General News

Medellin Fourth-Best among Colombian Cities for Doing Business: World Bank

Medellin Herald October 9, 2017

A new report from the World Bank finds that Medellin is fourth-best among Colombia’s 32 departmental-capital cities in four key business categories: relative ease in starting a business, getting construction permits, registering properties and ease of paying taxes. According to the Doing

Companies

Avianca Hails Court Decision Declaring ACDAC Pilots’ Strike Illegal

Medellin Herald October 7, 2017

Avianca – Colombia’s biggest airline – hailed an October 6 decision by a District Court Tribunal in Bogota declaring a strike by some 700 pilots belonging to the Asociacion Colombiana de Aviadores Civiles (ACDAC) labor-union as illegal. ACDAC– the smaller of two unions representing Avianca pilots — represents a tiny fraction of the more than […]

Congresses & Conferences

Medellin to Host 2nd Annual Colombia Gold-and-Copper Symposium November 14-15

Medellin Herald October 2, 2017

Some 250 executives of some of the world’s top gold-mining companies are forecast to attend the second annual Colombia Gold Symposium November 14-15 at Hotel San Fernando Plaza in Medellin. According to symposium organizer Paul Harris, delegates will hear presentations from more than 15 exploration and development companies including Minesa, Continental Gold, Red Eagle

Colombian economy

Coffee Helps Colombia’s 2017 Exports Rebound, but Manufacturing Lags

Medellin Herald September 29, 2017

The latest report from Colombia’s national economic statistics agency (DANE – Departamento Administrative Nacional de Estadistica) shows that Colombian exports through August 2017 are up 15.7% year-on-year and 19.5% for the first eight months of 2017. Antioquia once again leads all departments in the nation with an 18.8% share in total dollar value of exports […]

Visas

Colombia Visa Changes Take Effect November 2

Medellin Herald September 29, 2017

Colombia’s foreign ministry (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriorores) has announced that changes to its visa regulations will take effect November 2. In the announcement (see complete text in Spanish here: http://legal.legis.com.co/document?obra=legcol&document=legcol_74fa455ce7e44df19296af36ef78d8e8), the Ministry clarifies that it’s regrouping many different

Economy & Finance

Power Generators, Transporters, Utilities Warned of Big Changes Coming at Medellin Event

Medellin Herald September 27, 2017

At a September 26 event celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Medellin-based ISA — Colombia’s national electric-power transmission operator and power-market trading hub – speakers praised ISA for revolutionizing and rationalizing Colombia’s power industry. In a speech here at Medellin’s Plaza Mayor convention center, Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos recounted

General News

ANI Announces Influx of Foreign Investors for Antioquia’s ‘Pacifico 2’ Highway

Medellin Herald September 27, 2017

Colombia’s national infrastructure agency (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura, ANI) announced September 26 that two big investment banks based in Britain and Canada inked deals to help finance the “Pacifico 2” fourth generation (4G) highway project in Antioquia. According to ANI, Britain-based ING Capital LLC and Canada-based CDPW Revenue Fixe (the Quebec provincial

Profiles

Alliances Growing for Medellin Expat Exporters; Specialty Niches Key to Success

Medellin Herald September 25, 2017

Thirty-five-year-old New Zealand expat Dan Cardiff and 47-year-old Dutch expat Ronald de Hommel seemingly would have little in common — aside from both now living in Medellin and both having launched separate, Colombian-export businesses here. But despite having been born and raised on opposite sides of the planet — and with wildly different careers prior […]

Expats Corner

Colombia Ranked 8th Among 65 Countries for Best Expat Living

Medellin Herald September 20, 2017

Germany-based InterNations announced this month that Colombia ranks eighth among 65 countries for best expat living – a jump upward of 12 places, compared to its rank of 20th in 2016. However, Colombia ranked a relatively poor 31st for working abroad. In the survey of 13,000 respondents worldwide, Bahrain took the number-one spot for best […]

Companies

USAID, Mineros SA Boost Beekeeping Project to Convert Irregular Miners to Legitimate Business

Medellin Herald September 20, 2017

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Medellin-based gold-mining giant Mineros SA jointly announced September 20 that they’re boosting funds and technical aid to formerly artisanal or illegal miners in the Bajo Cauca region of Antioquia. “The productive and commercial capacity of beekeepers of Bajo Cauca will be strengthened thanks to the agreement