https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/519162/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Bogota mayor Carlos Fernando Galan has called on the Chinese-led consortium building the city’s first metro line to send more workers to its stations, after the country’s top auditor warned that delays in several parts of the project could push back its opening in March 2028. “We are entering a critical stage, which is the final stretch,” Galan said in an interview published by local news magazine Semana on Monday. “We have to ask Metro Linea 1 to get moving and put more staff in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3369839/bogota-mayor-presses-chinese-led-consortium-more-metro-workers-auditors-flag-delays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3369839/bogota-mayor-presses-chinese-led-consortium-more-metro-workers-auditors-flag-delays?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 20:40:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration is revoking the visas of 27 Latin American officials, former officials and their families, including Bolivia’s attorney general, over accusations of corruption. The officials and their families come from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – all nations with right-leaning leaders friendly with President Donald Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Colombia, Ecuador and Peru this month, pledging US support for their efforts to combat drug and human... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369114/us-revokes-visas-latin-american-officials-and-families-over-accusations-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369114/us-revokes-visas-latin-american-officials-and-families-over-accusations-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:50:12 +0000 Sophie Steiner Sophie Steiner The 26th World Gourmet Festival returns to Bangkok from September 29 to October 4, bringing together some of the world’s most distinguished chefs. More than a showcase of gastronomic talent, the event serves as a multicultural narrative rooted in food heritage and transnational exchange – and as a crucible where culinary philosophies clash and meld. Internationally acclaimed chefs like Álvaro Clavijo from Bogotá, Julien Royer from Singapore, and Josiah Citrin from Los Angeles must confront the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3368335/inside-bangkoks-world-gourmet-festival-where-top-chefs-share-kitchen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3368335/inside-bangkoks-world-gourmet-festival-where-top-chefs-share-kitchen?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:00:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Eighteen suspects in the 2021 assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise have been transported to Florida to stand trial, US officials said Sunday. Moise, 53, was gunned down on July 7, 2021, at his private residence by a hired group of about 20 military-trained Colombian mercenaries. His security detail did not intervene to protect him. “Today’s multi-location and international arrests underscore the FBI’s continued commitment to bringing all participants in this plot to justice,” FBI... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368182/us-extradites-18-suspects-2021-killing-haitian-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368182/us-extradites-18-suspects-2021-killing-haitian-president?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 23:52:18 +0000 Han Li Han Li Amid rising tensions over artificial intelligence (AI) competition and global concerns about the technology, China appears to have an edge over the US and European Union (EU) in trust to regulate AI among mostly middle-income countries. A new Pew Research Centre report released on Thursday found that, on a median basis across 11 countries and two territories, more people trust China than the US or the EU to regulate AI effectively. China was not among the countries surveyed in the broader... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367776/china-trusted-more-us-eu-ai-regulation-pew-survey-middle-income-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367776/china-trusted-more-us-eu-ai-regulation-pew-survey-middle-income-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended controversial strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats during a visit to Ecuador on Wednesday, arguing Latin American cartels would “eat these countries alive” if left unchecked. Hailing a new generation of conservative leaders emerging across the region who are allied with President Donald Trump, Rubio said Washington was finding partners willing to be “very aggressive” against criminal groups. Since Trump returned to power, the United States has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3366987/rubio-defends-us-strikes-boats-warns-drug-cartel-cancer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3366987/rubio-defends-us-strikes-boats-warns-drug-cartel-cancer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 02:40:40 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Colombia on Tuesday to meet President Abelardo de la Espriella, sign agreements on critical minerals and civil nuclear cooperation and take up the country’s ties to China, in the first visit by a cabinet-level US official since the Colombian leader took office a month ago. Colombia’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Chinese investment in critical infrastructure were on the agenda for the meeting, a Colombian official... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366833/us-secretary-state-rubio-arrives-colombia-clarify-china-ties-sign-minerals-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366833/us-secretary-state-rubio-arrives-colombia-clarify-china-ties-sign-minerals-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 19:53:40 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. I refer to “Malaysia’s air quality turns hazardous as Indonesian wildfires burn” (August 31). Four areas in Malaysia’s Bornean state of Sarawak recorded hazardous air quality, with Air Pollutant Index readings above 300. Serian, closest to the frontier with Indonesia’s West... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3366339/could-indonesia-be-sued-haze-malaysia-yes-and-no?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3366339/could-indonesia-be-sued-haze-malaysia-yes-and-no?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Colombian superstar Maluma recently collaborated with Hot Wheels to create a custom car for its Challenge Accepted campaign. The partnership is personally significant for the “Felices Los 4” singer, who told People that the model car brand has been “part of [his] whole life” and ignited his love for cars. His contribution to the 2026 Global Legends Collection is a Toyota Land Cruiser, reflecting his family-man instincts. View this post on Instagram A post... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3366222/meet-colombian-singer-malumas-girlfriend-susana-gomez-whos-expecting-their-2nd-child?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3366222/meet-colombian-singer-malumas-girlfriend-susana-gomez-whos-expecting-their-2nd-child?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:00:06 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese executive filmed taking cash on Colombia metro project Colombian prosecutors are investigating allegations that executives of a Chinese state-owned contractor building the Bogota metro demanded cash from a local subcontractor in exchange for releasing payments owed for work on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365666/brazils-china-borrowing-trump-accuses-9-latam-countries-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365666/brazils-china-borrowing-trump-accuses-9-latam-countries-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A prominent leader of the dissident factions of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia who operated in a volatile area in the country’s southwest region was killed on Sunday during a military operation, said President Abelardo de la Espriella. The president said the death of a man known as “Felipe” or “Arcadio” was a “crushing blow” to the dissident faction led by a man who goes by “Ivan Mordisco”. De la Espriella posted a video on social media presumably showing a person in a body... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3365781/colombias-abelardo-de-la-espriella-says-soldiers-killed-key-dissident-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3365781/colombias-abelardo-de-la-espriella-says-soldiers-killed-key-dissident-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2026 20:41:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Colombia’s new hard-right government wants to use prison ships adrift at sea to lock up people it considers highly dangerous criminals, a defence ministry source said on Wednesday. President Abelardo de la Espriella took office earlier this month, vowing to come down hard on armed groups in Colombia, the world’s largest cocaine producer. The US-backed millionaire campaigned on a pledge to bomb guerrillas and build so-called “mega prisons” in the style of El Salvador’s leader, Nayib... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3365378/colombia-mulls-locking-dangerous-criminals-prison-ships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3365378/colombia-mulls-locking-dangerous-criminals-prison-ships?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:45:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press After a pause of more than two months, the US military announced Monday that it once again carried out a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people accused of trafficking drugs. It brings the overall death toll to 223 people killed in 67 strikes during the nearly year-long US campaign of bombing alleged drug boats off Latin America’s Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. US Southern Command says the campaign has resulted in the destruction of 64 speedboats,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365108/us-strikes-vessel-eastern-pacific-killing-2-people-first-attack-months?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365108/us-strikes-vessel-eastern-pacific-killing-2-people-first-attack-months?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:48:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Colombia’s new housing minister has come under fire after it emerged that he took his family on a Caribbean holiday while the country was reeling from a devastating earthquake that left thousands homeless. The August 10 earthquake, which killed nearly 300 people in western Colombia, struck just three days after right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella took office. The 7.4-magnitude tremor was the most powerful in Colombia in nearly half a century. Over the weekend, photos and videos emerged... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3364351/colombian-ministers-caribbean-holiday-amid-earthquake-crisis-stokes-fury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3364351/colombian-ministers-caribbean-holiday-amid-earthquake-crisis-stokes-fury?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 01:17:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Colombia’s new President Abelardo de la Espriella on Saturday called on his US counterpart Donald Trump to suspend tariffs currently targeting the South American nation, which is reeling after a deadly earthquake. US tariffs on Colombian products rose from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent in late July, with a few exceptions including coffee and oil. “I asked him to consider to temporarily suspend the high tariffs that are affecting Colombian products, in order to give some relief to our business... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3364165/colombia-leader-asks-trump-suspend-tariffs-after-deadly-quake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3364165/colombia-leader-asks-trump-suspend-tariffs-after-deadly-quake?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2026 23:43:01 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Three Latin American governments that moved against Chinese commercial interests over the past year were named in a White House report on Thursday, which accused Chinese exporters of routing goods through third countries to evade US tariffs. Mexico, Panama and Colombia now join Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic among more than 40 countries the report says carry elevated risk of illegal transshipment, the practice of moving goods through an intermediate country... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363963/us-accuses-9-latin-american-countries-helping-china-avoid-trumps-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363963/us-accuses-9-latin-american-countries-helping-china-avoid-trumps-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 23:20:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Tonnes of aid from regional partners began to roll into Colombia on Wednesday, as the search for survivors in the rubble of a powerful earthquake grew more desperate after the temblor razed buildings, buckled roads and crushed cars. The devastation has tested Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, and his government as it scrambles to respond to the disaster and civil society as it pushes to provide aid to the most affected communities. De la Espriella said on Wednesday evening that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3363836/colombia-quake-death-toll-hits-265-rescuers-race-against-clock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3363836/colombia-quake-death-toll-hits-265-rescuers-race-against-clock?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:46:24 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China said on Wednesday it would help Colombia recover from the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the country’s west on Monday, killing more than 200 people. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing would do what it could in suitable ways, in line with what Colombia requested, in response to questions from Xinhua and Telesur at a briefing in Beijing. Guo said no Chinese nationals had been reported killed or injured in the disaster, and that the embassy in Bogota was “working to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3363834/china-offers-colombia-quake-relief-new-presidents-us-pivot-leaves-beijing-waiting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3363834/china-offers-colombia-quake-relief-new-presidents-us-pivot-leaves-beijing-waiting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:15:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Colombian rescuers pulled a 32-year-old woman alive from the rubble of a collapsed building on Tuesday, sparking cheers and applause as exhausted crews raced to find more survivors from the country’s strongest earthquake in a century. Daniela Largo was carried from the wreckage wrapped in a blue blanket as rescuers embraced and relatives shouted out with joy. Soldiers, firefighters and volunteers continued to scour collapsed buildings across western Colombia after Monday’s 7.4-magnitude... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3363727/colombian-woman-pulled-alive-rubble-earthquake-death-toll-tops-200?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3363727/colombian-woman-pulled-alive-rubble-earthquake-death-toll-tops-200?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 04:15:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Colombian volunteers and rescuers sifted through rubble with bare hands and buckets on Monday, hunting for survivors following a massive 7.4 magnitude quake that has claimed the lives of at least 181 people and levelled more than a hundred homes and office buildings. The quake struck several cities across Colombia’s picturesque coffee region and Pacific shortly after 7.30am (local time), sending panicked residents onto the streets and damaging at least 1,500 buildings. “People ran out naked,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3363568/colombia-ecuador-hit-74-magnitude-earthquake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3363568/colombia-ecuador-hit-74-magnitude-earthquake?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:09:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella took office Friday, vowing to wage war on drug-running guerrillas and usher in a new era of close ties with the United States. The flamboyant former lawyer brings a lurch to the right for the Andean nation, vowing to bomb jungle cocaine labs, build “mega prisons” and slash the size of the state. De la Espriella and his Vice-President Jose Manuel Restrepo cheered, embraced and performed their campaign’s characteristic military salute after taking their... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3363371/trump-ally-abelardo-de-la-espriella-sworn-colombia-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3363371/trump-ally-abelardo-de-la-espriella-sworn-colombia-president?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 22:46:04 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Some vendors at Hong Kong’s coming Food Expo have said they expect brisker sales and higher foot traffic compared with last year, citing better weather, discounts and creative products such as caviar sake gelato. The five-day expo is among five trade fairs that will open next Thursday, with more than 1,850 exhibitors in total from over 30 countries and regions taking part, according to organiser the Trade Development Council. Smilely Lam Yuk-fung, associate executive director of the council,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3363080/food-expo-vendors-hoping-tasty-profits-caviar-sake-gelato-other-new-products?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3363080/food-expo-vendors-hoping-tasty-profits-caviar-sake-gelato-other-new-products?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:37:10 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Latin American countries should resist pressure to choose between the United States and China and use their vast reserves of lithium, copper and other strategic resources to strengthen their negotiating power, according to a high-level commission co-chaired by former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet and former Colombian president Ivan Duque. But the commission acknowledges that the region’s room for manoeuvre is sharply constrained in security, technology and critical infrastructure, areas in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3362979/bachelet-led-panel-urges-latin-america-not-choose-sides-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3362979/bachelet-led-panel-urges-latin-america-not-choose-sides-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Aug 2026 18:50:12 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Colombian prosecutors are investigating allegations that executives of a Chinese state-owned contractor building the Bogota metro demanded cash from a local subcontractor in exchange for releasing payments owed for work on the project, according to an investigation published over the weekend by Semana, the country’s leading news magazine. The consortium building the line has denied any wrongdoing, saying the money seen changing hands was a retention payment agreed upon between the two firms in a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3362846/chinese-executive-filmed-taking-cash-colombia-metro-south-americas-biggest-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3362846/chinese-executive-filmed-taking-cash-colombia-metro-south-americas-biggest-project?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Aug 2026 19:16:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A truck bomb exploded on Saturday near a Colombian police station not far from the Venezuelan border, wounding 14 people just days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella takes office. The government in Bogota blamed rebels from the National Liberation Army (ELN), the country’s largest active guerrilla group, for the early-morning blast in the northern city of Cucuta. Eleven police officers and three civilians were hurt in the incident, according to the latest official toll. Agence... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3362664/truck-explodes-outside-colombia-police-base-injuring-11-officers-and-killing-dog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3362664/truck-explodes-outside-colombia-police-base-injuring-11-officers-and-killing-dog?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Aug 2026 18:49:49 +0000 Varvara Rodchenko Varvara Rodchenko Modern Family star Sofía Vergara marked her 54th birthday off the Italian island of Capri with a yacht getaway and festive dinner. While the actress was surrounded by friends and family, one guest who attracted particular attention was Vergara’s boyfriend, Douglas Chabbott, who accompanied her during the lavish two-day celebration. The Colombian actress later posed in a red bikini in her birthday photo, thanking fans for “all the love” on her special day. But who is Douglas Chabbott, who at 39,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3360919/meet-sofia-vergaras-boyfriend-douglas-chabbott-jewellery-vp-list-friends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3360919/meet-sofia-vergaras-boyfriend-douglas-chabbott-jewellery-vp-list-friends?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump lashed out on Wednesday at a decision by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to suspend the use of traffic stops after two fatal shootings in less than a week. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) halted the practice after a Colombian man was shot dead in Maine on Monday and a Mexican man was killed in an operation in Texas last week. “We CANNOT give up one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” Trump said in an early... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3360576/ice-halts-vehicle-stops-us-immigration-enforcement-after-deadly-shootings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3360576/ice-halts-vehicle-stops-us-immigration-enforcement-after-deadly-shootings?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jul 2026 17:48:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Tuesday suspended the transition process with President Gustavo Petro and accused him of planning a coup to stay in power, after the incumbent leader refused to recognise results of the country’s election. Petro said Monday that he refused to recognise de la Espriella’s victory in the June 21 presidential run-off election over the Petro coalition’s candidate Senator Ivan Cepeda, alleging fraud without providing evidence. The conservative,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3359779/colombias-president-elect-suspends-transition-after-outgoing-leader-petros-fraud-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3359779/colombias-president-elect-suspends-transition-after-outgoing-leader-petros-fraud-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:47:37 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘I will sell to someone else’: Brazil’s Lula hits back at US after China beef win Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thanked China for clearing the country’s beef of foot-and-mouth disease and fired a barb at US President Donald Trump, saying “I will sell to someone else”,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3359081/aftermath-venezuelas-earthquake-china-colombia-ties-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3359081/aftermath-venezuelas-earthquake-china-colombia-ties-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:30:11 +0000 dpa dpa A British man has been arrested in Ecuador after the body of a woman was found inside a suitcase despite him telling The Sun newspaper that he was watching England at the time. Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith is alleged to have caused the death of 36-year-old Natalia Villalba in a flat in the Chico neighbourhood of Bogota, Colombia, on June 18, local authorities said. But the 46-year-old from Bournemouth reportedly rang The Sun a day before his arrest and said: “I was watching England vs Croatia on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358665/uk-man-arrested-after-womans-body-found-suitcase-colombia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358665/uk-man-arrested-after-womans-body-found-suitcase-colombia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jun 2026 12:29:16 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Venezuela has received offers of rescue teams and humanitarian aid from across the Americas, including from right-wing governments that had broken off diplomatic relations with Caracas less than two years ago, in the wake of this week’s deadly twin earthquakes. The quakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 and 39 seconds apart, struck the north of the country on Wednesday evening and were the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez declared a nationwide state... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358407/venezuela-earthquakes-draw-aid-governments-cut-ties-caracas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358407/venezuela-earthquakes-draw-aid-governments-cut-ties-caracas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jun 2026 22:52:32 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Beijing congratulated Colombia on its presidential run-off and said it would work with the incoming government of Abelardo de la Espriella, the far-right lawyer who has promised to pull the country back towards the United States. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun made the remarks on Monday, a day after a preliminary count put de la Espriella narrowly ahead of his leftist rival, Senator Ivan Cepeda. “China … congratulates Colombia on the smooth second round of presidential elections,” he... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3357972/china-signals-openness-colombias-trump-backed-president-elect-despite-us-tilt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3357972/china-signals-openness-colombias-trump-backed-president-elect-despite-us-tilt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:52:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A flamboyant US-backed lawyer who has never held public office narrowly won Colombia’s polarising presidential run-off on Sunday, swinging the country hard right and sparking violent protests. With almost all the votes counted, Abelardo de la Espriella held 49.66 per cent of the vote versus left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda’s 48.70 per cent. The 47-year-old’s slender win triggered demonstrations, but will ease ties with Washington and extend a regional right-wing wave centred on “iron fist” security... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3357850/trump-backed-candidate-wins-razor-tight-colombia-presidential-vote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3357850/trump-backed-candidate-wins-razor-tight-colombia-presidential-vote?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:54:57 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A deeply divided electorate will choose Colombia’s next president in a run-off on Sunday that pits a progressive against a conservative outsider, with both candidates tapping into fears of renewed internal conflict in the country. Voters will choose between businessman and lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda, a lawmaker and heir to the political movement of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, the nation’s first leftist leader. The two defeated nine other contenders in a May 31... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3357827/colombians-vote-president-amid-corruption-fears-polarisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3357827/colombians-vote-president-amid-corruption-fears-polarisation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2026 10:02:34 +0000 Igor Patrick,Dewey Sim Igor Patrick,Dewey Sim China accused the United States of using “invented allegations” to justify its terrorism case against Cuba, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio told senators he needed no new evidence to tie the island to violent leftist groups across the western hemisphere. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday that Washington could not justify its blockade and sanctions against the island, adding that the decades-old embargo had wrecked Cuba’s economy. “China firmly supports Cuba in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3356016/china-says-us-invented-terrorism-charges-justify-cuba-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3356016/china-says-us-invented-terrorism-charges-justify-cuba-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2026 21:51:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Colombia’s first-round presidential vote on Sunday triggered a run-off between a pro-Trump showman and a leftist philosopher-turned-senator, after a security-dominated campaign that has been the most violent in over a decade. Colombia’s electoral authority said right-wing hopeful Abelardo de la Espriella won 44 per cent of the vote, beating leftist favourite Ivan Cepeda with 41 per cent and a string of other candidates who trailed far behind. It was a stronger-than-expected showing for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3355473/colombian-voters-weigh-economic-reforms-against-right-wing-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3355473/colombian-voters-weigh-economic-reforms-against-right-wing-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 12:06:24 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Spanish court acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case, ordering the government to return more than 55 million euros (US$64 million) in wrongly imposed fines, according to a court document. The decision follows years of tax troubles in Spain for the Colombian superstar. The ruling relates to a dispute over the 2011 tax year in which Spanish authorities failed to prove that the singer was a resident of Spain, the Madrid-based court said in its decision. For a person to be considered a tax resident... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3354004/shakira-acquitted-spanish-court-tax-fraud-over-us64-million-be-returned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3354004/shakira-acquitted-spanish-court-tax-fraud-over-us64-million-be-returned?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 12:53:36 +0000 Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Beneath the shining white glaciers of the Andean mountains lie valuable deposits of gold, copper and molybdenum which, until recently, were off-limits to the mining companies that have set their eyes on these untapped minerals. That could be about to change, after legislators in Argentina agreed to amend the Glacier Law that has prohibited all mining and exploration activities in the country’s glacier regions since 2010. The legislation defined the country’s 16,000 glaciers – covering an area of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3352693/gold-vs-water-argentina-opens-glaciers-mining-what-cost-world-food-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3352693/gold-vs-water-argentina-opens-glaciers-mining-what-cost-world-food-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Colombian girl celebrating her 10th birthday was among three people crushed to death at a monster truck display when a vehicle veered out of control and ploughed into spectators, authorities said on Monday. Hellen Velarde was attending Sunday’s exhibition in the southwestern city of Popayan as a birthday gift when she was crushed by the truck in an incident that caused widespread anger. A second girl and a young woman were also killed, local media reported. Images circulating on social media... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3352422/birthday-girl-10-among-3-dead-colombia-monster-truck-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3352422/birthday-girl-10-among-3-dead-colombia-monster-truck-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 23:29:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The pace of tropical forest destruction slowed in 2025 after record losses the year before but remained at worrying levels equivalent to 11 football fields per minute, researchers said Wednesday. The world lost 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres) of tropical primary rainforest last year, down 36 per cent from 2024, said researchers from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the University of Maryland. “A drop of this scale in a single year is encouraging – it shows what decisive... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/article/3351895/tropical-rainforest-loss-eases-after-record-year-still-11-football-fields-minute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/article/3351895/tropical-rainforest-loss-eases-after-record-year-still-11-football-fields-minute?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:35:31 +0000 Wesley Morgan,Ben Newell Wesley Morgan,Ben Newell US President Donald Trump is a long-time climate denier and oil industry ally, who sums up his own energy policy as “drill, baby, drill”. Yet he is doing more than almost anyone to speed up the global shift from fossil fuels to clean energy and electric vehicles. After the US and Israel struck Iran in late February, Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz and triggered the largest disruption of oil supply in history. Ironically for Trump and his oil industry donors, this crisis may be an irreversible... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3351337/trumps-oil-crisis-accelerating-end-fossil-fuel-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3351337/trumps-oil-crisis-accelerating-end-fossil-fuel-era?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The death toll ⁠from an explosives ⁠attack on a highway ⁠in southwestern Colombia rose to 20 on Sunday, authorities said, as the government blamed a dissident faction of the former FARC guerrilla ‌group for the bombing. The attack happened on Saturday when an explosive device was detonated on a bus traveling along the Pan-American Highway in the municipality of Cajibio. So far, 15 women and five men are among the victims, according to Octavio Guzman, governor of the region of Cauca. He wrote on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3351446/explosive-device-kills-13-and-injures-38-bus-colombia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3351446/explosive-device-kills-13-and-injures-38-bus-colombia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:02:48 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Diamond-studded necklaces, golden pectorals and ceremonial small swords are among about 200 jewellery and decorative pieces, covering 4,000 years of history across five continents, to be showcased in Hong Kong from Wednesday. Titled “Treasures of Global Jewellery from the Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Body Transformed”, the show at the Hong Kong Palace Museum marks the US institute’s first major travelling showcase of its jewellery collection. About 200 exhibits have been selected from the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350059/met-museums-global-jewellery-exhibition-make-dazzling-hong-kong-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350059/met-museums-global-jewellery-exhibition-make-dazzling-hong-kong-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:18:01 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Peru’s Keiko Fujimori looked set to face a run-off against a conservative rival after a troubled first-round presidential election on Sunday marred by logistics foul-ups, police raids and allegations of fraud. First counts and exit polls showed the 50-year-old daughter of disgraced former president Alberto Fujimori ahead in the 35-candidate race, but she was well short of the 50 per cent needed to win outright. Her nearest rival was far-right Rafael “Porky” Lopez Aliaga – who has vowed to “hunt”... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3349823/peru-extends-voting-president-and-congress-amid-delays-polling-sites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3349823/peru-extends-voting-president-and-congress-amid-delays-polling-sites?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 21:56:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Peruvians will choose from a bewildering array of 35 presidential candidates this Sunday, electing the next leader of an Andean nation beset by crime and a string of short-lived, scandal-tainted presidencies. “Now any old person runs for office,” said 51-year-old teacher Jane Layza, pondering the plethora of presidential hopefuls, and how she will cast her ballot. A few in the field are well known – a popular male comic, the daughter of a brutal autocrat, and a former Lima mayor who likens... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3349325/peru-set-choose-bewildering-array-35-presidential-hopefuls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3349325/peru-set-choose-bewildering-array-35-presidential-hopefuls?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:12:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States has formally reopened its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, after the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country following the Trump administration’s removal of then-president Nicolas Maduro in early January. The State Department announced on Monday that it had resumed normal operations at the embassy in Caracas – which had been in need of significant repair, including remediation from mould – after a seven-year closure that began during US President... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3348456/us-reopens-embassy-venezuela-months-after-military-operation-remove-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3348456/us-reopens-embassy-venezuela-months-after-military-operation-remove-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:45:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Colombian military plane crashed in a take-off disaster on Monday, killing 66 people as rescuers shuttled dozens of survivors to nearby hospitals and searched for four who were still missing, according to a top official. The Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130 transport plane was carrying 128 people, including 11 Air Force members, 115 army personnel and two national police officers, according to ‌Hugo Alejandro Lopez, head of the nation’s armed forces. The death toll was nearly double that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3347639/dozens-soldiers-feared-dead-after-colombian-military-plane-crashes-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3347639/dozens-soldiers-feared-dead-after-colombian-military-plane-crashes-take?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:58:24 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words In 53 BC, General Surena of the Parthian empire handed Rome one of its most humiliating defeats in the Battle of Carrhae. Surena used horse archers to rain showers of arrows from a distance on the Romans, supported by a sophisticated camel-train logistics system that allowed for a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3345545/us-attacks-iran-ancient-battle-carrhae-offers-lessons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3345545/us-attacks-iran-ancient-battle-carrhae-offers-lessons?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Tuesday he had escaped an assassination attempt hours earlier, after months of warnings about an alleged plot by drug traffickers to target him. On Monday night, Petro’s helicopter was unable to land at his destination on the Caribbean coast because of fears that unspecified people “were going to shoot” at it, he said. “We headed out to open sea for four hours and I arrived somewhere we weren’t supposed to go, escaping from being killed,” Petro said in a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3343152/colombias-president-says-he-escaped-assassination-attempt-while-helicopter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3343152/colombias-president-says-he-escaped-assassination-attempt-while-helicopter?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 05:13:35 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Luckin Coffee, mainland China’s largest coffee chain by store count, marked its milestone 30,000th outlet on Sunday in Shenzhen, with plans to boost global supply chain integration by sourcing premium beans from top producing regions worldwide. Headquartered in Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian province, Luckin’s store network spans more than 300 cities nationwide, and its international footprint is expanding fast, with operations in overseas markets like Singapore, Malaysia and the US. It... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3342941/luckins-30000th-store-milestone-adds-buzz-chinas-brewing-coffee-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3342941/luckins-30000th-store-milestone-adds-buzz-chinas-brewing-coffee-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:04:28 +0000