Colombia

Who’s Afraid of Gustavo Petro?

Reading Time: 8 minutes

From guerrilla to presidential candidate, Gustavo Petro’s rise encapsulates the divisions, fears and hopes permeating Colombian politics today.

Making Sense of Colombia’s Crowded Presidential Field

This article is adapted from AQ’s print issue on peace and economic opportunity in Colombia. The field of candidates for Colombia’s 2018 presidential election includes some of the country’s most accomplished politicians – as well as some more uncertain options. Here, AQ looks at the leading contenders, and why each has a chance at the presidency. GERMÁN … Read more

Moira Birss: Colombia’s Government Hasn’t Taken Responsibility on Deforestation

For our latest print issue on Colombia, we asked experts, executives, politicians and everyday people about the biggest issue facing Colombia’s next president. See all of their answers here. If life on our planet is to survive climate change, we must drastically and urgently slash greenhouse gas emissions and conserve forests. Colombia’s next president will face many … Read more

Rebirth, or Relapse? Colombia Hits a Post-War Turning Point.

Reading Time: 10 minutes

New economic opportunities are creeping into Colombia’s troubled countryside. More are needed to help keep the peace.

Rodrigo Uprimny: Reviving Aerial Coca Spraying Would Be a Mistake

For our latest print issue on Colombia, we asked experts, executives, politicians and everyday people about the biggest issue facing Colombia’s next president. See all of their answers here. Colombia’s next president will have to resist internal and external pressures to reactivate aerial spraying of illicit crops. Between 2002 and 2015, some 3.8 million acres of coca … Read more

Cynthia Arnson: To Address Inequality, Start With Strong Institutions

For our latest print issue on Colombia, we asked experts, executives, politicians and everyday people about the biggest issue facing Colombia’s next president. See all of their answers here. Corruption, unemployment and the quality of health care have topped the lists of concerns for Colombians over the past six months with remarkable consistency, according to … Read more

Book Review: Return to the Dark Valley

This article is adapted from AQ’s print issue on peace and economic opportunity in Colombia The only thing we can do is tell stories and believe that one day we will be saved by them,” says the narrator of Colombian novelist Santiago Gamboa’s nightmarish new thriller, Return to the Dark Valley. The narrator, known only as the Consul, … Read more

Las preocupaciones de los colombianos de centro

Este artículo está adaptado de la edición impresa de AQ sobre Colombia en el post-conflicto | Read in English Los colombianos irán a las urnas en mayo próximo para elegir a un nuevo presidente. Este hecho debería inaugurar un período de paz y prosperidad para mi país, pues serán las primeras elecciones que se producen después de la … Read more

¿Renacimiento, o recaída? Colombia alcanza un punto de inflexión tras la pos-guerra.

Este artículo está adaptado de la edición impresa de AQ sobre la paz y oportunidad económica en Colombia | Read in English Los vendedores de una feria de café que se llevó a cabo en julio sobre una cancha de básquetbol en el pueblo colombiano de Algeciras ofrecían fertilizante y fumigadores portátiles. Unos compradores especializados … Read more

Town & Country: A Visual Guide to Colombia’s Urban/Rural Divide

Colombia’s Challenge

Special Report Colombia’s Challenge: A Special Report AQ‘s latest issue looks at how Colombia can consolidate peace – and ensure prosperity for more of its citizens. Rebirth, or Relapse? Colombia Hits a Post-War Turning Point. By JOHN OTISNew economic opportunities are creeping into Colombia’s troubled countryside. More are needed to help keep the peace. Who’s … Read more

Claudia López: Colombia’s 2018 Elections Are About Who Can Defeat Corruption

Claudia López isn’t one to be shy. In 20 years of public life – as a student leader, a journalist, and now as senator for Colombia’s Green Party – the 47-year-old has earned a reputation for speaking her mind, particularly when it comes to corruption in politics. Now a candidate for presidential elections in 2018, … Read more

Why Politics Won’t Come Easy for the Newly Disarmed FARC

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia’s (FARC) move into politics came to the accordion-rich tune of vallenato. On Sept. 1, the former armed group held a free concert for supporters in Bogotá’s historic Simón Bolívar square, capping off a week-long conference that confirmed its transformation into a full-fledged political party. Many of the 10,000 or … Read more

The Role of Businesses in Colombia’s Conflict Cannot Be Ignored

When Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos met with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., discussion of the Colombian implementation of the peace deal took a backseat to other issues, including the importance of continued economic cooperation. “We are and wish to continue to be the best destination in Latin America for American businesses,” Santos commented … Read more