2021 in Colombia

Decades:	2000s; 2010s; 2020s; ; ;
See also:	Other events of 2021; Timeline of Colombian history;

Events in the year 2021 in Colombia.

Incumbents

Events

Continuous— COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia

January

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 (FARC) has 2,500.^[1]
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.^[2]
January 25
- FARC changes its name to Comunes ("Commoners").^[3]
- Notorious paramilitary commander, drug trafficker, and sexual abuser of young girls Hernán Giraldo Serna ("El Taladro") finishes his sentence in the United States and returns to Colombia.^[4]
January 29 – 647 Haitian nationals, 23 Cubans, and 19 migrants from African countries are stranded on a beach in Necoclí, Antioquia Department, hoping to pass through the Darién Gap to Panama and, eventually, the United States.^[5]
January 31 – Seven adults and seven children are killed and 16 people are missing after two boats collide near Tumaco, Nariño Department.^[6]

February

February 8 – Cuba warns of an attack on Bogotá by the ELN in the "next few days." Mayor Claudia López Hernández and Defense Minister Diego Molano Vega say they take the threat seriously.^[7]
February 25 – Juan Francisco Sarasti Jaramillo, 82, archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cali (2002–2011); COVID-19.^[8]

March

March 3 – Ten former members of FARC are killed in a military bombing on Calamar, Guaviare. Three "dissidents" are captured.^[9]
March 10 – A 26-year-old woman and her 4-year-old daughter are killed in a landslide in Siloé, Cali.^[10]
March 27 – A car bomb explodes in Corinto, Cauca, injuring eleven.^[11] A later report indicates 43 were injured.^[12]
March 30 – The government sets up a camp in Arauquita, Arauca, Arauca for 4,700 refugees from Apure, Venezuela.^[13]

April

April 28 – The 2021 Colombian protests against tax increases begin.

May

June

July

August

September

September 27 -– Gásper, a rescue dog at the Bogotá Fire Department's Puente Aranda station, goes missing during a search operation at Guadalupe Hill. His disappearance receives much local, national news coverage and sympathy from the public. He is found 2 days later on the 29th.^[14]

October

November

December

Deaths

January

1 January – Pablo Hernández, racing cyclist (born 1940).^[15]^[16]
2 January – Laura Weinstein, transexual activist; respiratory complications.^[17]
11 January – Luis Adriano Piedrahita, 74, Roman Catholic bishop and theologian; COVID-19;^[18] (b. 1946)
12 January – Álvaro Mejía, long-distance runner (born 1940).^[19]
14 January – Antún Castro Urrutia, 74, musician and actor.^[20]
15 January – Gildardo García, chess player (born 1954).^[21]
21 January – Calixto Avena, 77, footballer; COVID-19.^[22]
26 January – Carlos Holmes Trujillo, 69, politician, Defense Minister; COVID-19.^[23]
27 January – Bertulfo Álvarez, 69, guerrilla fighter (Caribbean Bloc of the FARC-EP).^[24]

February

2 February
- Héctor Epalza Quintero, 80, Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Buenaventura (2004–2017).^[25]
- Yordan Guetio, social activist in Corinto, Cauca; murdered.^[26]
17 February – Beder Guerra Gutiérrez, 67, journalist.^[27]
21 February – Mireya Arboleda, 92, classical pianist.^[28]
23 February – Herbin Hoyos, 53, journalist and broadcaster (Las voces del secuestro) who was in exile in Spain; COVID-19.^[29]
28 February – Jorge Oñate, 71, vallenato singer; complications from COVID-19.^[30]

March

2 March – Telma Barria Pinzón, diplomat (consul of Panama in Colombia); drowned^[31]
24 March – Pedro Saúl Morales, 61, racing cyclist; heart attack.^[32]
29 March – Antonio Caro, 71, conceptual artist; heart failure.^[33]

April

11 April - Guillermo Berrio, 53, footballer; cardiac arrest^[34]
14 April - Eduardo Enríquez Maya, 72, politician; COVID-19^[35]

May

1 May - José Daniel Falla Robles, 65, bishop; COVID-19^[36]
13 May - Pablo Uribe, 90, Olympic fencer^[37]
17 May - Jesús Santrich, 54, revolutionary; murdered^[38]
26 May - Arturo de Jesús Correa Toro, 80, bishop; COVID-19^[39]

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

References

^ Acosta, Luis Jaime; Griffin, Oliver (January 5, 2021). Baum, Bernadette (ed.). "Colombia's illegal armed groups lost more than 5,000 members in 2020 -military commander". Reuters. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
^ Charles, Matthew (January 17, 2021). "Colombia's rapidly breeding 'cocaine hippos' must be stopped, scientists say". news.yahoo.com. The Telegraph. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
^ "Former Colombian guerrillas shed their decades-old name". news.yahoo.com. AP. January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
^ "Some Colombians fear ex-paramilitary leader deported from US". AP NEWS. 25 January 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^ "Colombia reports almost 700 migrants stranded in Caribbean region". Reuters. 29 January 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
^ "Colombia boat disaster: Search continues for missing". BBC News. February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
^ "Bogota taking rebel attack threat 'very seriously': mayor". msn.com. AFP. February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
^ Monseñor Juan Francisco Sarasti, arzobispo emérito de Cali, falleció hoy a sus 82 años a causa de Covid 19 (in Spanish)
^ "Ten rebels killed, three captured in Colombia military bombing". Reuters. 3 March 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
^ "Madre e hija de 4 años murieron en deslizamiento de tierra en Siloé, Cali". infobae (in European Spanish). March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
^ "At least 16 injured in Colombia car bomb blast". news.yahoo.com. Reuters. March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
^ "Atentado con coche bomba deja 43 personas heridas en Colombia". jornada.com.mx (in Spanish). La Jornada. March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
^ "Casi 5 mil venezolanos cruzaron la frontera por los combates y Colombia instalará un centro de atención para migrantes". infobae (in European Spanish). March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
^ "Los personajes que tuvieron su cuarto de hora en el 2021 en Bogotá" [The characters who had their fifteen minutes of fame in 2021 in Bogotá]. El Tiempo. 31 December 2021. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
^ "Falleció el excampeón Pablo Hernández". eje21.com.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 January 2021.
^ "Pablo Hernández". olympedia.org. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
^ "El legado de Laura Weinstein para la población trans en Colombia". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 2 January 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
^ "Luto en la iglesia: obispo de Santa Marta y sacerdote en Cartagena, las más recientes víctimas del Covid-19". infobae (in European Spanish). January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
^ "Álvaro Mejía". olympedia.org. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
^ Murió el compositor y actor chocoano Antún Castro (in Spanish)
^ "Luto en el ajedrez colombiano: muere el Gran Maestro Gildardo García". eltiempo.com (in Spanish). 15 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
^ Calixto Avena, exportero de selección Colombia, falleció por secuelas del covid (in Spanish)
^ "Colombia's defense minister dies from COVID-19 at age 69". AP NEWS. 26 January 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^ Muere "Bertulfo Álvarez", miembro del antiguo secretariado de las FARC (in Spanish)
^ Bishop Héctor Epalza Quintero
^ "Asesinaron a otro líder social, esta vez fue en Corinto, Cauca". infobae (in European Spanish). February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
^ Falleció en Valledupar el periodista Beder Guerra Gutiérrez (in Spanish)
^ Obituario: Mireya Arboleda de Cruz (in Spanish)
^ Torrado, Santiago (24 February 2021). "Muere el periodista colombiano Herbin Hoyos, creador del programa radial 'Las voces del secuestro'". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). El Pais. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
^ Murió Jorge Oñate, el Jilguero de América (in Spanish)
^ "La cónsul de Panamá en Bogotá muere al ser arrastrado su vehículo por un río". msn.com. EFE. March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
^ El ciclismo colombiano está de luto: falleció Pedro Saúl Morales (in Spanish)
^ Falleció el artista conceptual colombiano Antonio Caro (in Spanish)
^ Heraldo, El. "Fallece de un infarto Guillermo 'el Teacher' Berrío". EL HERALDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 January 2022.
^ Alvarado, Abel (15 April 2021). "Muere senador conservador colombiano que tenía covid-19". CNN (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 January 2022.
^ "By coronavirus, Monsignor José Daniel Falla, bishop of Soacha for 5 years, died". Archyde. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
^ "Olympedia – Pablo Uribe". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
^ Turkewitz, Julie; Kurmanaev, Anatoly (19 May 2021). "Colombia Rebel Commander 'Jesús Santrich' Killed, Venezuelan Officials Say". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
^ "Fallece monseñor Arturo Correa, obispo emérito de Ipiales". Conferencia Episcopal de Colombia. (in Spanish). 26 May 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.

[1] Acosta, Luis Jaime; Griffin, Oliver (January 5, 2021). Baum, Bernadette (ed.). "Colombia's illegal armed groups lost more than 5,000 members in 2020 -military commander". Reuters. Retrieved January 5, 2021.

[2] Charles, Matthew (January 17, 2021). "Colombia's rapidly breeding 'cocaine hippos' must be stopped, scientists say". news.yahoo.com. The Telegraph. Retrieved January 18, 2021.

[3] "Former Colombian guerrillas shed their decades-old name". news.yahoo.com. AP. January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.

[4] "Some Colombians fear ex-paramilitary leader deported from US". AP NEWS. 25 January 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.

[5] "Colombia reports almost 700 migrants stranded in Caribbean region". Reuters. 29 January 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.

[6] "Colombia boat disaster: Search continues for missing". BBC News. February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2022.

[7] "Bogota taking rebel attack threat 'very seriously': mayor". msn.com. AFP. February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.

[8] Monseñor Juan Francisco Sarasti, arzobispo emérito de Cali, falleció hoy a sus 82 años a causa de Covid 19 (in Spanish)

[9] "Ten rebels killed, three captured in Colombia military bombing". Reuters. 3 March 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.

[10] "Madre e hija de 4 años murieron en deslizamiento de tierra en Siloé, Cali". infobae (in European Spanish). March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.

[11] "At least 16 injured in Colombia car bomb blast". news.yahoo.com. Reuters. March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.

[12] "Atentado con coche bomba deja 43 personas heridas en Colombia". jornada.com.mx (in Spanish). La Jornada. March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.

[13] "Casi 5 mil venezolanos cruzaron la frontera por los combates y Colombia instalará un centro de atención para migrantes". infobae (in European Spanish). March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.

[14] "Los personajes que tuvieron su cuarto de hora en el 2021 en Bogotá" [The characters who had their fifteen minutes of fame in 2021 in Bogotá]. El Tiempo. 31 December 2021. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2024.

[15] "Falleció el excampeón Pablo Hernández". eje21.com.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 January 2021.

[16] "Pablo Hernández". olympedia.org. Retrieved 4 January 2021.

[17] "El legado de Laura Weinstein para la población trans en Colombia". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 2 January 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.

[18] "Luto en la iglesia: obispo de Santa Marta y sacerdote en Cartagena, las más recientes víctimas del Covid-19". infobae (in European Spanish). January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.

[19] "Álvaro Mejía". olympedia.org. Retrieved 20 January 2021.

[20] Murió el compositor y actor chocoano Antún Castro (in Spanish)

[21] "Luto en el ajedrez colombiano: muere el Gran Maestro Gildardo García". eltiempo.com (in Spanish). 15 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.

[22] Calixto Avena, exportero de selección Colombia, falleció por secuelas del covid (in Spanish)

[23] "Colombia's defense minister dies from COVID-19 at age 69". AP NEWS. 26 January 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.

[24] Muere "Bertulfo Álvarez", miembro del antiguo secretariado de las FARC (in Spanish)

[25] Bishop Héctor Epalza Quintero

[26] "Asesinaron a otro líder social, esta vez fue en Corinto, Cauca". infobae (in European Spanish). February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

[27] Falleció en Valledupar el periodista Beder Guerra Gutiérrez (in Spanish)

[28] Obituario: Mireya Arboleda de Cruz (in Spanish)

[29] Torrado, Santiago (24 February 2021). "Muere el periodista colombiano Herbin Hoyos, creador del programa radial 'Las voces del secuestro'". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). El Pais. Retrieved February 24, 2021.

[30] Murió Jorge Oñate, el Jilguero de América (in Spanish)

[31] "La cónsul de Panamá en Bogotá muere al ser arrastrado su vehículo por un río". msn.com. EFE. March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.

[32] El ciclismo colombiano está de luto: falleció Pedro Saúl Morales (in Spanish)

[33] Falleció el artista conceptual colombiano Antonio Caro (in Spanish)

[34] Heraldo, El. "Fallece de un infarto Guillermo 'el Teacher' Berrío". EL HERALDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 January 2022.

[35] Alvarado, Abel (15 April 2021). "Muere senador conservador colombiano que tenía covid-19". CNN (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 January 2022.

[36] "By coronavirus, Monsignor José Daniel Falla, bishop of Soacha for 5 years, died". Archyde. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.

[37] "Olympedia – Pablo Uribe". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 6 January 2022.

[38] Turkewitz, Julie; Kurmanaev, Anatoly (19 May 2021). "Colombia Rebel Commander 'Jesús Santrich' Killed, Venezuelan Officials Say". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 January 2022.

[39] "Fallece monseñor Arturo Correa, obispo emérito de Ipiales". Conferencia Episcopal de Colombia. (in Spanish). 26 May 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.

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v t e Years in Colombia (since 1810)
19th century	1810s 1820s 1830s 1840s 1848 1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s
20th century	1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
21st century	2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

v t e 2021 in South America
Sovereign states	Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela
Dependencies and other territories	Falkland Islands French Guiana South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

v t e 2021 in Latin America and the Caribbean
Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda Aruba Bahamas Barbados Cuba Curaçao Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Haiti Jamaica Puerto Rico Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sint Maarten Trinidad and Tobago
Central America	Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama
Middle America	Mexico
South America	Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador French Guiana Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela
Dependencies not included. Semi-autonomous territories are in italics.