- Conflict, Victims and Peace Talks
New Allegations Emerge Over Gustavo Petro Administration’s Talks With Clan del Golfo. President Petro is making a final effort to secure a legacy for his “Total Peace” policy through negotiations with the criminal organisation known as the Clan del Golfo, despite mounting setbacks and criticism. The talks have become increasingly controversial following the release of leaked recordings that allegedly show former peace commissioner Danilo Rueda discussing concessions with Clan del Golfo representatives during early exploratory contacts in 2022, including references to halting bombings, reducing intelligence operations and offering legal guarantees. Rueda has argued that the conversations were part of preliminary confidence-building efforts rather than formal agreements.
Could the ELN Be the Next Major Target in Venezuela? The ELN could become the next major target of US-backed security operations in Venezuela following the apparent killing of Tren de Aragua leader Héctor “Niño” Guerrero and the broader campaign to dismantle armed groups operating in the country’s mineral-rich south. The ELN has become deeply embedded in Venezuela over the past decade, exercising territorial control, participating in illegal mining, drug trafficking and cross-border smuggling, while maintaining close relationships with elements of the Venezuelan state. With the post-Maduro government increasingly cooperating with Washington and seeking to reassert authority over regions long dominated by criminal and insurgent actors, the ELN’s extensive presence could place it directly in the sights of future military or intelligence operations.
De la Espriella campaign paid $363,720 to “ghost company”. Financial records from Abelardo de la Espriella’s 2026 presidential campaign show that it paid 1.299 billion Colombian pesos (approximately US$364,000) to a little-known company called Inversiones Delmar SAS, which the outlet describes as a suspected “ghost company”. The investigation found that the firm was registered shortly before the election, had limited public business activity and appeared to lack the operational capacity expected for the services it was allegedly contracted to provide. The payments reportedly accounted for a significant share of campaign expenditure.
Uribe case: there is already a date for the investigation of the former president for massacres of El Aro and La Granja. Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office has formally scheduled former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez to give testimony on 24 July 2026 in a long-running investigation into his alleged links to paramilitary violence in Antioquia during his time as governor of the department in the 1990s. The case concerns the La Granja massacre (1996), the El Aro massacre (1997), and the 1998 assassination of human rights defender Jesús María Valle Jaramillo, who had publicly denounced alleged state inaction regarding paramilitary activity. Prosecutors are examining accusations that paramilitary groups responsible for the attacks may have operated with support or tolerance from regional authorities, allegations that Uribe has consistently denied.
Mendoza dissidents handed over 105 weapons and more than 24,000 rounds of ammunition for destruction. The temporary concentration zone established in the rural area of La Carmelita, Putumayo, as part of the peace process with the FARC dissident group led by Walter Mendoza, has received a significant cache of weapons and ammunition surrendered by the organisation. According to official figures cited by the government, the group handed over hundreds of firearms, including rifles, pistols and machine guns, along with tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, explosives and other military equipment as part of the first phase of its transition towards legality.
JEP charges five former FARC leaders with 423 crimes against indigenous and Afro-descendants in the Caribbean. The JEP has charged five former commanders of the FARC’s Caribbean Bloc with responsibility for hundreds of crimes committed against Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serranía del Perijá between 1996 and 2007. The tribunal found them to be among the most responsible for a pattern of violence that included killings, forced displacement, disappearances, sexual violence, threats, confinement and attacks on the cultural and territorial autonomy of ethnic communities. The accused are alleged to have implemented a strategy that treated Indigenous and Afro-descendant territories as strategic military corridors, leading to severe humanitarian and cultural harm. The decision is one of the most significant developments in the JEP’s Case 09.
- Business, Human Rights, Environment and Indigenous peoples
Death and exile: A war plagues Indigenous Jiw and Nukak in the Colombian Amazon. The worsening humanitarian crisis facing the Indigenous Jiw and Nukak peoples in Colombia’s Amazon region as escalating fighting between rival dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla movement has turned their ancestral territories into a battleground. By late May, clashes in Guaviare had left at least 48 people dead and forced hundreds from their homes, with Indigenous communities caught between armed groups, landmines and growing restrictions on movement. Many Jiw and Nukak families have been displaced to urban areas or forced into repeated cycles of flight, while those who remain face food shortages, limited access to healthcare and threats from armed actors.
What’s at stake for the environment in Colombia’s upcoming election? Colombia’s 2026 presidential election represented a pivotal choice for the country’s environmental future, particularly regarding the Amazon rainforest, fossil fuel development and Indigenous rights. It contrasts the platforms of left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda and far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, noting that Cepeda pledged to continue President Gustavo Petro’s agenda of phasing out oil and gas exploration, protecting Indigenous territories, strengthening environmental governance and pursuing “Total Peace” as a means of reducing deforestation and environmental degradation. By contrast, de la Espriella advocated expanding oil, gas and mining production, reopening debate on fracking and pursuing a more militarised security strategy, arguing that economic growth and stronger state control were necessary to combat illegal activities.
- Women and Gender Based Violence
How traditional midwives serve as lifelines to rural Colombia. The vital role played by traditional midwives in some of Colombia’s most remote rural and Indigenous communities, where access to hospitals, doctors and maternity services is often limited or non-existent. Midwives provide far more than assistance during childbirth, serving as trusted community figures who offer healthcare advice, emotional support and culturally appropriate care throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period. Despite concerns from some medical professionals about complications that require specialist treatment, many experts argue that trained and supported midwives can help bridge severe healthcare gaps, particularly in isolated regions affected by poverty, weak infrastructure and armed conflict.
Foreigner linked to the investigation into the crime of Natalia Villalba identified. Colombian authorities have identified a British citizen, Matthew Foster, as a key person of interest in the investigation into the murder of 37-year-old model Natalia Villalba Angarita, whose body was found concealed inside a suitcase in a short-term rental apartment in Bogotá’s Chapinero district. Investigators believe Foster may have been the last person seen leaving Villalba’s room before her death and have established that he left Colombia by land via the Rumichaca border crossing into Ecuador, apparently avoiding airport controls. Prosecutors are also investigating an unidentified US citizen and examining the movements of around 15 people who entered the apartment during the three weeks Villalba stayed there. Her body was discovered by cleaning staff on 22 June, although investigators believe she may have died several days earlier.
Supreme Court opened investigation against Carlos Carreño, former congressman of the Comunes party, for alleged violent sexual act. Colombia’s Supreme Court has opened a formal criminal investigation into former congressman Carlos Carreño, a member of the former FARC political party Comunes, over allegations of a violent sexual offence. The case stems from a complaint filed by a woman who alleges that Carreño committed a non-consensual sexual act against her, prompting the court to begin gathering evidence and witness testimony to determine whether charges should be brought.
- Civil Society and Protests
Protests erupt in Colombia as far-right set to win presidential election. Protests broke out across Colombia after preliminary results indicated victory for far-right, Trump-backed candidate Abelardo de la Espriella in the country’s closely contested presidential run-off election. With nearly all votes counted, de la Espriella held a lead of around 250,000 votes over left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, prompting demonstrations by supporters of the defeated candidate, who alleged irregularities and said they would challenge results from thousands of polling stations.
The InSight Take: Colombia Turns Right With Abelardo de la Espriella. Here Are the Washington and Security Challenges. According to InSight Crime’s analysis, the election of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella marks a major turning point for Colombia’s security strategy and its relationship with Washington. The analysis argues that de la Espriella’s victory reflects widespread public frustration with rising violence and the perceived failure of President Petro’s “Total Peace” negotiations with armed groups. It suggests that the incoming administration is likely to abandon dialogue with organisations such as the ELN and FARC dissident factions in favour of a more militarised approach inspired by leaders such as Nayib Bukele. In terms of foreign policy, the analysis expects much closer alignment with the United States, particularly under the administration of Donald Trump, creating opportunities for expanded security cooperation, intelligence sharing and counternarcotics operations. However, InSight Crime warns that the new government will face significant obstacles, including the resilience of Colombia’s criminal and insurgent groups, institutional constraints, human rights concerns linked to aggressive security policies, and the challenge of translating campaign promises into measurable reductions in violence.
- International and Domestic Politics
Ivan Cepeda concedes defeat in Colombia election, sealing right-wing win. Iván Cepeda has formally conceded defeat in Colombia’s 2026 presidential election, confirming the victory of right-wing populist Abelardo de la Espriella, who won by a margin of roughly 250,000 votes, after the completion of the official vote scrutiny process. Although Cepeda initially accepted the preliminary results while seeking verification of the count, he announced that the final review confirmed de la Espriella as Colombia’s next president and said he would respect the outcome as a democratic responsibility. Cepeda nevertheless criticised what he described as foreign interference in the campaign, particularly support from former US president Donald Trump for his opponent, and warned that he would lead a strong democratic opposition to defend peace, social programmes and human rights.
De la Espriella pledges to restore Colombia’s relations with Israel. Colombia’s president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, has pledged to reverse the foreign policy of outgoing president Petro by restoring diplomatic relations with Israel, which Petro severed in 2024 over the war in Gaza. De la Espriella, a right-wing nationalist who won Colombia’s 2026 presidential election on a law-and-order platform, said he intends to rebuild strategic ties with Israel, strengthen cooperation on trade, security and defence, and move Colombia’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Why is Israel being accused of meddling in Colombia presidential election? President Petro has accused Israel of interfering in Colombia’s 2026 presidential election after his preferred successor, Ivan Cepeda, narrowly lost the run-off to right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella. Petro alleged that sophisticated digital manipulation and disinformation campaigns originating from Israel influenced the outcome, pointing to Israel’s history of cyber-intelligence and political consulting firms linked to election interference abroad. He also highlighted de la Espriella’s strong pro-Israel stance and his pledge to restore diplomatic relations that Petro had severed over Israel’s war in Gaza. However, Colombia’s Attorney General, Gregorio Eljach, rejected the claims, stating there was no evidence of fraud or foreign interference, while election authorities reported no irregularities capable of affecting the result.
Marco Rubio signed the arrest warrant for activist Beto Coral for his criticism of Abelardo de la Espriella. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio personally approved a memorandum that led to the detention of Colombian activist Beto Coral by US immigration authorities, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. Coral, a political commentator and asylum seeker who has lived in the United States since 2015, was accused of using his presence in the country to conduct political activities in support of President Petro and against far-right Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella. The memorandum argued that Coral’s activities undermined US foreign policy interests in Colombia and could encourage foreign nationals to use US platforms for politically motivated campaigns. His arrest, which occurred days before Colombia’s presidential run-off election, prompted Petro to denounce the case as political persecution and foreign interference.