Colombia declares itself unable to cope with growing Venezuelan migration

Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo emphasized the need for a multilateral fund and the appointment of a special envoy within the UN framework to address the Venezuelan migration crisis. He highlighted the urgency of documenting migrants and characterizing the migratory flow. Trujillo announced plans to declare an economic and social emergency in La Guajira to implement emergency measures to manage the crisis. Despite increasing national resources and institutional response capacity, Colombia is unable to successfully cope with the daily influx of migrants from Venezuela, leading President Duque to insist on recognizing the regional migration crisis and advancing international financial mechanisms.

Colombia: President-elect seeks unity after divisive vote

Iván Duque Márquez of the Centro Democrático party has been elected as the new president of Colombia, defeating Gustavo Petro of the Colombia Humana movement. The election results were announced swiftly by the Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil, with Duque receiving 53.97% of the vote. Duque, who will be 42 years old on August 1, becomes the third youngest president in Colombian history and received the highest number of votes ever in a Colombian election. Political analyst Jairo Libreros discussed the implications of Duque's presidency for Colombia's relations with the United States and Venezuela, without anticipating major changes.

Peace Agreement Detractors Dominate Elections in Colombia

In Colombia's legislative elections, conservative parties critical of the peace agreement with FARC gained ground, while President Santos' party suffered losses. FARC's political agenda was overwhelmingly rejected, with their candidates receiving less than 0.5% of the vote. Álvaro Uribe's Centro Democrático is set to become the largest bloc in the Senate, and his chosen presidential candidate, Iván Duque, won conservative primaries. The results suggest a tight presidential race ahead, with potential coalitions forming. Candidates supporting the peace agreement, such as Humberto de la Calle and Sergio Fajardo, face pressure to unite, while left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro also emerged as a strong contender.

Confirmation of Venezuelan National Guard Members Entering Colombia

Residents of San Martín in Paraguachón reported that members of the Venezuelan National Guard entered Colombian territory aggressively and without justification, robbing locals of cellphones and money. The Governor of La Guajira, Weildler Guerra, and the department's police commander confirmed the incident. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López denied these claims, suggesting they might be provocations to create false positives.