Colombia held presidential elections this Sunday, May 31. During the process, Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda obtained the majority of votes to advance to the runoff, which will be held on June 21.

According to the preliminary vote count, the top four candidates were as follows:

Abelardo de la Espriella: 10,361,499 votes – 43.74 %

Iván Cepeda: 9,688,361 votes – 40.90 %

Paloma Valencia: 1,639,685 votes – 6.92 %

Sergio Fajardo: 1,009,073 votes – 4.26 %

 

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Una publicación compartida por TVV Noticias (@tvvnoticias)

M.Pino

With information from national and international media and social networks

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La entrada Colombian elections: Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda to face off in runoff apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Colombia is rapidly advancing in the technological landscape, fueling its leadership in artificial intelligence, which is currently driving not only the digital economy but also encompassing talent development and expanding connectivity to remote communities.

The country’s progress in the digital economy has led to the training of professionals, enabling the ICT sector to contribute approximately $58 trillion to the national GDP, equivalent to 3.5 % of added value, and generate around 370,000 jobs.

It is a fact that the application of this technology has an impact on people’s daily lives. The result is “more connected homes, more students with access to technology, and more professionals trained in strategic areas such as AI, data analytics, and cybersecurity.”

According to recent data, between 2022 and 2025, internet access in homes grew by 3.6 %, from 59.5 % to 73.9 %, especially in rural areas, “where connectivity exceeded 50 % for the first time, reducing historical gaps.”

Connectivity also increased in the government sector, where the country surpassed its goal of training one million people in digital skills. In this regard, the metrics reflect that today 1,020,181 Colombians have the technological skills to find employment or start their own businesses. Additionally, 156,546 computers have been distributed, and more than 19,500 rural schools are connected throughout the country.

The South American nation “ranks fourth in the Latin American AI Index and has opened Latin America’s first Faculty of Artificial Intelligence, with new campuses under development.”

In parallel with developments in the aforementioned areas, $64.5 billion has been invested in digital security, enabling the management of 82,000 vulnerabilities and the closure of 37,000 critical gaps.

M.Pino

Source: publimetro

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La entrada Colombia is a regional leader in AI apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Data published by the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE) shows that by 2025, the Latin America and Caribbean region will contribute approximately 11 % of the world’s oil supply and nearly 6 % of its natural gas supply.

The report “Panorama 2025: Oil and Natural Gas Production and Foreign Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)” revealed that “oil production in the region increased by 20 %” last year. Regarding the hydrocarbon sector, the report noted a boost from Guyana’s growth and Brazil’s continued leadership.

According to the document, seven countries account for 87 % of oil production in Latin America: Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia, Guyana, and Ecuador, each with a share exceeding 5 % of the regional total.

The list is distributed as follows: Brazil as the main regional producer, “reaching 3.77 million barrels per day (bpd); followed by Mexico, which registers 1.67 million bpd; leaving Venezuela in third place, with 1.08 million bpd.

Guyana’s oil production stood at 900,000 bpd, Argentina’s at 878,800 bpd, Colombia’s at 746,000 bpd, while Ecuador’s remained at 439,717 barrels of oil.”

M.Pino

Source: actualidad.rt

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La entrada Latin American countries that lead global oil production apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) announced on Friday, March 13, the results of a 72-country operation against cybercrime, which led to the arrest of 94 people, the seizure of equipment, and the suspension of websites.

Among the Spanish-speaking countries where the operation was carried out are Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, and Venezuela, in addition to Spain.

The agency, headquartered in Lyon, France, stated that in addition to suspending some 45,000 servers and web addresses used for criminal activities, it is still investigating 110 individuals.

Operation Synergia III, as the Interpol operation is known, was conducted between July 18, 2025, and January 31, 2026, with actions in key locations through the coordinated efforts of national authorities investigating online cyber scams or phishing, malware, and ransomware.

Cases of identity theft and credit card fraud were also identified, as well as romance scams to obtain bank transfers; and fake online casinos, banking sites, or government websites used to steal money from users or obtain sensitive customer information.

M.Pino

Source: bancaynegocios

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La entrada Interpol deals a blow to cybercrime in 72 countries apareció primero en Bitfinance.

During the legislative elections in Colombia, held on Sunday, March 8, Petro’s party won 25 seats in Congress, thus strengthening the Historical Pact party, led by current President Gustavo Petro, in the Senate.

The results indicate that the Democratic Center, “driven by the leadership of former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez and a closed list system, grew from 13 to 17 seats, although falling short of expectations.”

From now on, the balance of power in Congress will depend on both alliances and internal party divisions.

The five parties with the most seats won are: Historical Pact 25; Democratic Center 17; Liberal Party 13; Conservative Party and Alliance for Colombia 11 each.

 

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M.Pino

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La entrada Gustavo Petro’s party wins 25 seats in the Congress apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The energy agenda between Colombia and Venezuela is progressing positively, according to the president of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), Héctor Obregón, regarding the visit to Caracas of the Colombian Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma.

Obregón pointed out: “Together with Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, we held a working meeting with the Colombian Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma, to further develop the binational energy agenda.” Officials from both nations have analyzed “concrete opportunities” to strengthen relations and “advance projects that contribute to regional energy security.”

The president of Venezuela’s state oil company declared that he will soon meet with Colombian President Gustavo Petro to discuss the energy agenda. During these meetings, trade between the two countries was also addressed.

Trade between the two countries reached $1.17 billion in 2025, representing a 4.1% increase compared to the $1.124 billion recorded in 2024.

M.Pino

Source: elnacional

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La entrada Venezuela and Colombia strengthen energetic agenda apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The elections to choose the new members of Congress in Colombia will be held on March 8. The presidential and vice-presidential elections will be held on May 31.

In this regard, the National Registrar of Civil Status, Hernán Penagos, presented the calendar for the electoral processes, with details on the start of candidate registration, the beginning and end of campaigns, and other relevant information.

“The National Registrar announced that the 2026 electoral processes will feature several innovations aimed at further increasing Colombians’ trust in the electoral process by ensuring its integrity, transparency, and full guarantees for all.”

He mentioned the implementation of “facial biometrics as a mechanism to fully validate the identity of citizens who go to the polls. The number of polling stations with facial and fingerprint biometrics will increase from 25,000 to approximately 60,000 or 65,000 to combat identity theft.”

Furthermore, the National Registrar stated: “We are going to digitize all electoral records. In the case of the presidential elections, 360,000 records will be digitized, and in the case of the congressional elections, more than 700,000 will be available to citizens so they can compare the preliminary results announced by the Registrar’s Office with the records completed by the poll workers.”

There will also be comprehensive audits of both the electoral process and the information systems, in order to guarantee the transparency of the electoral processes.

M.Pino

Source: registraduria.gov.co

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La entrada Colombian elections to include technological innovation apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The Colombian tax authorities have announced the new Resolution 000240, which mandates that all companies providing cryptocurrency services must provide information on users and their transactions.

The legal instrument establishes the reporting requirements to the DIAN (Colombian Tax Authority), including those for domestic and foreign exchanges, as well as cryptocurrency wallets.

The Resolution is dated December 24, 2025, and is “aligned with the OECD Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF).” However, the obligations for those involved will begin in the 2026 tax year.

The main objective of the measure is to strengthen transparency in the crypto sector and combat tax evasion. In this regard, “providers must provide the tax authority with data such as the name, address, jurisdiction of residence, tax identification number, and date and place of birth of users.”

Furthermore, details such as “account ownership, transaction volume, number of units transferred, market value, and net balances will be requested. This includes cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ether, and stablecoins.”

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Source: diariobitcoin

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La entrada Colombia requires crypto exchanges to provide user data apareció primero en Bitfinance.

In 2026, workers in Colombia could receive an 11 % wage increase, according to current discussions being held by the Ministry of Labor with other relevant authorities.

It is estimated that next year, the current Legal Monthly Minimum Wage (SMMLV in Spanish) will rise “to double digits, reaching almost 3 million pesos with contributions,” despite “alarming business projections regarding total labor costs.”

The base figure is projected to be around 1.6 million pesos. Internally, estimates of the real cost of a worker to the employer are around 3 million pesos.

The Ministry of Labor has proposed an 11 % increase. “This proposal aims to restore workers’ purchasing power, significantly exceeding inflation projections for the end of the adjustment cycle.”

With this increase, the minimum wage would rise from $1,423,500 to $1,580,085; the transportation allowance would increase from $200,000 to $222,000, bringing the total amount received by workers from $1,623,500 to $1,802,085.

However, if employer contributions to pension and health insurance, social benefits (bonuses, severance pay, and vacation pay), and parafiscal contributions (Compensation Funds) are included, the total employer burden would be approximately between $2,730,000 and $2,800,499 COP, which is double the net minimum wage.

The deadline for an agreement from the tripartite committee is December 15. If no agreement is reached by then, the National Government will have until December 30 to decree the increase on its own.

M.Pino

Source: marca

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La entrada Colombia could increase the minimum wage by 11 % in 2026 apareció primero en Bitfinance.

During 2025, remittances from Venezuela to countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador have increased, particularly in USDT, according to a recent statement by Richard Ujueta, president of the Venezuelan Chamber of Electronic Commerce (Cavecom-e).

The executive indicated that, according to official figures, there has been an increase in cryptocurrency remittances sent to these countries. He also highlighted that “90 % of remittances entering Venezuela are in USDT.”

Ujueta specified that, with respect to the Binance exchange, there are “more than 5,000,000 users; 20% of the population is currently using cryptocurrencies.”

The executive maintained that cryptocurrencies are an alternative for citizens in the country, highlighting the increase in the adoption of digital assets, adding that “e-commerce has been an important lifeline for the Venezuelan economy.”

M.Pino

Source: ultimasnoticias

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La entrada Remittances in cryptocurrencies from Venezuela to other countries increase apareció primero en Bitfinance.