John Otis

The latest target was a statue of Sebastián de Belalcázar, a Spanish conquistador who founded two Colombian cities and led a military campaign that killed and enslaved thousands of Indigenous people.

Motorists near Colombia's border with Venezuela used to opt for cheaper, smuggled gas from the neighboring country. Now the tables have turned.

Thousands of Venezuelans are trying to make their way back to the country they fled. They left because of the economic crisis to look for work elsewhere, but the pandemic has cost them those jobs.

The Supreme Court orders house arrest as it investigates whether he had a role in a scheme to bribe witnesses in a case involving right-wing paramilitary death squads.

Former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe is to be held under house arrest while he is investigated for allegedly bribing witnesses in a case against him.

With Venezuela's opposition weakened and in disarray, chances that U.S-backed Juan Guaido will unseat strongman Nicolás Maduro appear to be dimming.

The most dramatic case occurred earlier this month when a scramble to steal gasoline ended in a hellish fireball. Other recent incidents involved residents pilfering a humanitarian aid vehicle.

Seeking ways to boost to its economy, Colombia has set aside three tax-free shopping days this summer. Critics fear they could become super spreader events for the coronavirus.

The governor of Amazonas, Colombia, says it was impossible to cut the area off from Brazil, even as the virus spiked. Now the Colombian border town of Leticia is a coronavirus hot spot.

"It's not just city hall that has to act. You have to promote solidarity among neighbors," says a mayor who encourages residents sheltering in place to hang red rags so others will know to help them.