The Andes
Colombia: illegal mining the ‘new coca’?
Outlaw mining operations are a growing sideline for Colombia's narco networks, in a nexus with paramilitaries and companies operating on the margins of the law.
Tag: Colombia
The Andes
Colombia: terror targets indigenous leaders
A total of 18 indigenous campesinos in Colombia's Cauca region have been killed this year, in a paramilitary campaign of intimidation against land recovery efforts.
The Andes
Peasant strikes mobilize again in Colombia
Indigenous protesters blocked the rail line carrying coal from the massive Cerrejón mine in Colombia's La Guajira region, as pressure again mounts on peasant demands.
The Andes
Bogotá: controversy over urban clearance
Authorities in Bogotá began demolishing a notorious district near the city center locally known as "the Bronx"—but seemingly no plans were made for the displaced residents.
The Andes
Coca cultivation down in Peru, soars in Colombia
Once again, gains against coca production in one of the two big Andean producers have only squeezed production into the other one, in a case of the "balloon effect."
The Andes
FARC threatens to disavow renegade units
A threat to the Colombian peace talks emerged as some FARC units unilaterally attacked government forces and declared their non-compliance with the ceasefire.
The Andes
Colombia: cocaine mega-busts keep coming
Amid moves toward peace in Colombia, the goad of the war—the country's lucrative cocaine trade—clearly remains robust, as record-breaking hauls are reported.
The Andes
Controversy over FARC ‘concentration zones’
Under the plan for demobilization of Colombia's FARC guerillas, special zones are to be established for fighters to "concentrate" and then be integrated into civilian life.
The Amazon
Colombia: campesinos block oil operation
Colombia's feared anti-riot force, the ESMAD, used tear-gas against campesinos occupying lands in the Amazonian department of Caquetá to block oil exploration efforts.
The Andes
Colombia: court protects more lands from mining
Colombia’s constitutional court overturned a 2012 government decree that allowed mining in nine areas of the country, together making up 20% of the national territory.
The Andes
Colombia: deal with FARC for bilateral ceasefire
The Colombian government announced that it has agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with the FARC guerillas—hailed as an historic step toward a deal to end the long civil war.
The Andes
Peasant strike rocks Colombia
Campesinos launched a strike across Colombia, with some 100,000 blocking highways and effectively shutting down at least half of the country's 32 departments.