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These are the trending news headlines in Colombia on Tuesday March 14, 2023

The Gulf Clan criminal group has been accused by President Gustavo Petro of violating a ceasefire agreement by attacking an aqueduct during protests by illegal gold miners. The protests resulted in roadblocks that affected up to 300,000 people across 12 municipalities in Colombia’s Antioquia and Cordoba provinces, causing shortages of fuel, food, and medicine. The Gulf Clan reached a truce with the government last year as part of Petro’s “total peace” plan to end nearly 60 years of armed conflict. However, negotiations between the government and illegal miners have not yet resulted in a deal, and the Gulf Clan continues to encourage attacks against medical facilities, vandalism, and roadblocks. Meanwhile, the military has stepped up operations to secure the region, blowing up four excavators used in illegal gold mining in the Cauca River over the weekend. The Gulf Clan is known to be behind a significant portion of the drugs exported from Colombia, the world’s largest producer of cocaine.

Bolivia and Colombia, two of the world's largest cocaine suppliers, are urging the United Nations to remove coca leaf from its list of prohibited substances. The countries argue that the leaf has many uses unrelated to narcotics, such as in teas and medicines, and that it is a fundamental part of their culture and Indigenous rights. However, the lengthy process requires the UN's World Health Organization to study coca's nonnarcotic benefits first. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who backs the campaign, has criticized the US-backed war on drugs and its impact on poor coca farmers. While expectations were high, neither country has revealed their plans to propose the legalization of the coca leaf. Meanwhile, coca cultivation reached record highs last year, raising concerns about increased production and trafficking of cocaine.

Binance, the cryptocurrency exchange, is partnering with Mastercard to launch its prepaid card in Colombia. The Binance Card is issued by Movii and allows users in the country to make purchases and pay bills with cryptocurrencies. Colombia is the third country in Latin America to support the product, following releases in Argentina last year and Brazil in January. The card can be funded with any of the 12 supported cryptocurrencies and merchants will be paid in fiat. The card doesn't directly connect to Binance's customer account but can be managed via a dashboard on the exchange's app and website. Latin America is the world's fifth-largest region for cryptocurrency adoption.

For more trending news headlines in Colombia, simply search ‘Auscast Colombia News Headlines’ in your favourite podcast app. 

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