Colombia
Republic of Colombia
Columbia: Drug Smugglers Up the Ante
For those waging the war on drugs, the stakes have just been raised, and recent events in Colombia offer a frightening view of the future.
All Talk, Few Tanks in Border Bravado
Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela appear to agree uneasy truce despite death of Farc leader
All Talk, Few Tanks in South America
Ecuador and Venezuela round on Colombia's Farc bombing, but troops are scarce
Colombia Claims Computer Coup
Raid on rebel camp in Ecuador unearths wealth of information on Farc's relations with governments of neighboring countries
Colombia Accuses Chávez of Funding Marxist Rebels
War of words escalates after Venezuela sends tanks and troops to the border
Chávez Wins Release of Hostages Held By Colombian Rebels
Diplomatic coup for Chávez as four hostages held for more than six years released
Released Colombian Hostage to Be Reunited With Son Born in Captivity
The Colombian hostage who gave birth to a baby boy in captivity was expected to be reunited with her son this weekend after her release from a jungle rebel redoubt
Stone: My Part in Hostage Baby Saga
Oliver Stone, the maverick American film director, speaks exclusively about his bizarre role in the abortive attempt by Hugo Chavez to release hostages held by the Colombian rebel group Farc
DNA Tests Show Foster Child is Hostage's Son
Colombian rebels do not have boy, government says· Doubts over whether Farc will now free mother
Hopes of Colombian Hostage Release Fade Amid Row Over Child
· Boy of kidnapped woman may be in care, says Uribe· Credibility of government and Farc hang on DNA test
Farc Hostage Rescue Fails
An international rescue mission to free three hostages held by Colombian rebels broke down yesterday amid accusations of lying and bad faith
Setback for Chávez in Mission to Free Hostages
· Colombian rebels silent on captives' location· Hollywood director joins Venezuelan leader's team
Setback for Chávez in Mission to Free Hostages
· Colombian rebels silent on captives' location· Hollywood director joins Venezuelan leader's team
Colombian Rebels Say They Will Release Three Hostages
Colombia's leftist rebels said yesterday they would release three of the dozens of high-profile hostages they are holding as bargaining chips with the Colombian government
Diary of 'eillen' Tells of Life With Colombia's Communist Rebels
· Dutch woman joined Farc in 2002 to fight injustice· Criticism of commanders is PR coup for government
Colombia Halts Chávez Negotiations Over Hostages
Colombia has abruptly ended a mediation effort by the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, to win the release of hostages held by left-wing guerrillas
Hostage Hopes Fade As Colombia Sacks Negotiator Chávez
Colombia's government has abruptly halted Hugo Chávez's mediation efforts to release hostages held by rebels in Colombia's jungle, dashing the best chance in years to win their freedom
22 Die As Colombian Gold Mine Collapses
16 of the dead are women, many single mothers · Survivors and relatives blame poverty for tragedy
Queen of the Pacific Has Mexico Hooked As She Faces Drug Charges
Tale of glamorous alleged smuggler enthralls media· Romance with Colombian known as the Tiger
Mexican Police Capture the 'queen' of Drug Trafficking
Mexican police have captured the country's highest profile female drug trafficker - the notoriously nicknamed Queen of the Pacific - along with her Colombian drug boss boyfriend, aka The Tiger.
Colombia Captures Cocaine King Sought By Fbi
One of the world's most sought after cocaine kingpins was hunted down and captured in Colombia yesterday in the toughest blow against the country's drugs trade in more than a decade.
Chávez Flies to Colombia for Talks to Free Hostages Held By Guerrillas
Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, made a bold attempt yesterday to broker a deal between Colombia and leftwing guerrillas to free hostages languishing in jungle redoubts.
Mining Giant Accused of Profiting From Abuse By Colombian Army
· Soldiers protecting Anglo American's interests · Attacks on protesters 'part of pattern of global abuse'
11 Hostage Mps Killed in Crossfire During Raid on Colombia Rebel Camp
Lawmakers abducted by Farc five years ago - Guerrilla kidnappers offer condolences to families
Massacres and Paramilitary Land Seizures Behind the Biofuel Revolution
Colombian farmers driven out as armed groups profit - Lucrative 'green' crop less risky to grow than coca
García Márquez Heads Home to Macondo
For the first time in more than two decades, Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez is returning to his hometown which he immortalised as Macondo in One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Colombian Warlord Says Us Firms Paid Death Squads for Bananas
A jailed warlord has accused the US multinationals Del Monte, Dole and Chiquita of funding rightwing death squads while sourcing bananas from war-torn regions of Colombia.
Colombian Leader Denies Link to Paramilitaries
Uribe's allies accused of colluding with militias - President seeks to bolster US aid as scandal spreads
The Politicians and the Drugs Cartels - Scandal Engulfs Colombia's Elite
Seven senators languish in prison as president comes under increasing pressure.
Key Us Ally 'helped Colombian Traffickers'
The CIA has obtained evidence that the head of Colombia's army, a key US ally in Latin America, has collaborated with right-wing paramilitaries and drug traffickers.
Minister Quits As Brother Arrested
Colombia's foreign minister resigned yesterday, four days after her senator brother was jailed as part of a widening scandal that revealed collusion between rightwing militia groups and high profile politicians.
When Colombia Calls, You Travel - Colombia Travel Information
When you book your trip to Colombia, be aware of the vast and wondrous national parks, wilderness reserves and sparkling stretches of beach. Map out your itinerary and then your flight accordingly, as Colombia is expansive. If a private hammock on the beach is your ideal stay, do not miss the lavish beauty of El Parque Tayrona. For the avid divers and snorkelers, spend a few days among the whales and sea turtles of Isla Gorgona.
Colombian Militia Leader Confesses to Massacres
A senior commander of Colombia's rightwing militias has admitted taking part in some of the country's most grisly crimes in the first of what could become a flood of confessions from demobilised paramilitary leaders.
Colombian Establishment Rocked By Death Squad Scandal
Colombia's political establishment is being shaken to its core by almost daily revelations of how allies of President Alvaro Uribe apparently worked hand-in-hand with feared rightwing militias who used terror for more than a decade to impose their will on the population.
Claims of Militia Links Rock Colombian Presidency
Crisis for Uribe as senator admits paramilitary pact - More key allies face top court inquiry over claims
Colombian Women Appeal to Conscience of Cocaine Users
· Campaign hopes to show EU how drug fuels war · Britain's former envoy and charity sceptical
Gangsters Are Told to Lay Down Arms
Gang members in one of Colombia's most violent cities face an ultimatum: give up guns or give up sex.
Colombia Opens Its Doors to Tourism
· Hardline approach sees kidnappings fall by 73% · Agency has $4m budget to change nation's image
'Safer' Colombia Launches Tourism Drive
· Hardline approach sees kidnappings fall by 73% · Agency has $4m budget to change nation's image
Labour's Top Brass Condemns Uk Military Aid to Colombia
British military aid to Colombia is condemned today in a letter to the Guardian signed by two-thirds of Labour's ruling body.
Colombian Soldiers on Trial for Theft After Finding $20m
· Cash discovery led to drink and brothels binge · 147 troops charged with misappropriation of funds
Bush Ally Wins in Colombia to Halt Swing to Left in Region
· US relieved at landslide victory for Uribe · Critics fear increase in heavy-handed tactics
Colombia Set to Buck Trend and Stay in Bush Camp
· US ally Uribe well ahead after security clampdown · Rebel groups promise not to sabotage poll
Top Drugs Baron Held in Nine Country Sweep of Arrests
· Colombian cartel leader among 100 detained · 50 tonnes of cocaine and millions of dollars found
Something to Be Proud of
Organising a campaign to support the human rights of our fellow students in Colombia only serves to highlight how privileged our trade union movement is in this country, writes Kat Fletcher.
Colombian Elections Bolster President
Parties loyal to the Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe, appeared assured of victory in congressional elections deemed by the government the least violent in two decades.
Para-dise
Elections in Colombia next month are likely to see demobbed paramilitary armies associated with drug trafficking win increased political power, writes Jeremy Lennard.
Spanish Police Reveal Record Cocaine Seizures
· At least 50 tonnes of drug captured last year · Colombian traffickers set up staging posts in Africa
Prizewinning Author Involved in Peace Talks
Colombia's Nobel prizewinning novelist Gabriel García Márquez yesterday admitted he has been secretly involved in almost every recent attempt, all unsuccessful, to achieve peace in his country.
Colombian Leader's U-turn Offers Hope to Families of Hostages
Bowing to domestic and international pressure, the Colombian government has offered to withdraw troops from a small rural town to negotiate with leftwing rebels for the release of dozens of high-profile hostages held for years in hidden jungle camps.
Colombia's Indians Bank on Coca Drink Becoming the Real Thing
Forget Coca-Cola, a group of Colombian Indians is telling its community, and drink coca instead.
Literary Festival Crosses Atlantic for Event in Colombia
Hay, the annual literary festival started 17 years ago with the winnings from a poker game, is taking its blend of books, writers and ideas to Colombia.
Neither Peace Nor Justice
Colombia's EU-backed deal will entrench the power of far-right paramilitary mafias.
Colombia's Drug Untouchables
As Britain rolls out the red carpet for President Alvaro Uribe, MPs should think carefully about his allies. Isabel Hilton
American Troops Accused of Arms Theft in Colombia
Two US soldiers have been detained in Colombia on suspicion of smuggling ammunition intended for American-funded drug control programmes to outlawed paramilitary forces, the authorities in Bogotá said yesterday.
South American Leaders Meet to Resolve Kidnap Row
The presidents of Colombia and Venezuela met in Caracas yesterday to patch up frazzled relations after the worst diplomatic row between the South American neighbours for decades.
Fugitive Ira Man 'aided Colombia Escape'
An IRA fugitive on the run for the killing of Garda Jerry McCabe helped three Irish republicans escape from Colombia, it was suggested last night.
Irish Trio 'have Fled Colombia'
Sinn Féin members were last night on their way to Colombia as Interpol joined in the hunt for three men linked to the IRA who are on the run from police.
Irishmen in Hiding Jailed for 17 Years
A Colombian judge yesterday overturned the acquittal of three Irishmen charged with training Marxist rebels and sentenced each to at least 17 years in prison.
Giant Coca Plants Found in Colombia
Giant coca plants have been found in Colombia and are being studied by scientists amid reports that drug traffickers are trying to develop genetically modified cocaine bushes.
Colombia Reveals Plot to Assassinate Bush
Colombian rebels plotted to assassinate George Bush during his brief stopover in the port of Cartagena last week, according to the country's defence minister.
Colombia Defends British Military Aid
British military aid to Colombia is vital and calls from backbench MPs to end it on human rights grounds should be resisted, the country's defence vice-minister has said. In an interview with the Guardian in London, Andres Penate said Britain - home to thousands of cocaine users - shared...
Colombia's Oil Pipeline is Paid for in Blood and Dollars
Trade unionists are the prime target of the US-funded 18th Brigade. If peace ever comes to Colombia after decades of civil war, it will come too late for three citizens of the oil-rich north-east region of Arauca, on the border with Venezuela.
Human Rights Call to Cut Off Colombian Military Aid
The Foreign Office has examined the possibility of cutting off military aid to Colombia in response to mounting political opposition among trade unions and backbench MPs. More than 210 MPs, predominantly Labour members but many from the other main parties, have signed an early day motion...
Rightwing Warlords Take First Step to Peace in Colombia
Sceptics warn drug links will complicate talks.
Kidnapped: Colombian Politician Ingrid Betancourt
Two years ago Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt was taken hostage. Her husband tells Isabel Hilton about a bungled French rescue mission, and his deepening despair.
A President Who Wants a Licence to Kill
Europe must today stand up to the leader of Colombia's bloody regime. When Alvaro Uribe Velez, the president of Colombia, stands up to address the European parliament today, there is much at stake on both sides.
Relief for Briton Held By Colombian Rebels for 102 Days
Mark Henderson, the British backpacker kidnapped by Colombian rebels 102 days ago, was yesterday released and flown to safety. Mr Henderson, 32, from Lincoln, was kidnapped with seven others by the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN, on September 12 as they were trekking to the 2...
Intervention is the Cure for Colombia
Medical charity fights to care for the poorest and the millions displaced by civil war. The handwritten, felt-tip markings on the wall map show the current position of the three main guerrilla groups, the main paramilitary organisation, and the armed forces in the area surrounding Quibdó in Colombia.
Corrupt Police and a Mayor With No Tie - Welcome to Colombia
Colombia's chief of police has just resigned along with four other senior officers after revelations that they had been using an account meant for payments to informants to fund three years of lavish dinner parties, whisky and expensive chocolates.
Family's Joy As Kidnap Tourist Phones Home
Student tells of two-day ordeal after fleeing captors in Colombia.
Briton Escapes From Captors
A British tourist kidnapped by Colombian guerrillas 12 days ago has managed to escape, the Foreign Office said last night. Matthew Scott, 19, who had been on a backpacking holiday in the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern Colombia, escaped on Tuesday while he was on a forced walk through...
MoD Reveals Aid to Colombian Army
MoD experts have made at least 10 trips to Bogota to advise the Colombian government on counter-terrorism tactics, the department has revealed.
Rebels in Colombia restored to civil life
Government sweetens its crackdown on insurgents and paramilitaries with a programme offering a new identity and money to start again.
Colombian militias to stand down
Nine far-right paramilitary groups forming the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia have agreed to demobilise their 13,000 fighters and begin formal peace negotiations, the government said yesterday, describing it as a major step forward.
Army Driving Out Rebels, Claims Colombian
Vice-president says links with paramilitaries have been cut and troops are recapturing Farc-held towns.
Secret Aid Poured Into Colombian Drug War
Continuing human rights abuses have not hindered flow of equipment and advice to Bogota.
213 Trade Unionists Murdered
Colombia is the most dangerous place on earth to be a trade union official, with 184 unionists assassinated there last year alone, the international trade union movement said yesterday. Out of 213 trade unionists murdered around the world, Colombia, where the leftwing rebel movement, the...
Colombian rebels execute 10 hostages as army attempts rescue
Leftwing rebels in Colombia executed 10 hostages, including a provincial governor and a former defence minister, during a botched rescue attempt by government forces deep in the jungles.
Rebels demand end to hunt for US hostages
The Bush administration has sent more troops to Colombia as the country's largest rebel group acknowledged responsibility for kidnapping three US government employees, whose plane crashed 11 days ago in southern jungle.
US Considers Intervention in Colombia
Washington mulls tough response to kidnapping of CIA 'agents'. The United States is considering direct military intervention in Colombia for the first time following the murder of an American and the kidnapping of three others, all suspected CIA agents.
Row over role of senator at Colombia trial
A member of the Irish government's junior coalition partners has attacked Fianna Fail's Senator Mary White over her support for the IRA suspects in Colombia.
To Crush the Poor
First it was Reds, then drugs, then terror. So who have the US really been fighting in Colombia? Last week, on the day George Bush delivered his state of the union address, the Pentagon received a visitor.
Journalists Kidnapped By Colombian Rebels
A British reporter and an American photographer have been kidnapped by Colombian rebels who said yesterday their release would depend on undefined 'political and military conditions'. By Rebecca Allison.
Hassidic link to drugs barons
British and American drug-busting authorities claim to have smashed one of the most bizarre money-laundering services ever operated for Colombian cocaine cartels: a circle of ultra-religious Hassidic Jews in New York.
Colombian drug lords to go free
Two of the world's most notorious drug lords could be free in Colombia within days after a judge granted them parole for good behaviour, a decision that has surprised and infuriated the government.
Urban warfare flares on Colombia's streets
The Comuna 13 district of Medellin, Colombia's most violent city, was encircled by troops yesterday after three days of intense street fighting between government forces and urban rebels.
Colombian Shadow Over Ulster Peace
Bogota terrorist trial of three 'IRA men' is focus of anger on both sides of Atlantic.
Colombia's new powers 'aimed at civilians'
Colombia's new government has granted its security forces sweeping powers to arrest suspects without warrant, and allowed it to impose travel restrictions and curfews in the most violent areas of the war-torn country.
Civilian informers on the front line in Colombia's war
Volunteers take huge risks as government network grows. To friends and neighbours he is a successful lottery agent. To police he is informant number 147, one of as many as a million civilians that Colombia's new government hopes to enlist throughout the country as secret agents in the war against leftwing rebels and rightwing paramilitary groups.
Rare Parrot Rediscovered in Colombia After 91 Years
Ornithologists have rediscovered one of the world's rarest parrots after an absence of 91 years. Hapalopsittaca fuertesi, fuertes parrot or the indigo-winged parrot, was first discovered in the Central Andes in 1911. It was never photographed. It was then "lost". It has never been held in...
State of Emergency Declared in Colombia
Colombia's new president, Alvaro Uribe, has declared a state of emergency following a spate of terrorist attacks that has claimed more than 100 lives over the past week. The country's prosecutor general claims that some of the terrorists were IRA trained. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of...
Thirteen die in Bogota explosions as hardline president is sworn in
Thirteen people died and at least 20 were injured in a bomb attack just streets away from the Colombian congress building yesterday as Alvaro Uribe was sworn in as president of the war-torn country.
Farc video shows Colombian political hostages
Five months after kidnapping the presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) have released a videotape in which she accuses the government of leaving the rebels' hostages to rot in the jungle.
Botero Bulldozes the Chain Gang
July 24: Colombian Santiago Botero bulldozed his way to victory in the Tour's latest mountain stage.
Colombian gold
As a schoolgirl she drove the nuns crazy with her belly dancing, now she's got the world gyrating. Ted Kessler meets Shakira, the Colombian superstar with a papal blessing and finds out why it's all Depeche Mode's fault.
Girls Go to War As Colombia's Frontline Killers
At least one third of Colombia's largest guerrilla group, the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (Farc) are now women. It is training girls as young as 13 to be killers, and has used women to hijack airliners.
IRA 'approved Weapons Tests in Colombia'
Two IRA leaders gave the go-ahead for the testing of new weapons in Colombia, according to security sources. The Provisionals have repeatedly denied sanctioning involvement in Colombia, where three Irishmen are awaiting trial, accused of helping train Marxist Farc rebels. But the latest...
Trouble in paradise
Colombia rules the tiny, distant islands of Providence and San Andres in the western Carribean but now Nicaragua is staking a claim through the international court of justice. So what do the islanders think? They look to England as their 'mother land', finds Martin Hodgson.
President Uribe's Colombian challenge
Colombia's 40-year war is usually reported in terms of drugs, murder and kidnapping, but it is a far more complex struggle. The armed groups that terrorise the population also challenge an already weak state, which is unable to fully defend its citizens or its territory.
The poet and the princess
They are the greatest of Colombians: Shakira, pop phenomenon, and Gabriel García Márquez, novelist. Naturally, they had to meet - and he, the magical realist, was astonished by her fantastical work-rate.
Former foes in Colombia's civil war blaze peace trail
Oscar Buitrago was an army captain in command of an elite counter-insurgent unit when a rebel landmine blew off his foot. Alberto Cuellar was a battle-hardened guerrilla commander whose face was torn apart in a police ambush.
Colombian hawk wins by landslide
Colombian voters have given a landslide victory to a hawkish presidential candidate who promises to step up the war against the country's Marxist rebels.
Colombians favour hardline president
The hardliner Alvaro Uribe, who has promised to suppress Colombia's Marxist rebels, seems likely to win yesterday's presidential election, probably taking more than half the votes.
Colombians find massacre evidence
Through driving rain and heavy fighting, government marines struggled to reach a village in the remote Colombian jungle where hundreds have died in battles between Marxist rebels and rightwing paramilitaries.
New Ira Link to Colombia
The Northern Ireland peace process was under fresh pressure yesterday as unionists demanded explanations over claims that a top IRA man close to Gerry Adams and credited with a key role in the peace process was involved with Marxist Colombian guerrillas. Republicans were in the eye of the...
IRA 'sent Men to Colombia'
The commander-in-chief of the Colombian army, General Fernando Tapias, told a congressional hearing yesterday that at least seven IRA operatives had been in the country, training members of the rebel army, Farc. These include the three Irishmen - said to be the IRA's two most senior...
Adams Says No to Colombia Hearing
The Sinn Fein president, Gerry Adams, was yesterday under fire at home and America over his decision not to appear before an influential US congressional hearing on the IRA's alleged links with Marxist guerrillas in Colombia. The US House of Representatives...
Colombian rebels pose as soldiers to kidnap state MPs
Marxist rebels disguised as an army bomb squad burst into a regional parliament building in Cali yesterday and kidnapped 12 politicians.
Car bomb kills 12 in Colombia
At least 12 people were killed and more than 70 were injured when a powerful car bomb exploded in Colombia early yesterday, gutting a crowded street lined with bars and nightclubs.
US takes role in Colombia to new level
Oil, not drugs, is the focus of a $98m aid package to fund an army brigade to protect a pipeline from sabotage by guerrillas.
Colombian Rebels Kidnap Presidential Candidate
Colombian rebels upped the stakes in their civil war with the country's government last night, kidnapping a presidential candidate who had accused the rebels of drug trafficking. Outspoken fringe candidate Ingrid Betancourt and her campaign manager, Clara Rojas, were kidnapped by the...
Colombian Army Bombards Rebel Bases
Warplanes and helicopters bombarded guerrilla training camps and jungle airstrips in Colombia today, paving the way for a ground assault by government troops in a bloody escalation of the country's civil war. The assault came in retaliation for the hijacking of a civilian airliner by the...
Colombia bombards rebel enclave
Government warplanes and helicopter gunships flew bombing raids yesterday against a huge region of Colombia ceded to guerrilla control in 1998, as thousands of troops prepared to retake the zone following the collapse of peace talks with leftwing rebels.
Forget Drugs, This is About the Guerrillas
Comment: The US is turning its attention and its guns towards Colombia, writes Isabel Hilton.
Ecuador and Venezuela round on Colombia's Farc bombing, but troops are scarce
Colombia Claims Computer Coup
Raid on rebel camp in Ecuador unearths wealth of information on Farc's relations with governments of neighboring countries
Colombia Accuses Chávez of Funding Marxist Rebels
War of words escalates after Venezuela sends tanks and troops to the border
Chávez Wins Release of Hostages Held By Colombian Rebels
Diplomatic coup for Chávez as four hostages held for more than six years released
Released Colombian Hostage to Be Reunited With Son Born in Captivity
The Colombian hostage who gave birth to a baby boy in captivity was expected to be reunited with her son this weekend after her release from a jungle rebel redoubt
Stone: My Part in Hostage Baby Saga
Oliver Stone, the maverick American film director, speaks exclusively about his bizarre role in the abortive attempt by Hugo Chavez to release hostages held by the Colombian rebel group Farc
DNA Tests Show Foster Child is Hostage's Son
Colombian rebels do not have boy, government says· Doubts over whether Farc will now free mother
Hopes of Colombian Hostage Release Fade Amid Row Over Child
· Boy of kidnapped woman may be in care, says Uribe· Credibility of government and Farc hang on DNA test
Farc Hostage Rescue Fails
An international rescue mission to free three hostages held by Colombian rebels broke down yesterday amid accusations of lying and bad faith
Setback for Chávez in Mission to Free Hostages
· Colombian rebels silent on captives' location· Hollywood director joins Venezuelan leader's team
Setback for Chávez in Mission to Free Hostages
· Colombian rebels silent on captives' location· Hollywood director joins Venezuelan leader's team
Colombian Rebels Say They Will Release Three Hostages
Colombia's leftist rebels said yesterday they would release three of the dozens of high-profile hostages they are holding as bargaining chips with the Colombian government
Diary of 'eillen' Tells of Life With Colombia's Communist Rebels
· Dutch woman joined Farc in 2002 to fight injustice· Criticism of commanders is PR coup for government
Colombia Halts Chávez Negotiations Over Hostages
Colombia has abruptly ended a mediation effort by the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, to win the release of hostages held by left-wing guerrillas
Hostage Hopes Fade As Colombia Sacks Negotiator Chávez
Colombia's government has abruptly halted Hugo Chávez's mediation efforts to release hostages held by rebels in Colombia's jungle, dashing the best chance in years to win their freedom
22 Die As Colombian Gold Mine Collapses
16 of the dead are women, many single mothers · Survivors and relatives blame poverty for tragedy
Queen of the Pacific Has Mexico Hooked As She Faces Drug Charges
Tale of glamorous alleged smuggler enthralls media· Romance with Colombian known as the Tiger
Mexican Police Capture the 'queen' of Drug Trafficking
Mexican police have captured the country's highest profile female drug trafficker - the notoriously nicknamed Queen of the Pacific - along with her Colombian drug boss boyfriend, aka The Tiger.
Colombia Captures Cocaine King Sought By Fbi
One of the world's most sought after cocaine kingpins was hunted down and captured in Colombia yesterday in the toughest blow against the country's drugs trade in more than a decade.
Chávez Flies to Colombia for Talks to Free Hostages Held By Guerrillas
Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, made a bold attempt yesterday to broker a deal between Colombia and leftwing guerrillas to free hostages languishing in jungle redoubts.
Mining Giant Accused of Profiting From Abuse By Colombian Army
· Soldiers protecting Anglo American's interests · Attacks on protesters 'part of pattern of global abuse'
11 Hostage Mps Killed in Crossfire During Raid on Colombia Rebel Camp
Lawmakers abducted by Farc five years ago - Guerrilla kidnappers offer condolences to families
Massacres and Paramilitary Land Seizures Behind the Biofuel Revolution
Colombian farmers driven out as armed groups profit - Lucrative 'green' crop less risky to grow than coca
García Márquez Heads Home to Macondo
For the first time in more than two decades, Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez is returning to his hometown which he immortalised as Macondo in One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Colombian Warlord Says Us Firms Paid Death Squads for Bananas
A jailed warlord has accused the US multinationals Del Monte, Dole and Chiquita of funding rightwing death squads while sourcing bananas from war-torn regions of Colombia.
Colombian Leader Denies Link to Paramilitaries
Uribe's allies accused of colluding with militias - President seeks to bolster US aid as scandal spreads
The Politicians and the Drugs Cartels - Scandal Engulfs Colombia's Elite
Seven senators languish in prison as president comes under increasing pressure.
Key Us Ally 'helped Colombian Traffickers'
The CIA has obtained evidence that the head of Colombia's army, a key US ally in Latin America, has collaborated with right-wing paramilitaries and drug traffickers.
Minister Quits As Brother Arrested
Colombia's foreign minister resigned yesterday, four days after her senator brother was jailed as part of a widening scandal that revealed collusion between rightwing militia groups and high profile politicians.
When Colombia Calls, You Travel - Colombia Travel Information
When you book your trip to Colombia, be aware of the vast and wondrous national parks, wilderness reserves and sparkling stretches of beach. Map out your itinerary and then your flight accordingly, as Colombia is expansive. If a private hammock on the beach is your ideal stay, do not miss the lavish beauty of El Parque Tayrona. For the avid divers and snorkelers, spend a few days among the whales and sea turtles of Isla Gorgona.
Colombian Militia Leader Confesses to Massacres
A senior commander of Colombia's rightwing militias has admitted taking part in some of the country's most grisly crimes in the first of what could become a flood of confessions from demobilised paramilitary leaders.
Colombian Establishment Rocked By Death Squad Scandal
Colombia's political establishment is being shaken to its core by almost daily revelations of how allies of President Alvaro Uribe apparently worked hand-in-hand with feared rightwing militias who used terror for more than a decade to impose their will on the population.
Claims of Militia Links Rock Colombian Presidency
Crisis for Uribe as senator admits paramilitary pact - More key allies face top court inquiry over claims
Colombian Women Appeal to Conscience of Cocaine Users
· Campaign hopes to show EU how drug fuels war · Britain's former envoy and charity sceptical
Gangsters Are Told to Lay Down Arms
Gang members in one of Colombia's most violent cities face an ultimatum: give up guns or give up sex.
Colombia Opens Its Doors to Tourism
· Hardline approach sees kidnappings fall by 73% · Agency has $4m budget to change nation's image
'Safer' Colombia Launches Tourism Drive
· Hardline approach sees kidnappings fall by 73% · Agency has $4m budget to change nation's image
Labour's Top Brass Condemns Uk Military Aid to Colombia
British military aid to Colombia is condemned today in a letter to the Guardian signed by two-thirds of Labour's ruling body.
Colombian Soldiers on Trial for Theft After Finding $20m
· Cash discovery led to drink and brothels binge · 147 troops charged with misappropriation of funds
Bush Ally Wins in Colombia to Halt Swing to Left in Region
· US relieved at landslide victory for Uribe · Critics fear increase in heavy-handed tactics
Colombia Set to Buck Trend and Stay in Bush Camp
· US ally Uribe well ahead after security clampdown · Rebel groups promise not to sabotage poll
Top Drugs Baron Held in Nine Country Sweep of Arrests
· Colombian cartel leader among 100 detained · 50 tonnes of cocaine and millions of dollars found
Something to Be Proud of
Organising a campaign to support the human rights of our fellow students in Colombia only serves to highlight how privileged our trade union movement is in this country, writes Kat Fletcher.
Colombian Elections Bolster President
Parties loyal to the Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe, appeared assured of victory in congressional elections deemed by the government the least violent in two decades.
Para-dise
Elections in Colombia next month are likely to see demobbed paramilitary armies associated with drug trafficking win increased political power, writes Jeremy Lennard.
Spanish Police Reveal Record Cocaine Seizures
· At least 50 tonnes of drug captured last year · Colombian traffickers set up staging posts in Africa
Prizewinning Author Involved in Peace Talks
Colombia's Nobel prizewinning novelist Gabriel García Márquez yesterday admitted he has been secretly involved in almost every recent attempt, all unsuccessful, to achieve peace in his country.
Colombian Leader's U-turn Offers Hope to Families of Hostages
Bowing to domestic and international pressure, the Colombian government has offered to withdraw troops from a small rural town to negotiate with leftwing rebels for the release of dozens of high-profile hostages held for years in hidden jungle camps.
Colombia's Indians Bank on Coca Drink Becoming the Real Thing
Forget Coca-Cola, a group of Colombian Indians is telling its community, and drink coca instead.
Literary Festival Crosses Atlantic for Event in Colombia
Hay, the annual literary festival started 17 years ago with the winnings from a poker game, is taking its blend of books, writers and ideas to Colombia.
Neither Peace Nor Justice
Colombia's EU-backed deal will entrench the power of far-right paramilitary mafias.
Colombia's Drug Untouchables
As Britain rolls out the red carpet for President Alvaro Uribe, MPs should think carefully about his allies. Isabel Hilton
American Troops Accused of Arms Theft in Colombia
Two US soldiers have been detained in Colombia on suspicion of smuggling ammunition intended for American-funded drug control programmes to outlawed paramilitary forces, the authorities in Bogotá said yesterday.
South American Leaders Meet to Resolve Kidnap Row
The presidents of Colombia and Venezuela met in Caracas yesterday to patch up frazzled relations after the worst diplomatic row between the South American neighbours for decades.
Fugitive Ira Man 'aided Colombia Escape'
An IRA fugitive on the run for the killing of Garda Jerry McCabe helped three Irish republicans escape from Colombia, it was suggested last night.
Irish Trio 'have Fled Colombia'
Sinn Féin members were last night on their way to Colombia as Interpol joined in the hunt for three men linked to the IRA who are on the run from police.
Irishmen in Hiding Jailed for 17 Years
A Colombian judge yesterday overturned the acquittal of three Irishmen charged with training Marxist rebels and sentenced each to at least 17 years in prison.
Giant Coca Plants Found in Colombia
Giant coca plants have been found in Colombia and are being studied by scientists amid reports that drug traffickers are trying to develop genetically modified cocaine bushes.
Colombia Reveals Plot to Assassinate Bush
Colombian rebels plotted to assassinate George Bush during his brief stopover in the port of Cartagena last week, according to the country's defence minister.
Colombia Defends British Military Aid
British military aid to Colombia is vital and calls from backbench MPs to end it on human rights grounds should be resisted, the country's defence vice-minister has said. In an interview with the Guardian in London, Andres Penate said Britain - home to thousands of cocaine users - shared...
Colombia's Oil Pipeline is Paid for in Blood and Dollars
Trade unionists are the prime target of the US-funded 18th Brigade. If peace ever comes to Colombia after decades of civil war, it will come too late for three citizens of the oil-rich north-east region of Arauca, on the border with Venezuela.
Human Rights Call to Cut Off Colombian Military Aid
The Foreign Office has examined the possibility of cutting off military aid to Colombia in response to mounting political opposition among trade unions and backbench MPs. More than 210 MPs, predominantly Labour members but many from the other main parties, have signed an early day motion...
Rightwing Warlords Take First Step to Peace in Colombia
Sceptics warn drug links will complicate talks.
Kidnapped: Colombian Politician Ingrid Betancourt
Two years ago Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt was taken hostage. Her husband tells Isabel Hilton about a bungled French rescue mission, and his deepening despair.
A President Who Wants a Licence to Kill
Europe must today stand up to the leader of Colombia's bloody regime. When Alvaro Uribe Velez, the president of Colombia, stands up to address the European parliament today, there is much at stake on both sides.
Relief for Briton Held By Colombian Rebels for 102 Days
Mark Henderson, the British backpacker kidnapped by Colombian rebels 102 days ago, was yesterday released and flown to safety. Mr Henderson, 32, from Lincoln, was kidnapped with seven others by the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN, on September 12 as they were trekking to the 2...
Intervention is the Cure for Colombia
Medical charity fights to care for the poorest and the millions displaced by civil war. The handwritten, felt-tip markings on the wall map show the current position of the three main guerrilla groups, the main paramilitary organisation, and the armed forces in the area surrounding Quibdó in Colombia.
Corrupt Police and a Mayor With No Tie - Welcome to Colombia
Colombia's chief of police has just resigned along with four other senior officers after revelations that they had been using an account meant for payments to informants to fund three years of lavish dinner parties, whisky and expensive chocolates.
Family's Joy As Kidnap Tourist Phones Home
Student tells of two-day ordeal after fleeing captors in Colombia.
Briton Escapes From Captors
A British tourist kidnapped by Colombian guerrillas 12 days ago has managed to escape, the Foreign Office said last night. Matthew Scott, 19, who had been on a backpacking holiday in the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern Colombia, escaped on Tuesday while he was on a forced walk through...
MoD Reveals Aid to Colombian Army
MoD experts have made at least 10 trips to Bogota to advise the Colombian government on counter-terrorism tactics, the department has revealed.
Rebels in Colombia restored to civil life
Government sweetens its crackdown on insurgents and paramilitaries with a programme offering a new identity and money to start again.
Colombian militias to stand down
Nine far-right paramilitary groups forming the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia have agreed to demobilise their 13,000 fighters and begin formal peace negotiations, the government said yesterday, describing it as a major step forward.
Army Driving Out Rebels, Claims Colombian
Vice-president says links with paramilitaries have been cut and troops are recapturing Farc-held towns.
Secret Aid Poured Into Colombian Drug War
Continuing human rights abuses have not hindered flow of equipment and advice to Bogota.
213 Trade Unionists Murdered
Colombia is the most dangerous place on earth to be a trade union official, with 184 unionists assassinated there last year alone, the international trade union movement said yesterday. Out of 213 trade unionists murdered around the world, Colombia, where the leftwing rebel movement, the...
Colombian rebels execute 10 hostages as army attempts rescue
Leftwing rebels in Colombia executed 10 hostages, including a provincial governor and a former defence minister, during a botched rescue attempt by government forces deep in the jungles.
Rebels demand end to hunt for US hostages
The Bush administration has sent more troops to Colombia as the country's largest rebel group acknowledged responsibility for kidnapping three US government employees, whose plane crashed 11 days ago in southern jungle.
US Considers Intervention in Colombia
Washington mulls tough response to kidnapping of CIA 'agents'. The United States is considering direct military intervention in Colombia for the first time following the murder of an American and the kidnapping of three others, all suspected CIA agents.
Row over role of senator at Colombia trial
A member of the Irish government's junior coalition partners has attacked Fianna Fail's Senator Mary White over her support for the IRA suspects in Colombia.
To Crush the Poor
First it was Reds, then drugs, then terror. So who have the US really been fighting in Colombia? Last week, on the day George Bush delivered his state of the union address, the Pentagon received a visitor.
Journalists Kidnapped By Colombian Rebels
A British reporter and an American photographer have been kidnapped by Colombian rebels who said yesterday their release would depend on undefined 'political and military conditions'. By Rebecca Allison.
Hassidic link to drugs barons
British and American drug-busting authorities claim to have smashed one of the most bizarre money-laundering services ever operated for Colombian cocaine cartels: a circle of ultra-religious Hassidic Jews in New York.
Colombian drug lords to go free
Two of the world's most notorious drug lords could be free in Colombia within days after a judge granted them parole for good behaviour, a decision that has surprised and infuriated the government.
Urban warfare flares on Colombia's streets
The Comuna 13 district of Medellin, Colombia's most violent city, was encircled by troops yesterday after three days of intense street fighting between government forces and urban rebels.
Colombian Shadow Over Ulster Peace
Bogota terrorist trial of three 'IRA men' is focus of anger on both sides of Atlantic.
Colombia's new powers 'aimed at civilians'
Colombia's new government has granted its security forces sweeping powers to arrest suspects without warrant, and allowed it to impose travel restrictions and curfews in the most violent areas of the war-torn country.
Civilian informers on the front line in Colombia's war
Volunteers take huge risks as government network grows. To friends and neighbours he is a successful lottery agent. To police he is informant number 147, one of as many as a million civilians that Colombia's new government hopes to enlist throughout the country as secret agents in the war against leftwing rebels and rightwing paramilitary groups.
Rare Parrot Rediscovered in Colombia After 91 Years
Ornithologists have rediscovered one of the world's rarest parrots after an absence of 91 years. Hapalopsittaca fuertesi, fuertes parrot or the indigo-winged parrot, was first discovered in the Central Andes in 1911. It was never photographed. It was then "lost". It has never been held in...
State of Emergency Declared in Colombia
Colombia's new president, Alvaro Uribe, has declared a state of emergency following a spate of terrorist attacks that has claimed more than 100 lives over the past week. The country's prosecutor general claims that some of the terrorists were IRA trained. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of...
Thirteen die in Bogota explosions as hardline president is sworn in
Thirteen people died and at least 20 were injured in a bomb attack just streets away from the Colombian congress building yesterday as Alvaro Uribe was sworn in as president of the war-torn country.
Farc video shows Colombian political hostages
Five months after kidnapping the presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) have released a videotape in which she accuses the government of leaving the rebels' hostages to rot in the jungle.
Botero Bulldozes the Chain Gang
July 24: Colombian Santiago Botero bulldozed his way to victory in the Tour's latest mountain stage.
Colombian gold
As a schoolgirl she drove the nuns crazy with her belly dancing, now she's got the world gyrating. Ted Kessler meets Shakira, the Colombian superstar with a papal blessing and finds out why it's all Depeche Mode's fault.
Girls Go to War As Colombia's Frontline Killers
At least one third of Colombia's largest guerrilla group, the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (Farc) are now women. It is training girls as young as 13 to be killers, and has used women to hijack airliners.
IRA 'approved Weapons Tests in Colombia'
Two IRA leaders gave the go-ahead for the testing of new weapons in Colombia, according to security sources. The Provisionals have repeatedly denied sanctioning involvement in Colombia, where three Irishmen are awaiting trial, accused of helping train Marxist Farc rebels. But the latest...
Trouble in paradise
Colombia rules the tiny, distant islands of Providence and San Andres in the western Carribean but now Nicaragua is staking a claim through the international court of justice. So what do the islanders think? They look to England as their 'mother land', finds Martin Hodgson.
President Uribe's Colombian challenge
Colombia's 40-year war is usually reported in terms of drugs, murder and kidnapping, but it is a far more complex struggle. The armed groups that terrorise the population also challenge an already weak state, which is unable to fully defend its citizens or its territory.
The poet and the princess
They are the greatest of Colombians: Shakira, pop phenomenon, and Gabriel García Márquez, novelist. Naturally, they had to meet - and he, the magical realist, was astonished by her fantastical work-rate.
Former foes in Colombia's civil war blaze peace trail
Oscar Buitrago was an army captain in command of an elite counter-insurgent unit when a rebel landmine blew off his foot. Alberto Cuellar was a battle-hardened guerrilla commander whose face was torn apart in a police ambush.
Colombian hawk wins by landslide
Colombian voters have given a landslide victory to a hawkish presidential candidate who promises to step up the war against the country's Marxist rebels.
Colombians favour hardline president
The hardliner Alvaro Uribe, who has promised to suppress Colombia's Marxist rebels, seems likely to win yesterday's presidential election, probably taking more than half the votes.
Colombians find massacre evidence
Through driving rain and heavy fighting, government marines struggled to reach a village in the remote Colombian jungle where hundreds have died in battles between Marxist rebels and rightwing paramilitaries.
New Ira Link to Colombia
The Northern Ireland peace process was under fresh pressure yesterday as unionists demanded explanations over claims that a top IRA man close to Gerry Adams and credited with a key role in the peace process was involved with Marxist Colombian guerrillas. Republicans were in the eye of the...
IRA 'sent Men to Colombia'
The commander-in-chief of the Colombian army, General Fernando Tapias, told a congressional hearing yesterday that at least seven IRA operatives had been in the country, training members of the rebel army, Farc. These include the three Irishmen - said to be the IRA's two most senior...
Adams Says No to Colombia Hearing
The Sinn Fein president, Gerry Adams, was yesterday under fire at home and America over his decision not to appear before an influential US congressional hearing on the IRA's alleged links with Marxist guerrillas in Colombia. The US House of Representatives...
Colombian rebels pose as soldiers to kidnap state MPs
Marxist rebels disguised as an army bomb squad burst into a regional parliament building in Cali yesterday and kidnapped 12 politicians.
Car bomb kills 12 in Colombia
At least 12 people were killed and more than 70 were injured when a powerful car bomb exploded in Colombia early yesterday, gutting a crowded street lined with bars and nightclubs.
US takes role in Colombia to new level
Oil, not drugs, is the focus of a $98m aid package to fund an army brigade to protect a pipeline from sabotage by guerrillas.
Colombian Rebels Kidnap Presidential Candidate
Colombian rebels upped the stakes in their civil war with the country's government last night, kidnapping a presidential candidate who had accused the rebels of drug trafficking. Outspoken fringe candidate Ingrid Betancourt and her campaign manager, Clara Rojas, were kidnapped by the...
Colombian Army Bombards Rebel Bases
Warplanes and helicopters bombarded guerrilla training camps and jungle airstrips in Colombia today, paving the way for a ground assault by government troops in a bloody escalation of the country's civil war. The assault came in retaliation for the hijacking of a civilian airliner by the...
Colombia bombards rebel enclave
Government warplanes and helicopter gunships flew bombing raids yesterday against a huge region of Colombia ceded to guerrilla control in 1998, as thousands of troops prepared to retake the zone following the collapse of peace talks with leftwing rebels.
Forget Drugs, This is About the Guerrillas
Comment: The US is turning its attention and its guns towards Colombia, writes Isabel Hilton.