In a move that has shaken Colombia’s international reputation to the core, President Gustavo Petro announced the end of longstanding diplomatic relations with Israel. The decision comes amidst escalating tensions fueled by President Petro’s condemnation of Israel’s leadership as “genocidal” in light of the ongoing conflict with Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Speaking at a May Day rally in Bogota, President Petro declared, “Tomorrow, diplomatic relations with the State of Israel will be severed… for having a genocidal president.” The statement cast uncertainty over whether Petro’s remarks were direc ..read more

President Gustavo Petro has called on the indigenous Minga to mobilize and reach the Colombian capital ahead of his planned May Day rally. An estimated 3,000 members of the Nasa and Embera communities are heading to the Colombian capital in their rural buses from the departments of Cauca, Valle del Cauca, and Nariño, to join some 500 indigenous peoples already living in a makeshift encampment in Bogotá’s Parque Nacional. Wednesday’s May 1 demonstration in support of President Petro aims to counterbalance the huge anti-government protests held nationwide on April 26. After the historic protest ..read more

During the first five months of Carlos Fernando Galán’s term, the Bogotá Mayor oversaw one of the driest seasons for the Colombian capital, resulting in widespread forest fires raging for almost two weeks in the city’s eastern Cerros Orientales. After the devastating fires during the last two weeks of January, and the ongoing effects of the El Niño weather pattern with water levels in the Chingaza reservoir system dropping to their lowest levels in four decades, the Mayor has also had to confront the scourge of organized crime in the capital: rising cases of extortion to small businesses, arme ..read more

Eurocine, the renowned European Film Festival in Colombia, is gearing up for its 30th edition, marking a significant milestone in its history. This year, the festival will run from May 9 to May 19, showcasing a diverse array of European cinema across nine Colombian cities. With Sweden as the guest of honor, Eurocine promises an immersive cinematic experience for audiences, featuring 41 films from 20 European countries. Lucía González García, who assumes the directorship for the festival’s 30th edition, expressed her excitement about this year’s lineup. She stated, “I take on this challenge wit ..read more

The U.S State Department believes there is “credible” evidence regarding the irregular financing of President Petro’s 2022 campaign. Highlighting the situation in Colombia in its 2023 Human Rights Report, the U.S State Department also noted abuses by illegal armed groups against civilians during Petro’s first full-year in office. Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel, presenting the report, used the word “credible” when asked by a Colombian journalist if the U.S Government had evidence of alleged irregular payments that may have infiltrated President Gustavo Petro’s 2022 election campaign. During ..read more

Massive. Historic. Civic. Peaceful. These are some of the words to describe the nationwide demonstrations on Sunday, April 21, across Colombia. From the country’s largest cities to smaller municipalities, even the most conservative estimates now put the number of Colombians who marched against President Gustavo Petro above one million. Converging on the nation’s streets in a collective disapproval of the leftist President and protest to oppose reforms to the health, labor, and pensions systems, as well as against corruption and the alleged infiltration of drug money in his 2022 campaign, what ..read more

Colombians nationwide are gearing up for what promises to be one of the largest displays of public dissent in recent memory, as protests against President Gustavo Petro gain momentum. Scheduled to take place this Sunday, April 21, these demonstrations across the country, including planned protests in Houston, Miami, New York and Toronto, are shaping up to be a watershed moment in Colombia’s political landscape. The groundswell of discontent against President Petro has reached a fever pitch, with recent polling data from Datexco revealing a staggering 64% disapproval rating. This widespread dis ..read more

Visitors arriving at José María Córdova International Airport near Medellín will be handed a flyer with a very direct message: “Don’t Even Try It, It’s a Crime (You could get up to 25 years in prison).” The campaign by the Mayoralty of Colombia’s second-largest city was launched after U.S. citizen Timothy Alan Livingston lured two girls (ages 12 and 13) to his room at the Gotham Hotel. The pedophile was arrested after a hotel guest alerted the police to underage girls being escorted by the foreign national. The girls, who were sexually abused by Livingston, were placed in the care of the count ..read more

The drought-like weather that has affected the Colombian capital for several months shows no sign of easing and is exacerbated by deteriorating air quality due to high temperatures and lack of rainfall. Despite the water rationing starting last week for Bogotá’s nine million residents, Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán announced additional measures on Monday to discourage residents from using more water than necessary for personal hygiene and household needs. Mayor Galán stated that couples should shower together and use less than three minutes’ worth of water. Additionally, he announced limits on t ..read more

President Gustavo Petro seems determined to become a geopolitical isolationist. As world leaders followed events unfolding in the Middle East after the Iranian regime launched a retaliatory barrage of killer drones and cruise missiles at the state of Israel, the Colombian leader had his finger on the ‘X’ button. In what appears to be a calculated move to disseminate fake news, Petro reposted an image and text of Russian President Vladimir Putin from a so-called ‘Sr. Liberal’ (whose profile picture is AI-generated), and ‘X’ biography professes to be a Madrid-based “unique thinker and revolution ..read more