These are the trending news headlines in Colombia on Monday April 10, 2023

The Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia, responsible for one of the largest disasters in the Western Hemisphere, is showing signs of increased activity. Experts have detected an earthquake swarm not seen since the eruption in the 1980s that killed at least 25,000 people. The Colombian government has issued evacuations in the potential impact zone and raised the alert level to orange, the second-highest on a four-stage scale. An estimated 57,000 people live in municipalities close to the volcano. The last major eruption occurred in 1985, killing thousands. The US Geological Survey recounted that "Sadly, the lahars reached Armero approximately two hours after the eruption - plenty of time for the people to have evacuated to higher ground, had they been notified more quickly."

Controversy has erupted in Colombia after Onlyfans adult film actress Katty Blake posted a video of herself performing a sex act in public at the Rock of Guatapé. The 721-foot-high (220 meters) natural landmark is considered a national treasure and La Piedra, the tourist center that manages the site, has vowed to take legal action against all those involved in the video. The incident sparked national outrage and generated widespread media coverage in Colombia. Blake and her partner Zac, who filmed the video, may face legal trouble, and residents of Guatapé, the town near the rock, are particularly incensed, having experienced similar incidents of public indecency in recent times.

Colombia has launched a new digital nomad visa, making it one of the most accessible options for remote workers looking for an affordable place to live. The visa will allow successful applicants to stay in the country for up to two years, compared to the 90-day limit for Americans without a visa. Applicants will need to show proof of employment or self-employment and earnings of at least 655 US dollars per month, as well as proof of health insurance. Colombia’s vibrant culture, diverse landscapes, and low cost of living have long attracted digital nomads, making this visa a great option for those seeking a long-term stay.

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These are the trending news headlines in Colombia on Saturday April 8, 2023

Protests at a coal mine in Colombia's La Guajira province have ended after four days, allowing the mine to resume operations. The blockade was led by residents from three communities in Media Luna and had affected the rail line and entrance to the export terminal used by coal miner Cerrejon. The company, owned by Anglo-Swiss commodities giant Glencore, has had long-standing disputes with Wayuu indigenous communities over water use and pollution, dust, noise, and health issues. The company is under a court order to comply with environmental and health requirements, including reaching agreements with Wayuu communities, but has rejected calls to suspend some operations made by a U.N. Special Rapporteur in 2020.

President Gustavo Petro, wants to transform his country's "economy of death" by pivoting away from fossil fuels and narcotics toward more sustainable economic activities. This is an unprecedented energy policy, given that oil and coal make up half of Colombia's exports and the country is the world's leading cocaine producer. If Colombia can successfully undertake this pivot, it would set an example for other countries similarly addicted to such substances. However, Petro and his environmentalist vice president have encountered significant resistance to their plans, even from within their own ranks. The country also faces a huge debt problem, with one-third of government revenues flowing toward servicing its foreign debt. Despite these challenges, Colombia is offering a fundamentally different paradigm of economic development, one that's more green than pink. The question is, will the world, and particularly the United States, lend a hand in pulling Colombia out of its economic hole?

In a recent development, low-cost airline easyJet is set to acquire two Airbus A320neo planes that were initially ordered by Viva Air Colombia. The two narrowbodies are set to be delivered directly to easyJet from Airbus later this year. With the addition of the two new planes, easyJet's fleet will expand to 322 Airbus A320 family jets. The carrier has a further 132 A320neo aircraft on direct order from Airbus, with 33 orders outstanding for the A321neo variant. The increased capacity is expected to boost easyJet's summer operations, with the carrier set to offer over 125 destinations from its bases across the United Kingdom and Europe. Meanwhile, troubled Colombian airline Viva Air faces financial difficulties and has suspended operations due to a delayed takeover by Avianca.

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These are the trending news headlines in Colombia on Thursday April 6, 2023

Operations at Colombia's Cerrejon coal mine have been affected by a blockade of a rail line and export terminal used by the company, according to a statement released on Wednesday. The blockade, led by residents of three communities in Media Luna, La Guajira province, is an effort to obtain a "disproportionate agreement" following a court order for Cerrejon to reach agreements with nearby Wayuu indigenous communities regarding environmental and health requirements. The company, which is owned by Anglo-Swiss commodities giant Glencore, has already signed 302 agreements, including 11 with Media Luna communities. Blockades are common and regularly result in losses for Cerrejon, which remains open to dialogue and hopes for government help to lift the blockade.

Colombia's peso is expected to remain weak due to the central bank's wait-and-see approach to interest rates, combined with a mismatch between the currency and oil prices, according to a Reuters poll. The peso is predicted to trade at 4,800 per U.S. dollar at the end of June, which is 4.2% softer than its value on Monday. Last year, the peso was one of the world's worst-performing currencies, losing a fifth of its value due to concerns about President Gustavo Petro's proposed reforms. BanRep, the central bank, raised the benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 13% last week. If inflation behaves as expected in March, it could be the last hike, according to J.P. Morgan analysts. However, they remain data-dependent, which supports their underweight view for the peso.

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These are the trending news headlines in Colombia on Wednesday April 5, 2023

Brazilian gangs are believed to be behind the surging violence in the Colombia-Brazil-Peru tri-border area, as they fight for control of the key drug trafficking corridor. Local news outlet La Silla Vacía reported that two people were killed and two others wounded in Leticia, the capital city of Colombia’s Amazonas department, between March 24 and March 26, while a Colombian national was killed in Tabatinga, the Brazilian town on the border with Leticia. Authorities suspect that the perpetrators of the attacks are connected to Brazilian groups from Tabatinga, which have established themselves in Colombia. The violence is the result of a dispute between the Red Command and the Crias, two Brazilian criminal organizations, with the former allied with Colombian groups including the Caqueteños. Murders have increased by 33% in 2022, with 32 killings recorded, according to the Colombian National Police.

In 2022, Colombia was the deadliest country in the world for human rights defenders, accounting for 46% of the global total registered last year, according to a report from Front Line Defenders. Latin America and Ukraine together accounted for 80% of the 401 deaths of rights defenders across the globe, with Colombia seeing more than three times the number of human rights mur  ders than Ukraine. Defenders working on the protection of land, environmental and Indigenous peoples' rights were the most frequently targeted. Indigenous rights defenders accounted for 22% of the total global killings across all human rights sectors last year. Environmental and Indigenous rights defenders were also disproportionately targeted in Colombia last year, with 88 environmental and Indigenous rights defenders killed. The country recorded 186 killings of rights defenders in 2022. The international community must stand in solidarity with them and do all they can to protect defenders, Front Line Defenders’ interim director, Olive Moore, said.

After seven years of diplomatic disputes and border closures, Venezuela and Colombia are finally seeing the benefits of renewed ties. The border town of San Antonio del Táchira is once again bustling with activity as customs officials inspect tractor trailers loaded with imports from Colombia, including mundane cargo such as detergent, tobacco, and crates of mayonnaise. Warehouse owner Emilio Gutiérrez, who had to resettle in Colombia due to the closures, is thrilled to have reopened his business and believes that the border will once again become one of the busiest in Latin America. The trade between the two countries had peaked at $7 billion in 2007, but it had dwindled down to just $300 million in 2021 due to diplomatic tensions. However, with the recent improvements in relations, formal trade is expected to increase significantly, bringing jobs and economic benefits to both countries.

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These are the trending news headlines in Colombia on Tuesday April 4, 2023

Residents living on the upper slopes of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia are being evacuated due to an increase in seismic activity. Colombia's Geological Service has raised the alert level from yellow to orange, warning that a major eruption could occur in the coming days or weeks.

This is a worrying development as the volcano caused Colombia's deadliest natural disaster in 1985, when an eruption caused snow on its peak to melt and triggered a mudslide that buried the town of Armero, killing around 25,000 people.

Geologists have registered thousands of daily tremors, an unprecedented number since they began monitoring the volcano's activity. Around 40 families have been evacuated and schools in the area will switch to online classes. The nearby Los Nevados natural park has also been closed to tourists.

The SGV said that it had no scientific way of predicting if the volcano's activities would increase further or diminish again. The last time the threat level at the Nevado del Ruiz was raised was in 2012, but no major eruption occurred that time. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary precautions to ensure the safety of residents in the area.

Colombia's most powerful drug trafficking organization, AGC, wants a seat at the government table. The AGC controls a massive swath of the country and the most important routes for moving cocaine to the United States. It also plays the role of both police and judiciary in rural communities, resolving disputes between locals.

During several hours of conversation with Washington Post journalists, Jerónimo, the AGC's political commander, explained the organization's self-proclaimed political mission. The move comes as the leftist government of President Gustavo Petro is pursuing an ambitious plan for "total peace," attempting to dismantle multiple armed groups and end the violence and killings that have long beset the country.

More than 1 million people have died in Colombia's decades-long conflict, according to government figures, and more than 8.4 million have been displaced from their homes. While the AGC's case for peace may seem like progress, the organization's history of violence and drug trafficking raises questions about its true intentions. Authorities and the public remain cautious as they navigate the complex and dangerous world of Colombian drug cartels.

In a series of maritime incidents off the coast of Colombia, the navy seized more than four tons of marijuana and intercepted three drug-laden ships. Two of the ships sank as they tried to evade the navy. The first ship, which was carrying around 5,000 pounds of marijuana, sank due to bad weather, but the two people on board were rescued. In the second incident, officials seized more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana from a high-speed ship that was intercepted. In the third incident, a boat manned by three individuals was detected about 50 nautical miles off the coast of Bahía Solano, but it ended up sinking after trying to flee. Seven arrests were made, and more than 700,000 doses of the drug were seized. The navy has been busy intercepting drug-laden vessels off the coast in recent months.

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These are the trending news headlines in Colombia on Friday March 31, 2023

Colombia is making progress in removing 70 hippos left behind by the late druglord Pablo Escobar, but the task comes with a hefty price tag of $3.5 million. These African beasts were brought to Colombia in the late 1980s and have since multiplied to 150 animals, causing havoc in their environment. The authorities plan to capture and move nearly half of them, with 10 going to a sanctuary in northern Mexico and 60 to India. Ernesto Zazueta, the owner of the Mexican sanctuary, estimates the operation will cost $3.5 million. The hippos were declared an invasive species last year, but the transfer plan is seen as a life-saving measure.

Colombian low cost carrier, Ultra Air, has ceased operations just 14 months after starting flights. The airline had been flying to cities throughout Colombia with a fleet of six Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline cited the rising cost of fuel and foreign exchange rates as reasons for its demise, as well as the collapse of Viva Air last month. The Colombian government has said that Ultra Air's inability to raise additional capital is the cause of its failure. Ultra Air is the fourth Latin American airline to fold this year, following the closures of Viva Air Colombia, Viva Air Peru, and Aeromar last month.

The coup regime in Peru has ordered the "definitive withdrawal" of the country's ambassador to Colombia, Félix Ricardo Americo Antonio Denegri Boza, in response to President Gustavo Petro's criticism of human rights abuses committed in Peru following the coup against Pedro Castillo. This follows a vote in Congress last month that declared Petro as 'persona non grata' over his comments criticizing the coup. The regime's use of excessive force against anti-coup protests and strikes has resulted in over 60 deaths since December. The regime is deeply unpopular, with a 77% disapproval rating among Peruvians. The regime's actions have burned relations with numerous Latin American countries, with whom they have long had good relations. They have threatened to withdraw their ambassadors to Bolivia and Argentina, whose governments do not recognize the unelected Boluarte regime as legitimate.

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These are the trending news headlines in Colombia on Thursday March 30, 2023

Nine soldiers have been killed and nine others wounded in an attack on a military unit in Colombia. The attack took place in El Carmen, in Norte de Santander state, and the attackers used long-range weapons and improvised explosive devices. The National Liberation Army, or ELN, is suspected to be behind the attack. President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack and called for consultations with government negotiators and international partners in the peace process. The attack comes as efforts to negotiate a lasting peace with the ELN have resumed after a hiatus in November. The ELN now has around 2,000 to 4,000 troops in Colombia and neighboring Venezuela, and has been accused of running drug trafficking routes and illegal gold mines.

Colombian President Petro announced from Villavicencio that his government will prioritize housing construction and improvement, with a focus on rural areas where almost four million Colombians lack their own homes. The Special Assets Society (SAE) is recovering assets and properties from drug traffickers and giving them to hard-working people and neighborhoods, with the recovered land to be used for social housing projects. The government aims to repair 100,000 homes per year, which will provide decent housing for the majority of Colombians. Petro's government is also prioritizing social programs and pushing for radical reforms in health, labor, and pensions. Colombia is taking significant steps towards building a better future for its citizens by prioritizing their needs.

In Colombia, tensions are rising between Indigenous communities and Mennonite colonies over land ownership and deforestation. Since 2015, Mennonite colonies have arrived in Colombia and established large-scale agriculture in protected areas and Indigenous territories. Indigenous leaders have reported threats and intimidation from Mennonite colony members and other individuals, with some leaders requesting anonymity due to safety concerns. Satellite data shows ongoing tree cover loss associated with agricultural expansion in the Liviney Mennonite Colony. Indigenous communities are working towards recognition as victims of violence by Colombia’s Land Restitution Unit, while a report submitted to Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace suggests that another war is developing, this time through writing and environmental licenses. Reports of conflict between Indigenous residents and Mennonite settlers are numerous, including threats and violence against Indigenous leaders and their families. A 2021 investigation by the Corporation for the Sustainable Development of the Macarena found no illegal environmental activity by Mennonite colonies, but Indigenous communities continue to fight for their rights to their ancestral lands.

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These are the trending news headlines in Colombia on Wednesday March 29, 2023

The Colombian Navy has rescued five Venezuelan migrants, including a pregnant woman and a minor, who were stranded on a small Caribbean island after being abandoned by human traffickers en route to the United States. The group paid $1,200 to the traffickers and departed from the San Andres archipelago in Colombian waters, with plans to continue their journey overland to the US. Instead, they were left stranded on Cayo Albuquerque, a small atoll located between Nicaragua and San Andres. Some migrants take clandestine boat rides from San Andres to avoid the dangerous journey on foot through the Darien Gap. Colombia is currently hosting 2.5 million Venezuelan refugees, with more than seven million people having fled Venezuela in recent years, according to the United Nations.

The Euroamerica Foundation recently held its annual forum in Colombia, focusing on digital, green and fair investments, aligned with the Global Gateway initiative. The event emphasized the need for more collaboration between the public and private sectors to accelerate sustainable and inclusive transformations in the country. The forum was attended by a high level of institutional representation from both Europe and Colombia, and showcased the strong links between the two regions. The Euroamerica Foundation's President, Ramón Jáuregui, indicated Europe's strong will to build solid collaboration with Latin America, supported by Spain. The forum also discussed the Global Gateway initiative to promote smart, sustainable, and secure links with regional partners through major investments. The need to count on the private sector and foster public-private partnerships was emphasized to attract European investments to the region, facilitating transformations and improving the quality of life of citizens. The forum brought together over 230 attendees and showcased the strong links between the two regions.

The Colombian capital, Bogotá, has presented its first bus for public transport powered by green hydrogen. The bus is part of a sustainable mobility program that aims to reduce emissions by 15% by 2024 and 50% by 2030. The green hydrogen bus will be one of a fleet of 13 units of this type that will operate in Bogotá, and it can transport 98,500 passengers per year while avoiding emissions of 135t of CO2 equivalent a year. The project is led by the mayor's office, Transmilenio, the Ecopetrol group, the fund for non-conventional energies and efficient energy management (FENOGE), auto parts factory FANALCA and Green Móvil. The green hydrogen bus has a range of 450km with a single charge of hydrogen and is a significant step towards Colombia's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

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