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The Venezuelans fleeing to Colombia to avoid fighting

Thousands of Venezuelans have fled their country in the past month. They are running away from intense armed clashes which involve Venezuela’s army and Colombia’s rebel groups.
 

Coronavirus and the challenges for Colombia's remote communities

 

The Colombian coastal town Tumaco wasn't prepared for the pandemic. The intensive care unit was only built AFTER COVID-19 had reached the city and infected thousands. Far from the capital Bogota, the population here has never been the focus of government decisions.

Colombians starve as funds to combat COVID-19 crisis embezzled

Colombia’s government has announced that its lockdown will be extended for another two weeks until May 11. The country has so far managed to slow the rise of infections but already has more than 4,000 cases and almost 200 deaths. But, as Al Jazeera's Alessandro Rampietti reports, people are going hungry in Bogota. With the local and the national government struggling to reach all those in need, many have resorted to hanging red rags from their windows to signal they need help.

Why Colombia is losing the cocaine war

Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine and the US is the largest consumer of the drug. Cocaine comes from the leaf of the coca plant which is harvested and processed in Colombia. Despite the Colombian government’s effort to eradicate the plant, coca cultivation is at an all time high. In this episode we go deep into the cocaine economy and discover why this problem is so hard to solve.

How this drug lord created a hippo problem in Colombia

Drug lord Pablo Escobar smuggled four hippos into his own personal zoo during the 1980’s. But wild hippos are usually only native to Africa and their escape after Escobar’s death has left Colombia with an unexpected problem. Due to reproduction, there are now dozens roaming around one of the country’s rivers.

Why Colombia has taken in 1 million Venezuelans

Colombia is currently dealing with a massive wave of refugees coming from Venezuela. Venezuelans are fleeing their home because of a severe economic crisis under President Nicolas Maduro. There are high inflation rates and there isn’t enough food available for people within Venezuela to even eat. Thousands of Venezuelans cross the Simon Bolivar bridge located at Cúcuta every day and Colombia doesn’t seem to be turning anyone way. This borders episode looks at why Colombia doesn’t turn away these refugees, the shared history of the two nations