Events in the year 2021 in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

Incumbents

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Iván Duque Márquez Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulga ...

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

Marta Lucía Ramírez Marta Lucía Ramírez Blanco (born 4 July 1954) is a Colombian lawyer and politician who served as Vice President of Colombia from 2018 to 2022. She also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia. In 2018, Ramírez became the firs ...

Events

*Ongoing —

COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia The COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia is part of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have reached Colombia on 6 March 2020. Up to January 2022, fo ...

*Ongoing —

2021 Colombian protests A series of protests began in Colombia on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform proposed by the government of President Iván Duque Márquez. The tax initiative was introduced to expand funding to Ingreso Sol ...

January to March

*January 5 – General Luis Fernando Navarro says that illegal armed groups lost 5,120 members in 2020. The number includes deaths, capture, and desertions. He said the National Liberation Army (ELN) still has 2,450 members and

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army ( es, link=no, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de ColombiaEjército del Pueblo, FARC–EP or FARC) is a Marxist–Leninist guerrilla group involved in the continuing Colombian confl ...

(FARC) has 2,500. *January 17 – Scientists say the cocaine hippos in the Magdalena river basin are breeding voraciously and are an increasing menace so they must be

culled In biology, culling is the process of segregating organisms from a group according to desired or undesired characteristics. In animal breeding, it is the process of removing or segregating animals from a breeding stock based on a specific tr ...

. *January 25 **FARC changes its name to ''Comunes'' ("Commoners"). **Notorious

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

drug trafficker The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...

, and

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

r of young girls Hernán Giraldo Serna (“El Taladro”) finishes his sentence in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and returns to Colombia. *January 29 – 647 Haitian nationals, 23

Cubans Cubans ( es, Cubanos) are people born in Cuba and people with Cuban citizenship. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic, religious and national backgrounds. Racial and ethnic groups Census The population of Cuba ...

, and 19 migrants from African countries are stranded on a beach in Necoclí,

Antioquia Department ) , anthem = Himno de Antioquia , image_map = Antioquia in Colombia (mainland).svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Antioquia shown in red , image_ma ...

, hoping to pass through the

Darién Gap The Darién Gap (, , es, Tapón del Darién , ) is a geographic region between the North and South American continents within Central America, consisting of a large watershed, forest, and mountains in Panama's Darién Province and the norther ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

and the United States. *January 31 – Seven adults and seven children are killed and 16 people are missing after two boats collide near

Tumaco Tumaco is a port city and municipality in the Nariño Department, Colombia, by the Pacific Ocean. It is located on the southwestern corner of Colombia, near the border with Ecuador, and experiences a hot tropical climate. Tumaco is inhabited mai ...

, Nariño Department. *February 8 – Cuba warns of an attack on

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...

by the ELN in the "next few days." Mayor

Claudia López Hernández Claudia Nayibe López Hernández (born 9 March 1970) is a Colombian politician. She was a Senator of the Republic of Colombia and was the vice-presidential candidate in the 2018 presidential election for the Green Alliance party. In October ...

and Defense Minister

Diego Molano Vega Diego Molano Vega (born 6 October 1967) is former Minister of Information Technologies and Communications of Colombia. He was appointed as minister by President Juan Manuel Santos since 2010. Molano has led Colombia to become one of the top ...

say they take the threat seriously. *February 25 –

Juan Francisco Sarasti Jaramillo Juan Francisco Sarasti Jaramillo (30 July 1938 – 25 February 2021) was a Colombian Roman Catholic archbishop. Biography Sarasti Jaramillo was born in Cali, Colombia and was ordained to the priesthood in 1963. He served as titular bishop of ...

, 82, archbishop of

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cali The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cali ( la, Archidioecesis Caliensis) is an archdiocese located in the city of Cali in Colombia. History * 7 June 1910: Established as Diocese of Cali from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Popayán * 20 June 196 ...

(2002–2011); COVID-19. *March 3 – Ten former members of FARC are killed in a

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

bombing on Calamar, Guaviare. Three “

dissidents A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 20th ...

” are captured. *March 10 – A 26-year-old woman and her 4-year-old daughter are killed in a

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...

in Siloé,

Cali Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,227,642 residents according to the 2018 census. The city spans with of urban area, making Cali the second ...

. *March 27 – A

car bomb A car bomb, bus bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roughly divided ...

explodes in

Corinto, Cauca Corinto is a town and municipality in the Cauca Department Cauca Department (, es, Departamento del Cauca) is a Department of Southwestern Colombia. Located in the southwestern part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the ...

, injuring eleven. A later report indicates 43 were injured. *March 30 – The

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

sets up a camp in

Arauquita Arauquita is a town and municipality in the Arauca Department Arauca () is a department of Eastern Colombia located in the extreme north of the Orinoco Basin of Colombia (the Llanos Orientales), bordering Venezuela. The southern boundary o ...

Arauca, Arauca Arauca is a municipality and capital city of the Arauca Department of Colombia. Its full name is Villa de Santa Bárbara de Arauca, it is located at N 07° 05′ 25″ - W 70° 45′ 42″. The Municipality of Arauca has a total population of ...

for 4,700

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

s from

Apure Apure State ( es, Estado Apure, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Its territory formed part of the provinces of Mérida, Maracaibo, and Barinas, in accordance with successive territorial ordinations pronounced by the colonial author ...

, Venezuela.

April to June

*28 April - present -

Deaths

January to March

*1 January – Pablo Hernández, racing cyclist (born 1940). *2 January – Laura Weinstein, transexual activist; respiratory complications. *11 January – Luis Adriano Piedrahita, 74, Roman Catholic bishop and theologian; COVID-19; (b. 1946) *12 January – Álvaro Mejía, long-distance runner (born 1940). *14 January – Antún Castro Urrutia, 74, musician and actor. *15 January –

Gildardo García Gildardo García (9 March 1954 – 15 January 2021) was a Colombian chess grandmaster. Biography García became Colombia's second Grandmaster in 1992. His highest rating was 2540 (in July 1994) and he was ranked 14th in Colombia at the time of ...

, chess player (born 1954). *21 January – Calixto Avena, 77, footballer; COVID-19. *26 January –

Carlos Holmes Trujillo Carlos Holmes Trujillo García (23 September 1951 – 26 January 2021) was a Colombian Political family, dynasty politician, diplomat, scholar, and attorney who served as minister of defense, foreign affairs, interior, and education. He also se ...

, 69, politician,

Defense Minister A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

; COVID-19. *27 January – Bertulfo Álvarez, 69, guerrilla fighter (

Caribbean Bloc of the FARC-EP The Caribbean Bloc of the FARC-EP was a medium-sized FARC-EP bloc which operated in the northern areas of Colombia and along the Caribbean coast, with routes and access to the coast being strategically important, and was thus sometimes referred to ...

). *2 February ** Héctor Epalza Quintero, 80, Bishop of

Roman Catholic Diocese of Buenaventura The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buenaventura ( la, Bonaventuren(sis)) is a Latin suffragan diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Cali in Colombia, yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Its cathedr ...

(2004–2017). **Yordan Guetio, social activist in

; murdered. *17 February – Beder Guerra Gutiérrez, 67, journalist. *21 February –

Mireya Arboleda Maria Mireya Arboleda Cadavid (1928 – February 21, 2021) was a Colombian classical pianist. Early career and education Maria Mireya Arboleda Cadavid was born in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia in 1928 to Fernando Arboleda López, the may ...

, 92, classical pianist. *23 February – Herbin Hoyos, 53, journalist and broadcaster (''Las voces del secuestro'') who was in exile in Spain; COVID-19. *28 February –

Jorge Oñate Jorge Antonio Oñate González (31 March 1949 – 28 February 2021) was a Colombian singer and composer, one of the most renowned of the vallenato musical genre. As of 2004 and since the beginning of his career in 1968 he had achieved 25 gold d ...

, 71,

vallenato Vallenato () or "Szlager" in Wayuu language (from the German "Schlager"), is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. ''Vallenato'' literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing th ...

singer; complications from COVID-19. *2 March – Telma Barria Pinzón, diplomat (

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

of Panama in Colombia); drowned *24 March –

Pedro Saúl Morales Pedro Saúl Morales (1 October 1959 – 24 March 2021) was a Colombian racing cyclist. He rode in seven Grand Tours In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour is one of the three major European professional cycling stage races: Giro d'Italia, ...

, 61, racing cyclist; heart attack. *29 March –

Antonio Caro Antonio José Caro Lopera (10 December 1950 – 29 March 2021) was a Colombian conceptual artist who created works since the late 1960s. He typically used non-traditional forms to create politically and socially charged critiques of Colombian is ...

, 71, conceptual artist; heart failure.

April to June

*11 April - Guillermo Berrio, 53, footballer; cardiac arrest *14 April - Eduardo Enríquez Maya, 72, politician; COVID-19 *1 May -

José Daniel Falla Robles José Daniel Falla Robles (7 October 1956 – 1 May 2021) was a Colombian Roman Catholic bishop. Biography Falla Robles was born in Colombia and ordained to the priesthood in 1992. He served as titular bishop of ''Calama'' and as auxiliary bi ...

, 65, bishop; COVID-19 *13 May - Pablo Uribe, 90, Olympic fencer *17 May -

Jesús Santrich Seuxis Pausias Hernández Solarte, aka Jesús Santrich (31 July 1967 – 17 May 2021) was a guerrilla leader of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People's Army (FARC–EP). He was a member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia unti ...

, 54,

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

; murdered *26 May - Arturo de Jesús Correa Toro, 80, bishop; COVID-19

References

{{South America topic, 2021 in

2020s in Colombia Years of the 21st century in Colombia