John Otis
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Even though COVID-19 deaths are spiking and the country is climbing out of a deep economic downturn, the president has proposed new taxes. Colombians are defying restrictions by protesting.
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The country is the top flower exporter to the U.S. When the pandemic hit, farmers feared they'd have to destroy flower beds and lay off thousands of workers. Here's why that didn't happen.
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The Supreme Court orders house arrest as it investigates whether he had a role in a scheme to bribe witnesses in a case involving right-wing paramilitary death squads.
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The most dramatic case occurred earlier this month when a scramble to steal gasoline ended in a hellish fireball. Other recent incidents involved residents pilfering a humanitarian aid vehicle.
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Seeking ways to boost to its economy, Colombia has set aside three tax-free shopping days this summer. Critics fear they could become super spreader events for the coronavirus.
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The governor of Amazonas, Colombia, says it was impossible to cut the area off from Brazil, even as the virus spiked. Now the Colombian border town of Leticia is a coronavirus hot spot.
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"It's not just city hall that has to act. You have to promote solidarity among neighbors," says a mayor who encourages residents sheltering in place to hang red rags so others will know to help them.
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Colombian officials say 12,000 Venezuelans have taken buses back to their home country since Colombia imposed restrictions to stop the coronavirus outbreak. Many other Venezuelans are fleeing on foot.
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Hospitals and doctors are overwhelmed. So are funeral homes and cemeteries. "You feel powerless," said one doctor tending to 200 patients.