In 2026, Colombia will be the stage for the meeting of the global radiology community and a significant event for the specialty. This country, bordered by two oceans and strategically located in South America, will host the International Congress of Radiology (ICR 2026), one of the world's most important gatherings for diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology.

ICR 2026 will be a joint meeting with the 49th Colombian Congress of Radiology (CCR), a benchmark event in the specialty throughout Latin America due to its high scientific and organizational standards. The merger of the two congresses will create an unprecedented platform for medical development, scientific innovation, and cultural exchange.

The scientific program will include eight simultaneous rooms and symposia in 13 specialty areas, with internationally renowned guests speakers and special participation from the International Skeletal Society (ISS), the ACR American Institute for Radiological Pathology (AIRP) and the European School of Radiology (ESOR). In addition, the 17th National Meeting of Diagnostic Imaging Services Management and the 15th Latin American Congress on Technologies and Production of Diagnostic Imaging will be held in parallel.

The global radiological community gathered on the shores of the Caribbean Sea

Visual image 2026: an allegory of our specialty

The image of ICR 2026 – CCR 2026 is built upon a composition divided into two moments, two visual dimensions that interact with each other while representing the very essence of radiology as a specialty.

On the left side, only silhouettes and diffuse shapes can be perceived: this is where the uncertain dwells, where what lies hidden within the human body resides, those traces or shadows of existence that we can barely sense. As the gaze moves to the right, toward the field of diagnostic imaging, those figures are revealed in sharp clarity, gaining form and completeness. What was once only suspicion or blurred outlines now becomes defined and luminous. Thus, the image of the event illustrates the power of radiology: to make the invisible visible, to bring light to the unknown, and to create knowledge where once there was only uncertainty and obscurity.

Complementing this message are two symbols deeply connected to Colombia and the host city. The Clock Tower, an icon of Cartagena, rises as an evocation of the gate that, four centuries ago, marked the entrance to the walled city. Today, it becomes a metaphor for what the congress will represent: a gateway to knowledge and a meeting point for participants from around the world, who will enrich an international event with their diversity and culture.

Around the Clock Tower flutter butterflies, an intimate emblem of Colombia. This South American country is home to the greatest diversity of butterfly species on Earth, harboring at least 20% of all known species (over 3,800) across its forests and mountains. Beyond their biological richness, butterflies also connect to the literary universe of Gabriel García Márquez, one of Colombia’s most celebrated authors, whose yellow butterflies became a universal metaphor for magic, memory and destiny. In this poster, the butterflies evoke both the natural abundance of Colombia and the authenticity, uniqueness, and sense of wonder that the country offers to the world.

The image of ICR 2026 – CCR 2026 thus brings together the beauty of a specialty that illuminates what is hidden and the vitality of a place that opens its doors with life and color. It stands as a complete allegory, one that intertwines the strength of radiology with the charm of a country that, for the first time in history, welcomes the International Congress of Radiology.

Dear colleagues,

It is an honor for me to write to you as president of the Colombian Association of Radiology to share some important news for our specialty: in 2026, Cartagena de Indias will host the International Congress of Radiology (ICR) and the Colombian Congress of Radiology (CCR).

This meeting is an opportunity to open Colombia's doors to the world, share knowledge,

and strengthen ties with colleagues from all five continents. It will be a unique event where

academic excellence will be combined with the cultural richness of a magical city, steeped

in history and symbolism, which will welcome thousands of radiologists and healthcare professionals.

The visual identity we have created for this congress reflects precisely what inspires us: the ability of radiology to reveal the hidden, to bring clarity to the uncertain, to transform a silhouette into certainty and a clue into a diagnosis. It also represents Colombia as a diverse, vibrant, and welcoming country that becomes a meeting point for cultures, knowledge, and experiences.

The ICR and CCR 2026 will undoubtedly be an academic and scientific celebration, but also a space for unity, recognition, and looking toward the future. It is an opportunity to reaffirm our passion for the specialty and to show the world the strength and leadership of radiology in Colombia.

I invite you to join us in this unique experience and accompany us in Cartagena. I am sure that together we will enjoy a congress that will remain in all our memories.

See you at the International Congress of Radiology (ICR) and the Colombian Congress of Radiology (CCR)!

Cordialmente,

Dra. Micaela Arrieta Usta

Presidente

Asociación Colombiana de Radiología