Colombia

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Military & Security

Politics

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

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

In response to growing water stress in Bogota, Colombia, Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan announced on April 8 details for a new water rationing system that will be implemented beginning on April 11, El Tiempo reported on April 9.

Colombia: Bogota Mayor Announces New Water Restriction Plan

Social Issues

Dozens of protesters blocked the exits to the Palace of Justice in Bogota, preventing Supreme Court justices and media personnel from leaving the premises for several hours before police intervened to disperse the protests with tear gas, El Pais reported Feb. 8.

Colombia: Protesters Blockade Exits to Palace of Justice After Failed Attorney General Vote

Barbados

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Dominican Republic

Ecuador

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Panama

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United States

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China

Energy

Governments from the United States, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay pledged to promote sustainable supply chains and boost trade across the region during the inaugural Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Leaders' Summit, Reuters reported on Nov. 3.

Americas: Governments Pledge to Boost Trade, Promote Sustainable Supply Chains

Venezuela

Colombia's government said armed members of the guerilla group National Liberation Army, or ELN, kidnapped the parents of international soccer player Luis Diaz in the La Guajira department on Oct. 28, AP reported on Nov. 2.

Colombia: ELN Captures Parents of Famous Soccer Player, Raising Doubts of 'Total Peace'

Parties opposed to Colombian President Gustavo Petro's left-wing Pacto Historico coalition gained control of many of the country's largest cities and provinces in regional and municipal elections held on Oct. 29, Reuters has reported.

Colombia: Opposition Candidates Make Gains in Local, Regional Elections

Colombian prosecutor Mario Andres Burgos said the son of President Gustavo Petro, Nicolas Petro, "received large sums of money from criminal sources which…exceeded legal limits and a portion of which was not reported to electoral authorities," El Tiempo reported on Aug. 3.

Colombia: President's Son Accepted Illegal Financing for Father's 2022 Campaign

The son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Nicolas Petro, was arrested as part of an investigation into a money laundering scheme based on accusations that he accepted illicit financing from guerrilla groups in exchange for including them in his father's peace negotiation efforts, El Tiempo reported on July 29.

Colombia: President's Son Arrested in Money Laundering Probe

Assessments

Brazil

Iran

Israel

Palestinian Territories

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

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.

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

Snapshots

Bolivia

Cuba

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

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 

Guatemala

Honduras

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

A digital illustration shows the flags of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Chile and Peru. 

The rise of left-wing governments in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru is largely the result of growing anti-establishment sentiment fueled by economic volatility.

Is Latin America Experiencing Another Leftist Wave?

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kenya

Rwanda

South Africa

Taiwan

A Chinese military vessel on Aug. 5, 2022, sails off Pingtan Island, Fujian province, one of mainland China's closest points to Taiwan. Beijing is likely to continue rolling out new methods of economic coercion against U.S. and Taiwanese companies in the coming week.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Colombia's President Takes Office, China Coerces Taiwan

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: National Liberation Army Suspends Participation in Government Peace Talks

Colombia: Bogota Mayor Announces New Water Restriction Plan

Colombia: Protesters Blockade Exits to Palace of Justice After Failed Attorney General Vote

Americas: Governments Pledge to Boost Trade, Promote Sustainable Supply Chains

Colombia: ELN Captures Parents of Famous Soccer Player, Raising Doubts of 'Total Peace'

Colombia: Opposition Candidates Make Gains in Local, Regional Elections

Colombia: President's Son Accepted Illegal Financing for Father's 2022 Campaign

Colombia: President's Son Arrested in Money Laundering Probe

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