William Neuman
Monday, September 28, 2015 - 06:07
When President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia met with the leader of his country’s largest guerrilla group this week to seal the outline of a deal to end more than five decades of war, he received an unsettling shock. At the last minute, he said, the rebel leader, Rodrigo Londoño, tried to back out of a crucial part of the newly negotiated framework.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015 - 06:06
For nearly a week, gun-toting masked men loyal to a local drug gang overran this small city along a key smuggling route. Police officers and soldiers stood by as the gunmen patrolled the streets, searching for rivals and hauling off at least 14 men who have not been seen since.
Monday, July 13, 2015 - 07:12
While Pope Francis has positioned himself quickly as a global figure, weighing in on major issues like climate change and poverty, he faced expectations in returning to his native continent that he also would dive into specific, largely local disputes — something no pope is eager to do.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - 07:02
Many generals and other high-ranking officers in Colombia’s armed forces may have known about a pattern of soldiers killing civilians and passing off the deaths as guerrilla casualties in the campaign against rebel insurgencies, according to a report to be released on Wednesday.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015 - 07:02
Many Colombian farmers have traded in their coca for other crops, growing cacao (for making chocolate), corn and plantains, while also raising cattle for milk and meat. The effort has suddenly gained new urgency, given the government’s decision last month to halt a longstanding American-backed campaign to kill coca crops with aerial spraying.
Friday, May 15, 2015 - 06:38
The government of Colombia on Thursday night rejected a major tool in the American-backed antidrug campaign — ordering a halt to the aerial spraying of the country’s vast illegal plantings of coca, the crop used to make cocaine, citing concerns that the spray causes cancer.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - 05:52
Colombia’s Health Ministry has recommended halting the spraying of an herbicide widely used in an American-funded campaign to eradicate crops of coca, the plant used to make cocaine.
Friday, April 17, 2015 - 07:45
In the last few months, the rebels had declared a unilateral cease-fire, pledging to stop carrying out attacks, and had promised to stop recruiting child fighters. The two sides had even agreed to work together to find and destroy the thousands of land mines littering Colombia after five decades of war.
Monday, February 2, 2015 - 07:05
The Venezuelan defense minister, Vladimir Padrino, said that the plane had taken off from the southern state of Apure, which is a regular loading point for drug flights. “Our aircraft intercepted and it did not follow orders and, well, it was disabled,” he said, adding that the encounter took place over Venezuela’s territorial waters.
Thursday, December 4, 2014 - 06:43
After the release of an army general captured by rebel fighters, the government of Colombia and the country’s largest guerrilla group said on Wednesday that they would soon resume peace talks.