Companies

USAID Helping Illegal Miners to Legalize; Many Still Balk; Some Promote Violence

Medellin Herald August 9, 2017

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced August 8 that its “Oro Legal” program has already helped 205 miners and 176 informal/illegal gold-mining families in Antioquia convert to safer, legal mining – with many more miners targeted for help by 2020. Working with the

Culture

Annual Flower Festival Once Again Brings Joy, Beauty, Tourism to Medellin

Medellin Herald August 8, 2017

The just-concluded, 60th annual “Desfile de Silleteros” (flower-carriers’ parade) – the culmination of the 10-days-long “Feria de las Flores” (flower festival) – once again showed-off Medellin’s growing attraction for global tourists and an enticement for foreign investment and relocation. This year, John Jairo Grajales Gómez of the “El Porvenir” neighborhood in Medellin’s

Ecotourism

Antioquia’s Private Nature Reserves Growing: Colombians, Expats Teaming-up

Medellin Herald August 5, 2017

Among the encouraging signs of Colombia’s and Antioquia’s recuperating economy, environment and security situation is a growing network of private nature reserves – overwhelmingly founded by native Colombians, but now including a few “rare-bird” expats. One such rare-bird migrant is North American-born biologist and construction contractor Doug Knapp, who two years ago

Schools

Top Bilingual Primary Schools in Metro Medellin Now Offer Ornithology Studies

Medellin Herald August 3, 2017

Bird-watching in decades past may have been considered the province of biologists and eccentrics. But it’s becoming an ever-more-popular pathway for appreciating, enjoying and defending the incredible beauty of nature. Now, two of metro-Medellin’s top bilingual prep schools – Colegio Theodoro Hertzl (CTH, see earlier Medellin Herald report on 08/24/2015) and

Companies

Violence Slams Legitimate Canadian Gold Miners in Antioquia

Medellin Herald August 1, 2017

Toronto, Canada-based Continental Gold announced July 29 that six of its security contractors died following a suspicious explosion July 28 at an illegal mine nearby its Buritica, Antioquia gold mine. Just three days later, fellow Toronto-based miner Gran Colombia Gold announced August 1 that it is trying to deal with a massive outbreak of violence […]

Companies

Nutresa First-Half 2017 Net Profit Rises 1.9% Year-on-Year

Medellin Herald July 29, 2017

Medellin-based multinational packaged-foods giant Grupo Nutresa announced July 28 that its first-half 2017 net profit rose 1.9% year-on-year, to COP$236 billion (US$78.7 million). Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) dipped by 1.3% year-on-year, to COP$527 billion (US$176 million), according to the company. Sales inside Colombia grew 3.9%

Congresses & Conferences

Colombiamoda 2017 Nets US$179 Million in New Business

Medellin Herald July 28, 2017

Medellin-based national textile/fashion-industry trade group Inexmoda announced July 27 that the just-concluded 28th annual “Colombiamoda” show – the leader of its type in all of Latin America — generated US$179 million in new business. However, that figure was down more than 50% from last year’s version — mainly as a result of this year’s economic […]

Companies

EPM First-Half 2017 Net Profits Jump 78% Year-on-Year

Medellin Herald July 26, 2017

Medellin-based multinational utilities giant Grupo EPM announced July 25 that its first-half 2017 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 33% year-on-year, to COP$2.6 trillion (US$862 million), while net profits rose 78% year-on-year, to COP$1 trillion (US$331 million). The city of Medellin – EPM’s sole shareholder – so far this year

Congresses & Conferences

Ex-U.S. President Bill Clinton Praises Medellin’s Turnaround at World Coffee Producers Forum

Medellin Herald July 11, 2017

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton told an overflow audience for the first-ever World Coffee Producers Forum July 11 that Medellin’s transformation from the world’s most violent city 25 years ago to a global leader in social innovation and progress might foretell what Colombia as a whole eventually could become. Holding the prestigious World Coffee Producers […]

General News

Giant ‘Hidroituango’ Hydroelectric Project Now 70% Complete: EPM

Medellin Herald July 7, 2017

Medellin-based multinational utilities giant EPM announced July 7 that its 2.4-gigawatt “Hidroituango” hydroelectric plant project in Antioquia is now 70% complete – with an initial 300-megawatts (MW) of electric output scheduled to start at end-2018. The US$5.5 billion project – Colombia’s biggest-ever hydroelectric plant and its largest-single infrastructure project – is