In a bizarre turn, a 52-year-old Colombian businessman with friends in high places went from sleeping in a federal prison in Miami to recently celebrating his appointment as Venezuela’s new minister of industry and national production.

Pop star Shakira has been immortalized in her Colombian hometown of Barranquilla, where officials unveiled a giant bronze statue of the music diva known around the world for her catchy tunes and exhilarating moves.

Two suspects in the kidnapping of the parents of Liverpool soccer player Luis Díaz were ordered sent to prison by a judge, according to Colombia’s Prosecutor’s Office, which accused one of the men of being the link to a person close to the family who provided information about the victims.

U.S. prosecutors say a former midfielder for Colombia’s national soccer team has been sentenced in a Texas courtroom to more than 11 years in prison for drug trafficking.