Colombia News - September 4, 2025

BOGOTÁ - President Gustavo Petro continued his diplomatic tour in Japan today, holding a summit meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, decarbonization, and people-to-people exchanges, with Petro urging the acceleration of an Economic Partnership Agreement to boost Colombian exports such as green coffee and fresh flowers into the Japanese market and facilitate Japanese investment in Colombia.

TAUSA - Official figures released today showed a sharp decline in Colombia’s coal exports, which plunged by 45.8 percent year-on-year in July, dropping from USD 885.8 million to USD 479.8 million. The fall follows global price pressures driven by increased Indonesian production and President Petro’s recent decree banning coal sales to Israel as part of his broader green energy agenda.

NEW YORK - In a televised address ahead of this month’s United Nations General Assembly, President Petro announced that Colombia will propose the creation of an armed UN peacekeeping force for Palestine. He framed the proposal as a moral imperative to halt civilian suffering in Gaza, emphasizing Colombia’s readiness to contribute troops once the force is approved by a majority vote in the Assembly.

META REGION - Two soldiers from the Colombian army’s anti-drug unit were seriously injured today after being doused with gasoline and set on fire during an operation targeting a suspected narcotics camp in the jungle. The military confirmed the troops have been evacuated to a regional hospital and launched a manhunt for the assailants, believed to be members of a local guerrilla narcotrafficking group.