El Universal is a regional newspaper based in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
Founded by Domingo López Escauriaza and Eduardo Ferrer Ferrer, its first edition went on sale on 8 March 1948. They had originally wanted to call it La Patria, but, as that name was already in use, they decided on El Universal in homage to the Caracas daily of the same name.
El Universal is part of Periódicos Asociados Latinoamericanos (Latin American Newspaper Association), an organization of fourteen leading newspapers in South America.