Colombia

Bogotá, October 18, 2026. The Colombian press is treating the French riots as a political earthquake six months ahead of the presidential election. Semana notes that the chaos, described as "unprecedented" by the authorities, "has increased pressure on President Emmanuel Macron," who has already been facing student protests in recent weeks. The Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, reported at least 1,800 arrests, including 855 in Paris, a "record" figure according to the police. The Federation of Commerce and Distribution, cited by El Colombiano, counts at least 1,500 damaged businesses. The Deputy Mayor of Paris, Lamia El Aaraje, speaks of "a level of violence that we have never seen" in the city.

The newspapers detail the destruction: burned barricades, broken windows, a degraded Arc de Triomphe, looting in Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, and Strasbourg, and especially the city hall of Limoges, a 19th-century building destroyed by a fire that the prefect attributes to "a savage horde." La República, with an economic tone, recalls that more than half a million people marched, that the peaceful marches focused on the state of schools and hospitals and the cost of living, and that funding requests are being met with a growing debt.

Macron's speech is reported by El Colombiano: "Tonight, we all feel anger and shame," "Nothing justifies this. It's inexplicable and unforgivable." He attributes the violence to small extreme left-wing collectives joined by many delinquents, promises "a firm hand" and "no impunity," while asking to distinguish the authors from the hundreds of thousands of protesters whose demands may be legitimate. He also instructs the government to dialogue with the parties. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu accused the extreme left of standing "alongside the rioters" and spoke of a "political maneuver," adding: "It's a miracle that the toll is not heavier."

The international dimension occupies a significant place. Semana and El Colombiano repeat the message from Donald Trump ("France is burning!", "Close your borders") and that of JD Vance, who links the riots to the American legislative elections on November 3. Semana also gives a voice to Marine Le Pen, who describes a country "held hostage between violence and powerlessness" and a government "worn out." Semana finally notes clashes in Milan against the high cost of living, a sign of possible contagion in Europe.