Latest from Colombia

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday struck a defiant tone against U.S. President Donald Trump, two days after Washington conditionally decertified the nation for failing to meet its anti-drug commitments over the past year.

Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has issued its first criminal sentences against the former leadership of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), finding seven senior commanders responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed through kidnappings that lasted over two decades.

Colombia stands in the shadow of Washington’s looming deadline, once again caught in the glare of a decades-long struggle that has defined its relationship with the United States: the anti-narcotics certification process. By September 15, the White House will decide whether Colombia remains a reliable partner in the war on drugs, a designation that carries billions of dollars in military and development assistance.

Colombia, in its role as pro tempore president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), has convened an urgent virtual meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers to address escalating tensions following the deployment of U.S. warships in the Caribbean.

Thirty-four Colombian soldiers have spent more than four days being held captive in a remote jungle community in the southeastern department of Guaviare, after clashes with FARC dissidents left 11 rebels dead, including a regional commander.

Bogotá is about to be transformed into a living concert hall. From 27 to 31 August, the Colombian capital will host the inaugural edition of Bogotá Concertante – Bach 340, a festival celebrating the timeless genius of Johann Sebastian Bach while showcasing the vitality of the country’s independent classical music scene.

The United States has ordered the deployment of a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine to the southern Caribbean, escalating pressure on Venezuela as part of a wider operation against drug trafficking in the region. The move also includes the USS Lake Erie, a guided-missile cruiser.

The United States Navy is preparing to dispatch an amphibious squadron to the southern Caribbean as part of the show of force against Latin American drug cartels. As Colombia braces for the political and economic fallout of a potential military escalation in Venezuela, the presence of this combat squadron comes at a sensitive moment for the hemisphere: Colombian President Gustavo Petro has issued sharp warnings over the consequences of an invasion of Venezuela, while former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez was released from house arrest this week, quickly reasserting himself on the national stage with renewed political vigor.

At least 19 people have died and more than 70 injured in two separate attacks in Colombia on Thursday, after FARC dissidents brought down a police helicopter with a drone in the department of Antioquia and a truck bomb exploded outside the central air force base in Cali, Valle del Cauca.

At least 13 people are dead and more than 60 injured in two separate attacks in Colombia on Thursday, after FARC dissidents brought down a police helicopter with a drone in the department of Antioquia and a truck bomb exploded outside the central air force base in Cali, Valle del Cauca.