Magdalena: River of Dreams, A Story of Colombia, is a captivating and essential book from Wade Davis--renowned, award-winning, bestselling author and photographer, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence for more than a decade-- that brings vividly to life the story of the great Río Magdalena, illuminating Colombia's complex past, present, an…

In this episode of the Colombia Calling podcast, Karol Lopez of the Fundación Las Fuertes joins Richard McColl and Emily Hart to discuss the misconceptions surrounding the onset of menstruation and the societal expectations placed on young girls as they transition into womanhood, especially in a country like Colombia. Lopez challenges the narrative…

In this episode of the Colombia Calling podcast, host Richard McColl interviews Dutch journalist Robert Friele about his book on the Pizarro family, exploring their significant role in Colombian history and politics. The conversation delves into the storied family's legacy, the political landscape of Colombia, and the unique characteristics of the …

In this episode of the Colombia Calling podcast, host Richard McColl engages with academics David Anderson (Associate Professor in Analytics at Villanova University in PA) and Galia Benitez (Associate Professor of International Relations at Michigan State University) to discuss their research on using Large Language Models (LLMs) to analyse violenc…

Where is Matavén, you may well ask? So, this week on the Colombia Calling podcast, we discuss an award-winning community tourism project with people of the Piaroa indigenous community and the Colombian Project. Joining us on the podcast is Camilo Ortega, product manager of the Colombian Project. The Matavén Jungle is the fourth largest Indigenous R…

In this second part of our conversation with Oliver Treviso, we explore his experiences in the final two countries of Colombia and Venezuela. By all accounts, Colombia and Venezuela were believed to be the most risky countries to hike the Andes in, but what did Oliver experience? And so, Richard McColl of the Colombia Calling podcast continues his …

I came into this conversation thinking that I'd be chatting about the trivialities of an expedition through South America and I left in a state of absolute disbelief and awe. Oliver Treviso is a fascinating and incredible individual who has become the first person ever to hike the length of the Andes through Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador…

This week, Colombia's special peace tribunal, the JEP, handed down its first sentences to the soldiers who murdered and framed civilians to boost military statistics – killings which came to be known as the 'false positives.' The court has ordered those who committed atrocities to work on community projects, to build works in the territories where …

Cartagena is the eternal city of Colombian tourism. The Old City, the UNESCO World Heritage ramparts and colonial streets are protected from the ills befalling contemporary Colombia and so, this picturesque and sophisticated destination, with direct international flights from Europe and the United States, is frequently adorning the covers of glossy…

Following fast in the footsteps of Episode 1: "Alvaro Uribe the Early Years and Rise to Power, 1952-1994," Adriaan Alsema of Colombia Reports and myself have now completed Episode 2 for you of this series entitled: "The Hidden History of Alvaro Uribe," part 2. All Colombia-watchers are well aware of the polarising nature of the former two-time pres…

In this episode of the Colombia Calling podcast, Richard McColl and Emily Hart engage with Professor Nicolas Forsans of the University of Essex, a Latin America specialist, to discuss the multifaceted issues facing Latin American cities, including violence, inequality, urbanization, and gentrification. Together, they explore the historical context …

This week, Emily Hart speaks to Lucas Marin Llanes - the director of development at the Latin American Drug Studies Network, and a research affiliate at the Andes University's Center for Security and Drugs Studies (CESED). There are already some allowances for personal and medicinal use, but last month, Lucas and CESED proposed a whole new framewor…

This week, Emily Hart speaks to Abby Reyes – human rights lawyer, environmental activist and author, as well as Director of Community Resilience Projects at the University of California. Abby was inextricably drawn into Colombian history in 1999 by the murder of her partner, Terence Freitas. Terence was kidnapped and killed by the FARC guerrilla, a…

In this episode of the Colombia Calling podcast, host Richard McColl discusses the upcoming elections in Colombia with Sergio Guzmán and Isy Hawes from Colombia Risk Analysis. They delve into the political landscape, the challenges of analyzing the elections, the key candidates, and the impact of security concerns. The conversation also touches on …

This week, Emily Hart speaks to multi-award-winning translator Frank Wynne about Latin America's most beloved cartoon - Mafalda - and how he brought her to life in English. Dubbed 'a hero of our time' by Italian philosopher Umberto Eco and 'Charlie Brown with Socialism' by the New York Times, Mafalda is a precocious six-year-old girl living in 1960…

Blending travel writing, history and reportage, our guest on this week's Colombia Calling podcast is award-winning journalist and author Shafik Meghji who tells a tale of footballers and pirates, nitrate kings and wool barons, polar explorers and cowboys, missionaries and radical MPs. From a ghost town in one of the world's driest deserts to a far-…

In order to understand the issue of the cocaine trade in Colombia, we need to look at three factors: 1. Drugs Policy as a Geopolitical tool. 2. Markets: A Political Economic issue. 3. Narratives: the Myth of the Narco. On the Colombia Calling podcast this week we speak to Estefanía Ciro Rodríguez, expert on drug politics, the cocaine economy and th…

This conversation on the Colombia Calling podcast delves into the complexities of the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization that has evolved significantly over the years. Chris Dalby, an expert on organized crime, discusses the origins of the gang, its relationship with the Venezuelan government, and how it has adapted to the migration…

In this episode of the Colombia Calling podcast, host Richard McColl speaks with Andres Gomez Suarez about his new book 'We Are Not Made of Sugar', which reflects on his childhood experiences during the violence in Colombia, particularly the genocide of the Patriotic Union. They discuss the importance of memory work, reconciliation, and the ongoing…

When British foreign correspondent Richard McColl purchased, on a whim, a ruined colonial building in the rural Colombian town of Mompós, he imagined a lifestyle of relaxation, with idle afternoons reading the works of Gabriel García Márquez, writing glib observations and enjoying the hypnotic momentum of a Caribbean tropical narrative, swaying in …

Few figures in Latin American politics polarize opinion like Colombia's former president, Álvaro Uribe. Right now, Uribe, Colombia's president from 2002 to 2010, faces charges of bribery, procedural fraud, and bribery in a judicial proceeding. Prosecutors must determine whether he instigated others to manipulate witness testimony in an attempt to m…

Remember the story that made the headlines for several weeks about the four Huitoto children, lost for forty days in the Colombian Amazon after the aircraft they were travelling in crashed? Well, our friend Mat Youkee has written the definitive book on this event, a triumph of the human spirit and survival, but he also delves into the history of th…

Former DEA agent Chris Feistl and literary collaborator Jessica Balboni discuss the new book: "After Escobar: Taking Down the Notorious Cali Godfathers and the Biggest Drug Cartel in History," on the Colombia Calling podcast with Richard McColl and Emily Hart. Arriving in Colombia in 1994, a year after Pablo Escobar had been killed, Chris Feistl wa…

La Escombrera, a vast rubble pile overlooking Medellín, is considered to be Colombia's largest urban mass grave. Its excavation this year has unearthed the remains of people whose families have been searching for them for decades. Earlier this month, it was announced that the excavation there is being expanded. Some hope that what is found in that …

Heather Luna, a native of Michigan with strong ties to Colombia, spent a significant time in the UK before moving to Tabio. Since then, she has been working remotely offering consultations, consulting and workshops and showing people the value of collaboration and solidarity. Her work has embraced questions of identity - including her own -, enviro…