Colombia

BOGOTA, Jan 11 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Colombia, a top source of coca, the base ingredient in cocaine, eradicated more than 100,000 hectares of the crop last year, President Ivan Duque said.

The Andean country has come under repeated pressure from the United States, an important destination for cocaine shipments, to reduce coca cultivation, especially as crop figures shot up in recent years.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has praised Duque’s stepped-up eradication efforts. The Colombian government set out to eradicate 80,000 hectares last year.

BOGOTA, Colombia, Dec 25 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook central Colombia on Tuesday, sending residents scrambling for safety, but causing no casualties or major damage, according to authorities.

According to Colombia’s Geological Service, the quake struck at 2:03 p.m. local time, with an epicentre located near Mesetas, in Meta department, and at a depth of 30 kilometres.

BOGOTA, Dec 3 (NNN-Prensa Latina) — Colombia is currently facing another week of anti-government protests as a reflection of social unrest and rejection of policies implemented by the Executive.

Since the massive national strike of Nov 21, mobilizations, rallies, pot-banging protests and other actions take place in the main cities of the country, in which social organizations and the people in general demand deep reforms in areas such as education, health, environment and security.

BOGOTA, Nov 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombian unions and student groups will hold another demonstration on Wednesday in honour of a teenage demonstrator who died after being injured by a tear gas canister, after an initial strike last week sparked days of protests.

Demonstrations continued on Tuesday, the sixth straight day of protests following a 250,000-person march last week organized by the National Strike Committee.

BOGOTA, Nov 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Under-fire Colombian President Ivan Duque, the target of days of unprecedented anti-government protests, on Sunday opened a national dialogue aimed at assuaging popular anger.

Duque, who is deeply unpopular just 18 months after his election, “initiated the social dialogue” with mayors and other officials at 3 pm, the presidency said in a statement.

23 November 2019; AFP: Protesters picketed the home of Colombian President Ivan Duque on Friday, defying a curfew and the leader's promises of a "national conversation" on social policies following massive anti-government demonstrations that have left three dead and dozens wounded.

Bogota, Nov 22, AFP/GANASHAKTI: Tens of thousands of Colombians took to the streets of the capital Bogota on Thursday amid a general strike to protest the policies of President Ivan Duque's right-wing government.

There were reports of clashes and arrests as trade unions, students, opposition parties and the South American country's indigenous organisations challenged the full gamut of Duque's economic, social and security policies.

BOGOTA, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombia’s defence minister Guillermo Botero resigned Wednesday after facing accusations of trying to cover up the deaths of several children in a military air strike on a drug trafficking gang.

“Today, in a meeting with the president of the republic to analyse the current political situation, it was agreed that the most suitable thing was to resign from the position of minister of national defence,” Botero said in a statement.

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s capital city elected its first female mayor Sunday in what is being hailed as an important advancement for both women and LGBT rights.

Claudia López won the race for mayor of Bogota on a platform promising to combat corruption and advance equal rights for minority communities.

The Alianza Verde candidate captured over 1.1 million votes, or about 35 percent of the vote, defeating runner-up Carlos Galán by 2.7 percentage points.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina sheriff faces up to a year in prison and will lose his job after a jury found him guilty Thursday of misconduct in office.

A Greenville jury deliberated more than four hours before splitting its verdicts, finding suspended Greenville County Sheriff Will Lewis guilty of misconduct that involves corruption or fraud, but not guilty of misconduct that involves not doing a public job properly.