Colombia’s presidential election is set to move to a runoff after no candidate secured an outright majority in the first round, with conservative outsider Aberaldo de la Espriella emerging narrowly ahead of progressive rival Iván Cepeda. Read More: First ‘post-FARC’ election in Colombia pits conservative against Former Rebel According to preliminary results released by electoral authorities, de la […]
Gustavo Petro
Colombian military plane crash death toll rises to 66
BOGOTA — The death toll from a Colombian Air Force plane crash has risen to 66, nearly doubling earlier figures, as rescue teams continued recovering bodies from the wreckage, military sources said. The incident, involving a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, is among the deadliest aviation disasters in recent years for Colombia’s armed forces. Dozens of […]
Colombian president narrowly escapes helicopter assassination attempt
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA: Colombian President Gustavo Petro narrowly escaped an assassination attempt while travelling by helicopter with his daughters, authorities and the president confirmed on Tuesday. Petro said his helicopter was unable to land on Colombia’s Caribbean coast due to threats that “unspecified people were going to shoot,” forcing the aircraft to head out to open […]
Trump says US may control Venezuela oil
President Donald Trump said the United States could oversee Venezuela and control its oil revenue for years. Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times, Trump said, “Only time will tell” how long U.S. oversight would last and added it could be “much longer.” He also vowed to rebuild Venezuela’s oil sector in […]
Trump invites Colombia president to White House after earlier threats
WASHINGTON/BOGOTÁ: US President Donald Trump has invited Colombia President Gustavo Petro to the White House, in what analysts describe as a sudden diplomatic shift following recent public tensions between the two leaders. The move came after a phone call on Wednesday in which Petro “explained the situation of drugs and other disagreements” between the countries, […]
Colombian President Gustavo Petro rejects Trump’s drug trafficking allegations
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro on Sunday dismissed threats made by US President Donald Trump, who accused him of involvement in drug trafficking and hinted at possible military action against Colombia. Read More: Punjab Police, CNF agree on joint strategy against drug trafficking The remarks came in the wake of Washington’s surprise military operation in Venezuela on […]