Latest from Colombia

On June 23, Colombian President Gustavo Petro began to retract affirmations that a “coup” was being orchestrated by “extreme right-wing politicians” against his government, acknowledging in a formal letter to U.S. President Donald Trump that his words may have been misinterpreted. The letter, sent the same day, preempted one of the most turbulent weeks in Colombia–U.S. relations.

Global cocaine production has reached an all-time high of 3,708 metric tons of pure cocaine, driven largely by record levels of coca cultivation in Colombia, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)World Drug Report 2023. The surge underscores the growing complexity of global drug markets and their links to environmental crime, insecurity, and public health crises, the agency warned.

More than two weeks after the assassination attempt on Colombian Senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay, President Gustavo Petro is now facing a formal criminal complaint over what the family’s lawyer, Víctor Mosquera, has described as “institutionalized harassment.”

In 1819, when Sir Stamford Raffles first set foot on the small island that would become modern-day Singapore, he recognized its immense potential. Perched at the narrowest choke point of the Malacca Strait – the gateway between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea – this unassuming trading post offered a strategic perch for moving spices, silk, and tea from the Far East to imperial Britain. Raffles may not have envisioned giant container ships or AI-powered cranes, but he understood one thing clearly: a nation’s destiny is defined by its geography.

Artists have long recognized the body’s potential to transcend scientific or social expectations, using it as a site of emotion, sensation, imagination, and expression. The exhibitionLiturgies of the Body: The Collector’s Gaze, on view at Banco de la República’s Casa Republicana in Bogotá, explores this complexity through a compelling selection of artworks from theProyecto Bachué Collection, spanning from the 1960s onward.

In Singapore, time doesn’t just pass – it pulses. Beneath its skyline of architectural marvels and hanging gardens lies a city of stories, flavors, and contrasts. In just 72 hours, you can journey from centuries-old temples to futuristic green spaces, indulge in spicy street food at a hawker stall or opt for Colombian fine dining – all without ever leaving this island nation.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s disapproval rating has climbed to 64%, according to a new Invamer poll released Tuesday, as the country reels from a politically charged assassination attempt and growing dissatisfaction with the government’s agenda.

When Singapore was thrust into independence in 1965, its founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, called the moment “unviable.” With limited resources, no army, and not even a reliable water supply – the island relied heavily on Malaysia for drinking water – the odds of national success were slim. “Now it was our unenviable task to make it work,” stated Kuan Yew.

Wearing his presidential baseball cap and white shirt above a cheering crowd in Cali’s Plaza de San Francisco, Colombian President Gustavo Petro delivered a speech defending his decision to bypass Congress and call for a national popular consultation on August 7, 2025.

Eight people were killed and more than 75 injured in a wave of 24 coordinated attacks launched early Tuesday across southwestern Colombia by dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The explosions mark one of the deadliest escalations of violence since President Gustavo Petro took office in August 2022.