Politics

Colombia Government, FARC Ink Cease-Fire Deal

Medellin Herald June 22, 2016

Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos and Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) leader Timoleon (“Timochenko”) Jimenez formally signed a cease-fire agreement June 23 in Havana, Cuba, a key step before any final “peace agreement” deal would be signed. The FARC and other

General News

Medellin Companies Plan to Boost Hiring by 14% in 3Q 2016: Manpower

Medellin Herald June 21, 2016

The latest Manpower survey of employers in Colombia shows that Medellin companies plan to boost hiring by 14% during third quarter (3Q) 2016, second only to Bucaramanga (up 24%) for all of Colombia. In an June 17 interview with Medellin Herald at the World Economic Forum conference, Manpower Latin America president Monica Flores explained that […]

Health & Insurance.

Latin America’s Coke, Pepsi, Postobon CEOs Launch Anti-Obesity Campaign in Medellin

Medellin Herald June 20, 2016

At a June 17 press conference at the World Economic Forum in Medellin, Coca-Cola FEMSA (Latin America) CEO John Santa Maria joined with PepsiCo Latin America CEO Laxman Narasimhan and Postobon (Colombia) president Miguel Escobar in unveiling a nationwide “Healthy Future” campaign aiming to educate consumers on diet and exercise regimes to avoid obesity. Spokespersons […]

Congresses & Conferences

World Economic Forum 2016: Medellin, Colombia Grab Limelight

Medellin Herald June 18, 2016

Medellin’s growing international reputation as a center for high-profile events took another big step forward June 16-17 with some 800 participants at the prestigious World Economic Forum (WEF) 2016 Latin America regional conference. According to the WEF conference organizers here, some 550 leading business and organizational leaders from 40 countries — mainly from

Culture

Medellin’s Annual Tango Festival Shines This Month

Medellin Herald June 15, 2016

The 2016 edition of Medellin’s “Festival Internacional de Tango” steps-out June 17 through June 26 in a spectacle of dance, violins, bandoneones and vocalists. According to the Medellin Mayor’s office, this year’s festival — the 10th-annual —includes 33 artistic and academic events, including 29 concerts featuring 46 international and 180 local musicians and

General News

Antioquia: Best in National ‘Corruption Index’ study

Medellin Herald June 13, 2016

The June 2016 edition of Bitacora Economica (Economic Analysis) from Colombia’s national retail trade association (Fenalco) shows that Antioquia (Medellin’s department) has the best “corruption index” of all Colombia’s departments (states). On a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the “best” and 0 being the “worst,” Antioquia’s corruption index came in at 82.4 […]

General News

Magdalena River Dredging Project Fails to Meet Financing Deadline

Medellin Herald June 13, 2016

Cormagdalena – the Colombian government agency overseeing a proposed dredging project for the Magdalena River that would dramatically boost freight movements – announced June 12 that project developer Navelena SAS failed to meet a June 11 deadline to obtain financial close on the COP$2.5 trillion (US$877 million) project. The Magdalena River dredging scheme is among […]

Economy & Finance

Colombia’s GDP Growth Dips to 2.5% Rate: DANE

Medellin Herald June 6, 2016

Colombia’s gross domestic product (“PIB” in Spanish initials) dipped to a 2.5% annual rate in first quarter (1Q) 2016, according to the national government’s economic statistics agency (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística, DANE). While the over-all Colombian economy has taken a hit this year from the global crash in oil prices and mining profitability,

General News

Antioquia Governor Now Says Toyo Project ‘Legal,’ Construcion Starts

Medellin Herald June 1, 2016

Antioquia Governor Luis Perez announced June 15 that legal issues have now been resolved with the COP$1.8 trillion (US$603 million), 9.8-kilometers-long “Toyo Tunnel” project that will link Medellin to new freight ports in Uraba (Caribbean coast). “Having cleared-away doubts and legal aspects, this Wednesday June 15, in the municipality of Santa Fe de Antioquia, is […]

Opportunities

British Council, Dunnhumby, Netcentric, Shire, Virtuagym, GFI Seek Bilingual, High-Tech Candidates

Medellin Herald May 31, 2016

Medellin continues to host a growing number of companies seeking high-tech and bilingual candidates, as indicated in a recent flurry of LinkedIn postings. Among the opportunities: 1. British Council: This mainly UK government-funded organization is seeking an administrative assistant for its “English for Tourism” program in Medellin. According to the posting, the