Colombia

Military & Security

Six soldiers died on July 4 after falling into a minefield in Colombia's Antioquia department while clashing with members of the Central General Staff (EMC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) armed rebel groups, DW reported.

Colombia: Six Soldiers Die in Minefield Following Clashes With Rebel Groups

Politics

The armed rebel group Second Marquetalia agreed to a unilateral cease-fire during peace talks with the Colombian government in Caracas, Venezuela, Reuters reported on June 30.

Colombia: Cease-Fire Agreement With Second Marquetalia Will Moderately Improve Security

Economics

Energy

Colombian Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez said President Gustavo Petro is considering fully suspending the government's cease-fire with the Estado Mayor Central, or EMC, rebel group in response to escalating violence in the country's south, Reuters reported on May 21.

Colombia: Government Considers Suspending Cease-Fire With Former FARC Dissidents

Costa Rica

Guatemala

Honduras

Mexico

Panama

United States

Panamanian President-elect Jose Raul Mulino's appointed security chief Frank Abrego said the new government is considering establishing checkpoints along the northern Darien Gap in order to combat migration through the territory, Reuters reported on May 16. 

Panama: President-Elect Considers Implementing Checkpoints at Darien Gap

Colombia's National Liberation Army guerrilla group, or ELN, lifted its suspension on kidnapping as negotiations with the government have stalled over the last month, DW reported on May 6.

Colombia: National Liberation Army Lifts Suspension on Kidnapping

Brazil

Chile

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on May 1 that Colombia would break diplomatic ties with Israel over the conflict in the Gaza Strip on May 2, CNBC reported on May 1.

Colombia: President Petro Announces Break of Diplomatic Ties With Israel

Hundreds of thousands of Colombians protested in major cities to oppose the policies of President Gustavo Petro, including medical associations, opposition political parties and some former Petro supporters, France 24 reported on April 21.

Colombia: Mass Protests Oppose Health Reform Proposals

The National Liberation Army, or ELN, announced that it would freeze peace talks with the Colombian government after alleging that Bogota engaged in parallel talks with an ELN faction in bad faith, Reuters reported on April 11.

Colombia: National Liberation Army Suspends Participation in Government Peace Talks

Snapshots

Colombian President Gustavo Petro sits in front of a Colombian flag during a meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 6, 2023. 

The president's struggle to find consensus with lawmakers will likely see him resort to controversial decrees or referendums to try to enact his proposed policy reforms. 

In Colombia, Ongoing Legislative Gridlock Bodes Ill for Petro's Reform Agenda

Colombian President Gustavo Petro participates in a march for International Workers Day in Bogota, Colombia, on May 1, 2024. 

The ongoing scandals and growing public dissatisfaction with the government will prolong political volatility and policy uncertainty in Colombia, while increasing the risk of social unrest.

What Another Corruption Scandal Means for Colombia's Fragile Government

Assessments

Iran

China

Germany

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) April 12 in Dausa, India.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Indian Elections, Scholz Goes to China

Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaks during a meeting between the government, the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla leadership and civil organizations in Bogota, Colombia, on Aug. 3, 2023. 

President Petro is unlikely to fully abandon his flagship policy, but the government's recent decision to restart airstrikes against criminal groups indicates that it's reevaluating its broader security posture.

Amid Continued Setbacks, Colombia's Petro Rethinks His 'Total Peace' Strategy

Argentina

El Salvador

Peru

Flooding on the Rimac River on March 18, 2017, in Chosica, at the foot of the Andes east of Lima, Peru. The current El Nino contributed to floods, crop failure, heat waves and drought across Latin America in 2023, and its effects will persist until it lifts in the second quarter of 2024.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The current El Nino contributed to floods, crop failure, heat waves and drought across Latin America in 2023, and its effects will persist until it lifts in the second quarter of 2024.

How El Nino Will Impact Latin America in 2024

Bolivia

Cuba

People attend a rally in support of Israel in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 22, 2023. 

Social Issues

Anger over the conflict could temporarily strain Israel and the U.S.'s relations with left-wing governments in the region, while countries with large Jewish or Arab populations may see more security-related incidents.

Latin America's Response to the Israel-Hamas War 

Ecuador

Soldiers conduct a patrol on July 22, 2023, in the Salvadorean municipality of Colon, where the MS-13 gang reportedly remains active. 

The success of El Salvador's counter-crime state of emergency in reducing the country's homicide rate will be hard to replicate, despite the efforts of nearby countries.

The Appeal (and Perils) of Crime Crackdowns in Latin America, Part 1

Nicaragua

Strained government resources, increased organized crime, political tensions and supply chain disruptions are likely to rise in tandem with migration.

How Record Migration Will Impact Central America

Colombian President Gustavo Petro delivers a speech in Congress in Bogota, Colombia, on July 20, 2023. 

Even if Petro manages to stay in power, his son’s money laundering charges could reduce support for his administration’s reform agenda and ongoing peace talks with guerrilla groups.

A Campaign Finance Scandal Threatens Colombia's President

Niger

Lebanon

A demonstration July 27, 2022, in Niamey, Niger, after a coup. The Economic Community of West African States is expected to discuss the July 26 coup in Niger next week, with French officials saying an extraordinary summit could occur July 30.

The Weekly Rundown: ECOWAS Considers Its Response to Niger, Drama at Lebanon's Central Bank Deepens

Columns

On Geopolitics

A flag of the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group flutters in the wind in Catatumbo, Colombia, on Aug. 18, 2022. 

Even if the government successfully disarms the country's powerful guerrilla groups, new ones will only take their place as long as Colombia's drug trade remains lucrative.

Will Colombia Ever Achieve 'Total Peace?'

Colombian President Gustavo Petro (center) presents his government's pension reform bill to lawmakers in Congress in Bogota, Colombia, on March 22, 2023. 

President Petro's proposed healthcare, pension and labor reforms could improve the lives of poorer Colombians, though it may come at the expense of private investment.

Colombia's Leftist Government Embarks on an Ambitious Reform Push

Colombia is located at the strategic meeting point of Central and South America. The country shares a land border with Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador, and has coasts on both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.    Colombia's modern borders began to take shape in 1831 with the division of Simon Bolivar's Gran Colombia. In 1903, the country lost another strategic territory when Panama gained its independence. Ever since, Colombia has had to maintain friendly relations with whoever controls the Panama Canal.    Colombia is dissected by three Andean mountain ranges: the Western, Central, and Eastern Cordilleras. Because of the country's tropical equatorial climate, major population centers are concentrated in temperate zones at higher altitudes.     The country's economic and political heartland is the capital city of Bogota. This core region has a population of roughly 8 million people. The Magdalena River Basin connects the core to Cartagena and Barranquilla, the country's largest ports.      The dense Amazonian rain forests to the south, the sparsely populated Orinoco plains to the east, and the Pacific coastline make up Colombia's periphery. These regions are home to valuable commodities such as oil and coal, as well as areas of drug trafficking and rebel insurgency. Consolidating control over these areas is currently Colombia's primary geographic challenge.      Looking forward, the country's natural resource wealth and close proximity to the United States could lead to ongoing economic opportunities. That said, the country will continue to be constrained by security challenges and by poor integration between Colombia's population centers, the resource-rich hinterlands and the coasts.

SITUATION REPORTS

Colombia: Six Soldiers Die in Minefield Following Clashes With Rebel Groups

Colombia: Cease-Fire Agreement With Second Marquetalia Will Moderately Improve Security

Colombia: Government Considers Suspending Cease-Fire With Former FARC Dissidents

Panama: President-Elect Considers Implementing Checkpoints at Darien Gap

Colombia: National Liberation Army Lifts Suspension on Kidnapping

Colombia: President Petro Announces Break of Diplomatic Ties With Israel

Colombia: Mass Protests Oppose Health Reform Proposals

Colombia: National Liberation Army Suspends Participation in Government Peace Talks

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