Colombians voted today in a historic referendum on whether to end the longest running civil war in the West.

On the eve of a historic vote expected to end Colombia's 52-year conflict with the FARC, rebels prepare to reenter a world very different from the one they left.

Colombia's war has displaced seven million people but even with a peace agreement looming many victims of the 52-year conflict are wary of returning to their farms and villages.

Agreement on a definitive ceasefire is one of the last steps towards ending Latin America's longest civil war.

Cafes, culture and art - it's all do-able in a whistle-stop tour of Bogota.

A crash in practice has put an end to Sarah Walker's hopes of qualifying for the Rio Olympics.

The female guerrillas are the most savage and brutal interrogators said one of the special forces officers, but the women also have an unseen loving side.

A Spanish ship that went down off the coast of Colombia more than 300 years ago is believed to have been carrying 11 million gold coins - possibly worth billions.

Colombia has found the wreck of a Spanish galleon thought to be laden with emeralds and gold and silver coins, President Juan Manuel Santos says.

A Wellington Zoo staff member has travelled to Colombia to help a local conservation group care for endangered primates.

Tourists captured the dramatic rescue of a giant 16 foot-long anaconda, which had become trapped in bushes behind a resort in Colombia.

Simon Willis tries to keep up with the horsemen of Los Llanos.

Current Miss Universe now has the opportunity to help stop fighting in her home country of Colombia.

Your Business editor Caitlin Sykes talks with Maria Benavides of Mochila Bags.

A $611 million unsolicited takeover proposal for Chiquita Brands could lead to the scrapping of its pending merger with Irish competitor Fyffes.

Chris Leadbeater explores Colombia's mysterious interior and encounters the remnants of a forgotten civilisation.

Colombia's most obese baby - who weighs the same as a six-year-old child - has been "rescued" by a charity so he can undergo life-saving treatment.

As more Kiwis look to South America for adventure, Karen Phelps compiles a bucket list for the continent.

The smile on John Key's face widened as broad as the sombrero that Juan Manuel Santos had just given him, when the Colombian President said, "We would love to have an FTA with New Zealand when they are ready to start negotiations."

After two long days without a single silly photo on his Latin American trade tour, Prime Minister John Key has broken the drought by donning a vueltiao.

Prime Minister John Key begins the second leg of his Latin American tour today, stopping off in Bogota for a historic visit - the first by a New Zealand leader to Colombia.

When Prime Minister John Key lands in Mexico tomorrow it will have been more than a decade since the last New Zealand prime minister toured Latin America, and he concedes the region has been neglected in favour of Asian economies.

Colombia still has a hangover from its reputation for illicit activities, but Christopher Adams discovers a stunningly scenic, historical side.

Tourists can now wander freely around the former mansion of infamous cocaine trafficker Pablo Escobar, writes Amy Rosenfeld.

This town of 11,000 people, about two hours' drive from Medellín, is home to a huge hydro-electric dam and was the former holiday playground of infamous Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar, whose crumbling mansion in the area is now a drawcard for tourists.