Power Over Peace in Colombia
Proponents of Colombia's peace deal underestimated their opponents' strength and failed to mobilize their own base.
321 Search Results for: Colombia
Colombia’s Left Government Is Pursuing Ambitious Labor Reform
Colombia’s left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, is fighting for a comprehensive labor reform package that will protect workers and restore unions after decades of violence and suppression. Conservative forces are intent on stopping the reform in its tracks.
Gustavo Petro’s Left-Wing Government Is Facing Staunch Resistance in Colombia
After a hopeful start in 2022, Gustavo Petro’s leftist Colombian government has run into major obstacles from economic elites. But the powerful mobilizations that brought him to power, paired with parliamentary negotiating, may be able to turn that around.
Colombia Is in Revolt Against Neoliberalism
More than five million Colombians — 10 percent of the country’s total population — have taken to the streets over the past two weeks to protest neoliberal policies, government corruption, police brutality, and the systematic murder of activists.
Who Fights Colombia’s Wars?
The biggest opponents of Colombia's peace process are the most removed from the reality of war.
After Gustavo Petro’s Historic Victory, the Battle to Change Colombia Is Just Beginning
Colombians have elected a left-wing president for the very first time in the country’s history. Now Gustavo Petro and his vice president, Francia Márquez, face the challenge of carrying out their reform agenda against fierce conservative opposition.
Petro Is Trying to Rein in Colombia’s Infamous Riot Police
Colombia’s riot police, the ESMAD, have a sordid record of abuse and extrajudicial executions of protesters. President Gustavo Petro is trying to reform the force — but he faces an uphill battle.
Colombia’s War on Terror Was a License for Mass Murder
Álvaro Uribe came to power in Colombia shortly after 9/11 and declared his own war on terrorism with US support.
Colombia’s Other Guerrillas
Say "Colombian peace talks," and you'll likely think of the FARC. But another guerrilla group is key to securing a transformative peace.
This Massive Oil Refinery Illustrates the Challenges of Colombia’s Clean Energy Transition
President Gustavo Petro has pledged to transform Colombia’s energy industry in a greener direction. But the country’s heavy economic dependence on hydrocarbons, illustrated by the legacy of its massive refinery in Barrancabermeja, poses steep challenges.
Colombia’s Christian Alt-Right
In Colombia, Internet personalities and religious leaders mobilize opposition to the peace process by drumming-up fears of sexual diversity and “gender ideology.”
Colombia’s Sinú River Tells the Story of Profit-Driven Violence and Environmental Destruction
The Sinú River in Colombia has provided food, water, and transportation to local people for thousands of years. In recent decades, wealthy landowners used violent force to push through construction of a dam that has caused disastrous flooding in the region.
Right-Wing Death Threats Won’t Stop Gustavo Petro From Becoming Colombia’s Next President
Left-wing presidential candidate Gustavo Petro has been fighting Colombia’s far-right paramilitaries for decades. The revelation of a recent plot to murder Petro is unsurprising, but his campaign still appears strong ahead of Sunday’s election.
Colombia’s Right Is Trying to “Soft Coup” Gustavo Petro
Colombian elites are determined not to let leftist president Gustavo Petro serve out his full term. As top judicial officials target him and his cabinet, drug cartels and their links to the far right remain uninvestigated.
The Fight for Peace and Justice in Colombia
In Colombia, a mass movement has emerged to challenge the government’s neoliberal policies and failure to honor its historic peace agreement with the FARC. It offers the possibility of a just future for the country.
In Colombia, the Center Isn’t Holding
With elections weeks away, Colombian politics are polarizing and the country’s historic peace agreement is at risk.
Colombia’s Ugly Architecture of Inequality
Cali, Colombia, is among the most unequal cities in the world. The story of its inequality is written in its architecture, replete with sprawling favelas, fortified luxury homes, and intimidating bunkers that belong to cartel bosses and police alike.
In Gustavo Petro’s Colombia, a New Plan Is Promoting Green Energy and Indigenous Rights
For too long, multinational energy companies have extracted resources from Colombia’s Guajira Desert region without sharing any of the benefits with indigenous residents. A new green initiative spearheaded by President Gustavo Petro aims to change that.
Gustavo Petro Is the Only Democratic Choice in Colombia’s Presidential Election
Left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro faces a runoff against a far-right populist, Rodolfo Hernández, for Colombia’s presidency. Predictably, the traditional establishment is lining up to support his self-styled “antiestablishment” opponent.