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Colombian government, FARC guerrillas in peace talks

By Bill Van Auken, September 6, 2012

Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos formally announced that his government is in peace talks with the FARC guerrilla movement.

Half a million students strike over education law in Colombia

By Luis Arce, October 29, 2011

Tens of thousands of students took to the streets of Colombia’s major cities Wednesday to demand the rescinding of a proposed university “reform” that they say will benefit the country’s wealthiest at the expense of the majority of Colombian youth.

Former Colombian secret police chief convicted of murder

By Bill Van Auken, September 17, 2011

The conviction of former Colombia secret police chief Jorge Noguera

Global commission brands “drug war” a failure

By Bill Van Auken, June 3, 2011

An international commission that includes former Latin American presidents and US officials issued a scathing indictment of Washington’s “war on drugs.”

Two Colombia mine explosions kill 26

By Samuel Davidson, February 7, 2011

Two mine explosions in less than two weeks have claimed the lives of 26 miners, beginning another deadly year for Colombian miners.

Colombia cable: Army murder of civilians “widespread”

By Bill Van Auken, December 21, 2010

A classified cable from the US embassy in Bogota confirms that Washington was told the Colombian army’s murder of civilians was “widespread,” yet still approved military aid.

Colombian high court rejects US bases agreement

By Bill Van Auken, August 21, 2010

A Colombian high court decision to toss out a treaty allowing the US to set up military bases in the country has left the governments in both countries scrambling to salvage the agreement.

Santos takes office as Colombia’s president

By Rafael Azul, August 9, 2010

Behind the August 7 celebration of the swearing in of Manuel Santos as president, Colombia is in a state of profound crisis, marked by rising poverty and unprecedented social inequality.

Rescue crews find no survivors in Colombian coal mine

By Rafael Azul, June 28, 2010

Nine days after a catastrophic explosion at the San Fernando coal mine in Amagá, Colombia, rescue crews ended their work. Seventy-three bodies were removed from the mine.

Over 50 miners trapped in a Colombian coal mine

By Rafael Azul, June 19, 2010

At least 23 miners have been killed in a coal mine explosion in Colombia, the latest in a series of such disasters internationally.

US military base plan fuels Latin American tensions

By Bill Van Auken, August 5, 2009

The Pentagon’s plan to deploy US forces at seven new military bases in Colombia has fueled mounting tensions in Latin America.

Colombia rocked by wiretapping revelations

By Bill Van Auken, February 27, 2009

A Colombian spy agency under the direct command of President Uribe was implicated in wholesale wiretapping against opposition politicians, judges and journalists, just as the country’s defense minister arrived in Washington to seek more military aid.