Whilst many in Colombia think witness tampering is the least of Uribe’s offenses and liken it to Al Capone’s conviction for tax evasion, it is nonetheless a surprise, and a strong statement by the courts.

Conversely, we now have the extreme right crying foul about the rulings — this after weeks and months of bleating about the protection of the great institutions of Colombia, as Gustavo Petro criticized them on several fronts. The worm has apparently turned, and now social media is full of demands for freedom for Uribe and criticizing the legal system. Whilst predictably, the extreme Republicans in the US are already making noise, this is no ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ situation.

The issue again is polarization. We are still getting past the acidic attitudes surrounding the shooting of Miguel Uribe, and this won’t help as we move towards the 2026 elections.

Moving past politics, the Banco de la República — Colombia made what appears to be a perplexing decision to leave overnight rates unchanged at 9.25%. It was by a 4-3 majority, two voted for a 50bps cut. The reasons given were jumbled and included inflation concerns, even though there was a lower-than-expected reading just a few weeks ago.

Some analysts are suggesting it is due to the 2026 budget announced by Ministerio de Hacienda of $135 billion USD, an increase of 6.5% although $6.3 billion USD will be subject to a successful tax reform that has yet to be presented. This is perhaps bleeding into the central bank’s deficit concerns.

The Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística — DANE Colombia reported that unemployment continues to drop. June saw a national level of 8.6% (the lowest June reading in a decade) and the urban number at 8.3% (10.2%) — the lowest on record for June. Jobs added over the past 12 months totalled 800,000. Positive stuff, and one of the reasons why financial poverty is at record low levels.

Finally, after all the bluster and threats, tariffs with the US were set at 10% — but let’s see how long before Donald Trump’s next tantrum.

Have a spectacular Friday.

Regards Roops.

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Above photo: Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld (left) listens as President Álvaro Uribe (right) speaks to a group assembled at the Colombian presidential residence on August 19, 2003. (Photo by TSGT Andy Dunaway, U.S. Air Force)

Of the current cases, 75.2% are classified as dengue without warning signs, while 23.9% exhibit more severe symptoms. Additionally, 16 individuals have been diagnosed with severe dengue. The most affected age groups are children aged 10 to 14 and adolescents aged 15 to 19. Notably, nearly half of the cases are concentrated in neighborhoods such as Olaya Herrera, El Pozón, Ciudad Bicentenario, Nelson Mandela, and San José de los Campanos.

In severe cases, dengue can be fatal.

In response to the surge, DADIS has intensified fumigation efforts in high-incidence areas. Interventions have been conducted in 88,156 residences, covering approximately 40% of Cartagena’s population. These efforts are complemented by educational campaigns, reaching over 52,000 households and impacting 158,358 individuals. Residents are encouraged to maintain clean homes, eliminate standing water, and remove potential mosquito breeding sites.

DADIS Director Rafael Navarro España emphasized the city’s endemic status regarding dengue, highlighting the importance of ongoing interventions to prevent case complications. He stated, “We are in an endemic period. Cartagena is an endemic city, which means we will always have disease incidence and mosquitoes. Therefore, we must always try to intervene to prevent cases from becoming complicated.”

Concurrently, DADIS is formulating a comprehensive plan to mitigate dengue’s impact throughout 2025. In 2024, the “Que el dengue no se convierta en un dolor de cabeza” (“Don’t Let Dengue Become a Headache”) strategy led to preventive actions in 52,656 homes, affecting 187,538 individuals across the city’s three localities. Chemical control measures also targeted 88,156 residences, benefiting 354,084 community members.

Health authorities are currently investigating three potential dengue-related fatalities in Cartagena. The Pan American Health Organization has issued a regional alert due to the rising number of dengue cases, noting that Colombia, along with Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina, accounted for 90% of cases in 2024. According to the World Health Organization, about half of the world’s population is now at risk of dengue, with an estimated 100–400 million infections occurring each year.

Residents and visitors are urged to remain vigilant, use mosquito repellent, remove possible mosquito breeding areas, and collaborate with health officials to control the mosquito population and reduce the disease’s spread.

Headline Image: Dengue Fever in the city of Cartagena. Photo credit: DADIS Cartagena.