Indigenous Kogi people that had been in a Berlin museum’s collection for more than a century.
Cassava flour and fruit kept 4 children alive for 40 days after plane crash in Colombia's jungle
Read full article: Cassava flour and fruit kept 4 children alive for 40 days after plane crash in Colombia's jungleFour Indigenous children have survived an Amazon plane crash that killed three adults and then braved the jungle for 40 days before being found alive by Colombian soldiers, bringing a happy ending to a search-and-rescue saga that captivated a nation and forced the usually opposing military and Native people to work together.
4 Indigenous children lost in jungle for 40 days after plane crash are found alive in Colombia
Read full article: 4 Indigenous children lost in jungle for 40 days after plane crash are found alive in ColombiaColombian authorities have found alive four Indigenous children who survived a small plane crash 40 days ago and had been the subject of n intense search in the Amazon jungles that held Colombians on edge.
Search for 4 kids missing after deadly Amazon plane crash leaves Colombia on edge
Read full article: Search for 4 kids missing after deadly Amazon plane crash leaves Colombia on edgeColombians are on edge as authorities search for four Indigenous children who were on a small plane that crashed in the the Amazon jungle this month but have not been found.
Colombian rebel leader says peace talks are 'on pause'
Read full article: Colombian rebel leader says peace talks are 'on pause'Colombian rebel leader Pablo Beltran says peace talks between his National Liberation Army and the government have been put “on pause” due to remarks made last week by President Gustavo Petro.
Spain expresses backing for Colombia peace plan
Read full article: Spain expresses backing for Colombia peace planSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has given his full backing to Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s peace plan aimed at reaching a cease-fire with National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla organization.
Venezuela's Juan Guaidó not seeking political asylum in US
Read full article: Venezuela's Juan Guaidó not seeking political asylum in USVenezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó says he is not seeking political asylum in the United States and has not ruled out the posibility of running in a presidential primary planned for October.
Colombian coal mine blast kills 11, search on for survivors
Read full article: Colombian coal mine blast kills 11, search on for survivorsA powerful explosion has torn through a series of five coal mines interconnected by tunnels and ventiliation systems in a rural area of central Colombia, killing at least 11 people and leaving 10 others missing.
Colombia president asks to stop arrest of narco sought by US
Read full article: Colombia president asks to stop arrest of narco sought by USColombia’s president is seeking to suspend arrest orders against some of the country’s biggest criminal suspects as part of an ambitious plan to dismantle armed groups that have long dominated the countryside.
Colombia, Venezuela open key binational bridge as ties warm
Read full article: Colombia, Venezuela open key binational bridge as ties warmColombia and Venezuela are opening a key bridge linking the countries that had been closed for almost seven years amid political tensions, launching a new era of improved relations under Colombia’s new leftist president.
Venezuela's Maduro to fully open border with Colombia
Read full article: Venezuela's Maduro to fully open border with ColombiaVenezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced his intention to fully open the border crossings with Colombia starting Jan. 1, a measure repeatedly postponed following the restoration of diplomatic and commercial ties between the South American neighbors.
Colombia asks for legal status for its people already in US
Read full article: Colombia asks for legal status for its people already in USColombia wants the Biden administration to grant temporary legal status to its citizens now living in the United States, noting its own efforts to address regional migration by hosting 2 million Venezuelans who fled their homes.
Hurricane Julia near Nicaragua after lashing Colombia island
Read full article: Hurricane Julia near Nicaragua after lashing Colombia islandHurricane Julia is closing in on Nicaragua’s central Caribbean coast after lashing Colombia’s San Andres island in a near pass soon after strengthening from a tropical storm.
Bolsonaro, Lula headed to runoff after tight Brazil election
Read full article: Bolsonaro, Lula headed to runoff after tight Brazil electionBrazil’s top two presidential candidates will face each other in a runoff vote after neither got enough support to win outright in an election to decide if the country returns a leftist to the helm of the world’s fourth-largest democracy or keeps the far-right incumbent in office.
Colombian rebels free 5 soldiers, 1 policeman ahead of talks
Read full article: Colombian rebels free 5 soldiers, 1 policeman ahead of talksA Colombian guerrilla group says it has freed six captive members of the security forces in a goodwill gesture ahead of planned peace talks with the government of new President Gustavo Petro.
Ex-rebel takes oath as Colombian president in historic shift
Read full article: Ex-rebel takes oath as Colombian president in historic shiftColombia’s first leftist president has been sworn into office, promising to fight inequality and bring peace to a country long haunted by bloody feuds between the government, drug traffickers and rebel groups.
Afro-Colombian politician tapped as ambassador to Washington
Read full article: Afro-Colombian politician tapped as ambassador to WashingtonA veteran Afro-Colombian politician who studied in the Soviet Union and fled his country after being kidnapped by a paramilitary group has been named Colombia’s next ambassador to the United States.
Colombia: president-elect looks to build governing coalition
Read full article: Colombia: president-elect looks to build governing coalitionPresident-elect Gustavo Petro, who has vowed to lift up Colombia’s poor and disenfranchised, has won the support of an influential party of the establishment as he tries to build a majority coalition in Congress.
Colombian voters elect country's first Black vice president
Read full article: Colombian voters elect country's first Black vice presidentAs Colombia’s voters put aside a longtime antipathy to leftists and chose one as their new president, they also have carved out another milestone — electing the country's first Black vice president.
Petro faces challenges to deliver Colombians promised change
Read full article: Petro faces challenges to deliver Colombians promised changeColombia for the first time elected a leftist as its next president, but the slim victory is a cue that a large portion of the country rejects the ambitious proposals of Gustavo Petro.
Colombia picks 1st leftist president in tight runoff contest
Read full article: Colombia picks 1st leftist president in tight runoff contestColombia will be governed by a leftist president for the first time after former rebel Gustavo Petro narrowly defeated a real estate millionaire in a runoff election that underscored people’s disgust with the country’s traditional politicians.
Ex-rebel wins runoff to be Colombia's 1st leftist president
Read full article: Ex-rebel wins runoff to be Colombia's 1st leftist presidentFormer rebel Gustavo Petro has narrowly won a runoff election in Colombia over a political outsider millionaire, ushering in a new era of politics by becoming the country’s first leftist president.
Populist millionaire faces ex-rebel for Colombia presidency
Read full article: Populist millionaire faces ex-rebel for Colombia presidencyLeftist Sen. Gustavo Petro celebrated his first-round lead in Colombia’s presidential election in the way most politicians would: showered with confetti before hundreds of supporters.
Colombia presidential race to runoff; leftist vs businessman
Read full article: Colombia presidential race to runoff; leftist vs businessmanA leftist former rebel and a populist businessman have taken the top two spots among the six candidates in Colombia’s presidential election and are heading to a runoff showdown in June, delivering a blow to the country's political class.
Ex-rebel emerges as favorite in Colombian presidential race
Read full article: Ex-rebel emerges as favorite in Colombian presidential raceA one-time rebel fighter has used an emotional anti-establishment discourse and promises to boost state involvement in the economy to garner a commanding lead in polls as Colombia heads into Sunday's presidential election.
Colombian candidate says he won't nationalize property
Read full article: Colombian candidate says he won't nationalize propertyColombian presidential frontrunner Gustavo Petro pledged that he will not nationalize private property if he wins the nation’s presidency this year as critics in the South American country accuse the leftist candidate of wanting to make radical changes to the country’s free market economy.
Colombia's Ingrid Betancourt announces presidential run
Read full article: Colombia's Ingrid Betancourt announces presidential runColombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, who was held as a hostage for six years by Colombia’s largest guerrilla group, says she will be running for her country’s presidency.
Ex-rebel capitalizes on Colombia unrest by showing restraint
Read full article: Ex-rebel capitalizes on Colombia unrest by showing restraintA former rebel leader in Colombia who would undo antinarcotics cooperation with the U.S. is looking to capitalize on the biggest antigovernment unrest in decades and ride it to the presidency next year.