Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said he survived an assassination attempt while traveling by helicopter with his two daughters. According to Petro, the incident occurred when his aircraft was unable to land at a scheduled location on the Caribbean coast due to security threats. He stated that security forces had received information suggesting unidentified individuals might open fire on the helicopter. The president noted that the landing site had no lights and that the situation forced major changes to his travel plans.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Córdoba, northern Colombia, Petro explained that heavy rain and flooding had already created a humanitarian crisis in the region, but the security threat further disrupted his itinerary. He emphasized that he was trying to stay alive and could not reach the planned destination either the previous night or the following morning.

Reports indicate that Petro’s helicopter flew over open sea for several hours before safely landing at an alternative location with the assistance of the Colombian Navy. His security arrangements and travel routes were subsequently revised.

At least 13 people have died in Colombia following unusually heavy rainfall for this time of year, officials confirmed on Sunday. The National Meteorological Institute (IDEAM) reported that a fast-moving cold air mass from North America struck Colombia’s Caribbean coast, increasing rainfall by about 64 percent above the monthly average. The deadliest incident occurred in the southwestern Nariño province, where a landslide killed seven people after continuous rain caused a mountain stream to overflow and bury several homes under mud.

Video footage released after the disaster showed rescue workers using heavy machinery to clear debris and mud, while search dogs were deployed to locate missing persons. Earlier, on Thursday, the national disaster management agency UNGRD reported six additional deaths across various regions due to extreme weather conditions.

Meteorologists noted that climate change is disrupting Colombia’s traditional dry and rainy season patterns. Although the tropical country does not have sharply defined seasons, recent years have seen increasingly severe rainfall and drought events.

A passenger plane operated by Colombia’s state-owned airline Satena crashed in the country’s northern region on Wednesday, January 28, killing all 15 people on board. The victims included 13 passengers and two crew members. The Beechcraft 1900 twin-propeller aircraft went down in a mountainous area near the Venezuelan border while en route from Cúcuta to Ocaña. The flight, designated NSE 8849, lost contact with air traffic control about 11 minutes before its scheduled landing at 12:05 p.m. local time.

Rescue teams later located the wreckage in a remote mountain zone. Authorities confirmed that among the dead were lawmaker Diogenes Quintero Amaya and congressional candidate Carlos Salcedo. Satena described the incident as a “serious accident” but did not provide details on the cause. Following the loss of contact, search and rescue operations began immediately, supported by Colombia’s armed forces, and a hotline was opened for relatives of the passengers.

The Cúcuta region is known for its rapidly changing weather and partial control by the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group, factors that may complicate rescue and investigation efforts.

Nine people were killed and eight others injured in an explosion at a cocaine laboratory on Colombia’s Pacific coast, police said on Friday. The incident occurred in the country’s southwestern Nariño department, an area known for cocaine production and home to the indigenous Awa community. Several armed groups are active in the region.

Authorities reported that the victims worked for the National Coordinator Bolivarian Army, a dissident faction of the former rebel group FARC. Preliminary investigations indicated that a gas cylinder exploded during drug production, triggering the blast. The rebel group also confirmed in a statement that improper handling of the cylinder caused the fire that engulfed the lab within seconds.

The group had rejected FARC’s 2016 peace agreement but is currently engaged in talks with President Gustavo Petro’s leftist government. The explosion site has long been part of a major cocaine trafficking route to the United States, where local smugglers operate with support from Mexican cartels.

At least 27 members of a leftist guerrilla group were killed in a violent clash with a rival armed faction in Colombia’s southwestern jungle region, according to the country’s military authorities. The confrontation occurred in a rural area of El Retorno municipality in Guaviare department, about 300 kilometers southwest of Bogotá. The area is strategically important for cocaine production and drug trafficking.

The fighting involved two splinter groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). One faction was led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as ‘Iván Mordisco,’ and the other by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, known as ‘Calarca Córdoba.’ Military officials said both groups were previously part of the same alliance called the Central General Staff but split in April 2024 due to internal disputes. All 27 killed were members of Vera’s faction, and a leader from Mendoza’s group confirmed the incident.

Mendoza’s faction is currently engaged in peace talks with President Gustavo Petro’s government, while Vera’s group continues violent activities despite a suspended ceasefire. Analysts note that ongoing violence and the groups’ reliance on drug trafficking and illegal mining have stalled Petro’s peace efforts.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro and US President Donald Trump have agreed to launch joint operations against guerrilla groups involved in cocaine trafficking along the Venezuela border. Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti confirmed the agreement on Thursday, following the first phone conversation between the two leaders on Wednesday. The discussion aimed to ease tensions after Trump’s military threats and efforts to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

According to Benedetti, both leaders committed to taking coordinated action against the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia’s remaining major armed rebel group, which Bogotá accuses of seeking refuge in Venezuela after attacks and kidnappings. Petro reportedly asked Trump for cooperation in taking tougher measures along the 2,200-kilometer border, where multiple armed groups compete over drug trafficking, illegal mining, and smuggling routes.

The report noted that despite recent tensions—Trump having labeled Petro a drug trafficker—Petro accepted an invitation to meet Trump in Washington. The two countries have long maintained security cooperation, though relations have cooled since the start of Trump’s second term.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that national security forces are being deployed along the border with Venezuela following recent incidents. In a post on social media platform X, he said Colombia is ready to provide all forms of assistance to potential Venezuelan refugees. The decision was made after an emergency National Security Council meeting that began at 3 a.m. local time (08:00 GMT).

Petro stated that Colombia is preparing its full humanitarian and support capacity to handle any large influx of refugees. He also confirmed that the Colombian embassy in Venezuela remains active and is assisting Colombian citizens residing there. As a member of the United Nations Security Council, Colombia has initiated contact with partner countries to support a possible council meeting on the issue.

Petro emphasized that the Colombian government rejects any aggression against Venezuela’s sovereignty or against Latin America, underscoring a stance of regional solidarity amid rising border concerns.

At least 17 people were killed and 20 others injured when a school bus carrying students and adults fell into an 80-meter-deep ravine in northern Colombia’s Antioquia region. The bus was returning from a graduation trip to the Caribbean town of Tolú and was en route to Medellín when the accident occurred early Sunday morning near El Chispero, on the Remedios–Zaragoza road.

Antioquia Governor Andrés Julián confirmed the tragedy on social media, describing it as a devastating loss for the community during the holiday season. The victims included students from Liceo Antioqueño High School and the driver, Jonathan Taborda Cocacolo, who worked for the tourism company Preculture. Local authorities said the injured, aged between 16 and 27, were taken to hospitals in Segovia and Remedios.

Officials stated that the trip was privately organized by students, not a school-sponsored event. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash, while local leaders and the tourism network have expressed condolences to the victims’ families and the affected community.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, saying that failure to take stronger action against the cocaine trade could lead to serious consequences. Speaking at a White House meeting with business leaders, Trump accused Colombia of producing large quantities of cocaine that end up in the United States, urging Petro to act decisively.

The warning comes amid ongoing tensions between the two leaders, who have clashed over drug policy, migration, and trade. Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, responded by asserting that his government has already destroyed around 18,400 drug laboratories and cautioned that any interference with Colombia’s sovereignty would amount to a declaration of war. He also invited Trump to visit Colombia and witness anti-narcotics operations firsthand.

The dispute adds to broader regional friction, as Petro has criticized U.S. naval actions in the Caribbean and Trump’s sanctions on Venezuela and Iran. UN human rights experts have condemned those operations as extrajudicial, intensifying diplomatic strains between Bogotá and Washington.

Colombian authorities have seized 14 tons of cocaine from a warehouse near the Pacific port of Buenaventura, marking the country’s largest drug bust in ten years. The operation, carried out without casualties, was announced by the Ministry of Defense on social media. President Gustavo Petro confirmed the seizure, which comes amid escalating tensions with Washington over Colombia’s anti-narcotics efforts. The United States recently criticized Bogotá for insufficient action against drug trafficking and warned of possible financial sanctions and removal from the list of allies in the US-led war on drugs. Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine. President Petro has been openly critical of former US President Donald Trump’s anti-drug policies and has condemned US naval operations in the Caribbean and Pacific as extrajudicial killings. The massive seizure is seen as a significant move by Colombia to demonstrate its commitment to combating the narcotics trade despite diplomatic strains with the United States.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered all Israeli diplomats to leave the country after Israeli forces detained two Colombians aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying aid to Gaza. The flotilla, made up of around 45 vessels, came under Israeli attack, with several ships seized. Petro condemned the action as a violation of international law and canceled Colombia’s free trade agreement with Israel. He had already cut diplomatic ties in May but escalated measures with this expulsion order.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has demanded the imprisonment of former U.S. President Donald Trump for directly supporting what he termed the ongoing “genocide” in Gaza.

“Trump deserves jail if he continues backing this genocide,” Petro declared, citing the Rome Statute, which allows for the arrest of war criminals anywhere in the world. He suggested even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be arrested from the U.S. under international law and questioned why Washington had not acted.

Petro also announced Colombia’s decision to cancel its free trade agreement with Israel, while criticizing the U.S. for disregarding international law. Earlier, he rejected the U.S. decision to revoke his visa over his criticism of Israeli actions.

Colombia's former President Álvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest for fraud and witness tampering, marking the first criminal conviction of a former head of state in the country. He was also fined $578,000 and banned from holding public office. Uribe, who served from 2002 to 2010, has denied the charges and plans to appeal. The case involved testimony from ex-paramilitary members who claimed they were bribed to support him. His former lawyer is also facing trial in connection with the case.

Scientists analyzing 6,000-year-old skeletons discovered in Bogotá's Altiplano region have identified a previously unknown human lineage with no known ancestors or descendants. These nomadic hunter-gatherers lived in forests and valleys, but their origins and disappearance remain a mystery. The findings challenge the understanding of South America's ancient populations, as this lineage differs from the known northern and southern indigenous groups. Researchers aim to uncover more archaeological evidence to reveal the life and culture of this lost civilization.

Miguel Uribe, a 39-year-old Colombian presidential candidate, was seriously injured after being shot during a campaign event in Bogotá’s Fontibón area. He is a member of the conservative Democratic Center party, founded by former President Álvaro Uribe, though they are not related. Authorities arrested one suspect and are investigating further. The Colombian government condemned the attack and called for a full inquiry. Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez has visited Uribe in the hospital.