Latest from Colombia

Bogotá, and much of Colombia, are set to experience extended and intensified rainfall in the coming months, as the first major rainy season of the year shows no sign of easing. The Colombian Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) has forecast that the heavy rains, which began in mid-March, will persist until at least mid-June, affecting large parts of the Andean and Caribbean regions.

Carlos Lehder, one of the founding members of the Medellín Cartel, and a key figure in the history of cocaine trafficking, was arrested by Colombian authorities upon his arrival from Germany last Friday.

Bogotá’s LT Projects, the experimental space of the New York-based León Tovar Gallery, presents a captivating exhibition by Juliana Ríos Martínez, an artist whose work intertwines memory, nature, and identity. Titled “Encuentros y Nuevos Caminos” (Encounters and New Paths) Riós presents pieces from her 15-year artistic career and most acclaimed series, including ‘La cosecha’, ‘Paisajes conocidos’, ‘lugares lejanos’, and ‘Peregrinaciones’.

Colombia’s energy agenda is facing a major obstacle following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration would impose a 25% tariff on any country purchasing Venezuelan oil and gas.

Andrea Agudelo is no stranger to creative reinvention. The Medellín-based designer, author, and entrepreneur first made waves in 2015 with her bestselling book Mandalas for the Soul, a work that seamlessly blended illustration with mindfulness. Now, she turns her attention to fashion with SER, a hat brand that fuses craftsmanship, art, and personal expression into a vision of wearable identity.

In two separate maritime incidents this month, 75 foreign tourists have been rescued from the choppy waters off the Barú Peninsula, approximately 50 kilometers southwest of Cartagena, Colombia.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro is facing backlash after making a callous remark about the death of Senator Alirio Barrera’s horse,Pasaporte. The comment, widely condemned as cruel and unnecessary, is the latest example of Petro’s habit of deflecting political debate with personal attacks on social media.

The weather in Bogotá is dismal. A deep depression hangs over the Colombian capital, causing unrelenting thunderstorms and a constant downpour of rain. February, typically a drier month, saw unusual rainfall, and March has given this city no respite from incessant drizzle and grey clouds. Roads are submerged,treeshave fallen across major thoroughfares, creating chaos for drivers. The worst-hit areas include the wetlands north of Bogotá, separated by the six-lane Autopista del Norte. This key highway connects the capital to the departments of Boyacá andSantander,and servesas a vital route for commuters from Chía, Tabio, and Cajicá in the Sabana de Bogotá.

The deadline for Bogotá to have the First Line of the new Metro is moving ahead as scheduled, confirmed Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán on Saturday, March 7, 2025, with construction reaching 50% completion. The halfway point marks a significant milestone for the capital’s long-awaited transportation overhaul.

It has always existed in the imaginations of those who know the legends of Cartagena, a slave-trading port on the Caribbean Sea, seat of the Inquisition in the New World, and fortress colony coveted by pirates for its Spanish gold. Constructed on a sand bank at the entrance to the Bay of Cartagena, the Fort of San Matías was connected to the mainland by a submerged barricade that would lacerate enemy ships before being attacked from the nearby batteries.