To view this content, you must be a member of Colombia's Patreon at $1 or more - Click "Read more" to unlock this content at the source The post The New Junta del Narcotrafico | Part 2: Super cartels appeared first on Colombia News.

Colombia’s Supreme Court formally accused six House Representatives and ordered the arrest of two of them over their alleged involvement in the embezzlement of emergency funds. As members of the congressional Public Credit Commission, the lawmakers allegedly agreed to a compensation in exchange for approving three investment projects funded by the disaster management agency, UNGRD. […] The post Colombia’s Supreme Court orders arrest of 2 house representatives on corruption charges appeared fi...

Far-right Senator Paloma Valencia won Colombia’s center-right primary with 3.2 million votes on Sunday, securing significant support for her presidential bid. Valencia, a disciple of former President Alvaro Uribe, received 3.2 million of the 5.9 million votes cast in the “Great Consultation” that was held on the same day as the congressional elections. Ahead of […] The post Presidential hopeful Paloma Valencia secures support of Colombia’s center-right after convincing primary victory appeare...

Police arrested the bodyguard of Jaime Luis Lacouture, the secretary of Colombia’s House of Representatives, after finding he was found transporting election propaganda and more than $38,000 in cash. The bodyguard, Luis Alfredo Acuña, was arrested on Tuesday morning outside of Hatonuevo, a town in the northern La Guajira province, according to the police. The […] The post Bodyguard of secretary of Colombia’s House of Representatives arrested on vote-buying charges appeared first on Colombia N...

Colombia’s government is expected to decree a 23.7% minimum wage hike for the second time after allegedly obtaining the support of a majority of labor unions and business associations. The State Council, Colombia’s highest administrative court, ordered the government to issue a transitional decree after provisionally suspending the initial minimum age hike that was decreed […] The post New decree on Colombia’s minimum wage to maintain 23.7% hike: labor minister appeared first on Colombia News.

Colombia’s defense minister ordered the security forces and intelligence agencies to step up measures to protect President Gustavo Petro in response to an alleged plot to plant drugs in his car. In a post on social media platform X, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said that he had ordered the commanders of the military and the […] The post Colombia steps up protection measures for Petro amid mounting plot fears appeared first on Colombia News.

A recent order to carry out airstrikes on guerrilla group ELN “fatally injured” efforts to resume peace talks between Colombia’s longest-living guerrilla group and the administration of President Gustavo Petro, the rebels said Tuesday. Petro said last week that he ordered an airstrike on a suspected guerrilla position in the northeastern Catatumbo region hours before […] The post Petro “fatally injured” Colombia’s efforts to make peace, say ELN rebels appeared first on Colombia News.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) barred Colombia’s leading presidential candidate, Senator Ivan Cepeda, from participating in a multipartite primary that sought to unite the left ahead of the elections. The decision forced Cepeda’s party, the Historic Pact, to withdraw from the primary and unleashed a new wave of criticism about the politicized nature of the […] The post Frontrunner in Colombia’s election race barred from united left primary appeared first on Colombia News.

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro and his US counterpart Donald Trump spoke on the phone ahead of a planned meeting with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez, the President’s Office said Thursday. In a post on social media platform X, the President’s Office said the two leaders “discussed the economic reactivation on the border [with Venezuela] and […] The post Colombia’s government says Petro and Trump called ahead of Venezuela meeting appeared first on Colombia News.

The frontrunner in Colombia’s election race, leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, announced that Senator Aida Quilcue, a renowned indigenous leader, will be his running mate. In a video message, Cepeda said that Quilcue, 53, accepted his invitation to run for vice-president ahead of the first round on the presidential election in May. The candidate praised his […] The post Colombia’s leftist presidential candidate picks indigenous running mate appeared first on Colombia News.

Moderate and centrist parties lost significantly against the radical left and the far-right in Colombia’s congressional elections on Sunday. The outcome will likely perpetuate tensions between Colombia’s executive and legislative branches after President Gustavo Petro, an outspoken leftist, leaves office in August. Petro’s most likely successor, the leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, would face a radicalized […] The post Moderates lose big in Colombia’s congressional elections appeared first on Col...

To view this content, you must be a member of Colombia's Patreon at $1 or more - Click "Read more" to unlock this content at the source The post The New Junta del Narcotrafico | Part 1: origins appeared first on Colombia News.

Colombia’s Missing Persons Search Unit (UBPD) surrendered the remains of legendary “guerrilla priest” Camilo Torres to his family and friends on Sunday, exactly 60 years after his death. A few dozen people were invited to the National University’s Cristo Maestro chapel for a two-part ceremony in which UBPD director Luz Janeth Forero formally surrendered the […] The post Camilo Torres: Colombia surrenders remains of legendary “guerrilla priest” 60 years after his death appeared first on Colombia News.

President Gustavo Petro declared an emergency in large parts of Colombia in response to rains that flooded vast areas and threaten to overflood dams. The emergency was declared in all provinces on the Caribbean coast and the Choco province, which has both a Pacific and a Caribbean coast. According to disaster management agency UNGRD, heavy […] The post Colombia declares emergency in response to widespread floods appeared first on Colombia News.

Colombia’s prosecution said it will indict Ecopetrol CEO Ricardo Roa on election fraud and influence peddling charges. The accusations filed by the prosecution’s anti-corruption unit are the result of two separate investigations into corruption allegations leveled against the director of the country’s state oil company. The campaign finance charge The electoral charge followed an investigation […] The post Colombia’s prosecution to indict state oil chief on corruption charges appeared first on Colombia News.

Paramilitary successor organization EGC suspended peace talks with Colombia’s government after President Gustavo Petro allegedly promised his US counterpart Donald Trump to arrest their commander. In a post on social media platform X, the organization said that its delegation “will provisionally suspend talks with the government in order to conduct consultations and clarify the accuracy […] The post Colombia’s paramilitary successors suspend peace talks appeared first on Colombia News.

The Bogota appeals court sentenced attorneys Diego Cadena and Juan José Salazar to more than seven years house arrest for trying to bribe witnesses for Colombia’s former president Alvaro Uribe, their client. The appeals court ruled that Cadena, a.k.a. “the Gangsattorney,” did not jut bribe witnesses, but also committed fraud to shield Uribe and his […] The post Uribe’s former fixers convicted for bribing witnesses appeared first on Colombia News.

To view this content, you must be a member of Colombia's Patreon at $1 or more - Click "Read more" to unlock this content at the source The post Colombia’s polarizing congressional elections appeared first on Colombia News.

To view this content, you must be a member of Colombia's Patreon at $1 or more - Click "Read more" to unlock this content at the source The post What’s at stake in Colombia’s elections on Sunday appeared first on Colombia News.

Talks between AUC dissident group EGC and the National Government resumed after Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez walked back threats to either kill or capture EGC commander “Chiquito Malo.” The EGC suspended the talks earlier this month after Sanchez said that President Gustavo Petro and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed to make Chiquito Malo a […] The post Colombia’s government and AUC dissident group EGC resume demobilization talks appeared first on Colombia News.

Colombia’s State Council provisionally suspended a 23.7% minimum wage hike that was decreed by President Gustavo Petro to secure a living wage for minimum wage workers in December. The country’s top administrative court additionally gave the Petro administration a week to issue a new “transitional” decree that will be valid until the Council of State […] The post State Council suspends Colombia’s 23.7% minimum wage hike appeared first on Colombia News.

Indigenous security forces were able to thwart the kidnapping of a coalition senator in southwest Colombia on Tuesday. Aida Quilcue, a senator and indigenous leader, and her security detail disappeared from the radar around noon while traveling through the east of the Cauca province. Following her release three hours later, Quilcue told press that she […] The post Southwest Colombia indigenous guard thwarts kidnapping of senator appeared first on Colombia News.

Santiago Gallon, one of the most infamous business associates of Colombia’s former President Alvaro Uribe, has been assassinated in Mexico, local media reported. Gallon, a financier of paramilitary organization AUC and alleged drug trafficker, was reportedly shot and killed in a restaurant in Toluca, a city in the south of Mexico. According to journalist Daniel […] The post Santiago Gallon, infamous Uribe associate, assassinated in Mexico appeared first on Colombia News.

Illegal armed groups in Colombia have undergone significant expansions last year and can count on more than 27,000 members, a conflict monitoring NGO said. According to the NGO Ideas para la Paz (FIP), statistics provided by military intelligence indicate that the fighters and unarmed support networks belonging to the monitored illegal armed groups grew 20% […] The post Colombia’s illegal armed groups have 27,000 members: NGO appeared first on Colombia News.