The outcome of Colombia’s 2022 presidential election came from a very unorthodox place, with each of the final two contenders distancing himself from warmongers on all sides of the political spectrum.

Latin America is taking Barbie mania to an extreme, with everything from pink-colored tacos and pastries, commercial planes bearing the Barbie logo, political ads, and even Barbie-themed protests.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó said he was expelled from Colombia hours after he crossed the border from Venezuela to try to meet with some participants at an international conference Tuesday to discuss his country’s political crisis.

A wrap-up of the most important and interesting Latino news items from the past week

A rundown of the Latino-centric news from the first week of the new year.

Senior editor Hector Luis Alamo gives a rundown of some of the facts, bits of news, real histories, and actual lies he came across during the past week.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Monday announced his intention to fully open the border crossings with Colombia starting January 1, a measure repeatedly postponed following the restoration of diplomatic and commercial ties between the South American neighbors.

A group of 16 municipalities filed a lawsuit on November 22 against multiple Big Oil companies for downplaying the risks of their fossil-fuel products on climate change.

Colombia wants the Biden administration to grant temporary legal status to its citizens now living in the United States, noting its own efforts to address regional migration by hosting two million Venezuelans who fled their homes.

The Government of Mexico plans to file a second lawsuit against U.S. companies it alleges are responsible for the flow of illegal weapons into the country, Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard announced last Wednesday.

Colombia’s first left-wing president and its first Black woman vice-president were sworn in, representing a landmark change of course in leadership. Latino Rebels attended the inauguration and spoke with the people about their hopes for the new administration.

Colombia’s first leftist president was sworn into office Sunday, promising to fight inequality and bring peace to a country long haunted by bloody feuds between the government, drug traffickers, and rebel groups.

The Bogotá-born musician sits with Latino Rebels in New York to discuss Bomba Estéreo’s hit collaboration with Puerto Rican reggaetonero Bad Bunny, “Ojitos Lindos,” Colombian music, and the duende myth that features in the group’s new film.

Latino Rebels Radio: June 23, 2022

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — As Colombia’s voters put aside a longtime antipathy to leftists and chose one as their new president, they also carved out another milestone—electing the country’s first Black vice president.

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Former rebel Gustavo Petro narrowly won a runoff election over a political outsider millionaire Sunday, ushering in a new era of politics for Colombia by becoming the country’s first leftist president.

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — The final round of Colombia’s presidential election is scheduled for Sunday, June 19 and the clear winner is still difficult to determine. The latest polls predict a statistical tie between two candidates who embody different ideologies but still promise change.

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Colombian voters opted for a dramatic change in presidential politics, choosing a leftist former rebel and an outsider populist businessman to advance to a runoff election in June amid hopes a new face can pull them out of the economic damage from the pandemic.

On Sunday, May 29, Gustavo Petro plants to make history in Colombia. For the first time in the country’s 200-year history, a left-wing contender —and a former guerrilla member to boot— is the favorite to win a presidential election this close to the vote.

Leading presidential candidate Gustavo Petro announced Wednesday that the Black environmentalist lawyer Francia Márquez will serve as his running mate in May’s presidential elections. Márquez is the first Black woman to run in presidential elections in Colombia’s history.

Colombians voted for a new congress on Sunday and also cast ballots in presidential primaries to choose party candidates for the May presidential contest, as the country held its first elections since the coronavirus pandemic began two years ago.