Companies

Cemex LatAm Holdings Reports 2Q 2020 Rebound in Profits

Medellin Herald July 28, 2020

Colombia-based cement/concrete giant Cemex LatAm Holdings announced July 27 that its second quarter (2Q) 2020 net income rose to US$11 million, up from a net loss of US$4 million in 2Q 2019. The profit boost came despite a 36% drop in sales and a 32% decline in earnings before interest, taxes,

Health & Insurance.

Update: Antioquia Governor Now Free from Covid-19 Infection, Released from Hospital

Medellin Herald July 28, 2020

Antioquia Acting Governor Fernando Suarez announced August 4 via his Twitter account that he has now recovered from Covid-19 infection and released from hospital. Last week, the governor had suffered a “decrease in respiratory capacity as a result of the contagion with Covid and was preventively admitted to general hospitalization,” according to a press bulletin […]

General News

International Monetary Fund Hails ‘Medellín Miracle’ in Interview with Former Mayor Federico Gutierrez

Medellin Herald July 28, 2020

Former Medellin Mayor Federico Gutiérrez (2016-2019) once again is helping to move Medellin into the limelight via an interview published in the latest edition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Finance & Development monthly magazine. The former Mayor – now a national political commentator and seen as a likely pre-candidate for Colombia’s Presidential elections

Other Norms

Seniors 70-and-Over Win Every-Day Exercise Privileges — but Not Yet in Medellin

Medellin Herald July 17, 2020

Colombia’s Health Ministry announced July 17 that because of recent court decisions, people 70-and-over now legally enjoy two-hours-per-day outdoor exercise privileges – not just three times/week under the Covid-19 regulations, but rather every single day. Problem: Medellin simultaneously is banning all outdoor exercise by all persons – not just seniors – until Sunday,

Editorial

Voters Give President Duque 60% Favorability Rating During Covid-19 Crisis; Medellin Mayor Tops All Politicians

Medellin Herald July 14, 2020

The latest EcoAnalitica-Guarumo scientific survey of 2,122 voters across Colombia gives President Ivan Duque a 60% favorability ranking during the continuing Covid-19 crisis — a slight decline from 63% favorability in the last survey in April. The July 8-11 survey of voters in all major and minor Colombia cities has a margin of error of […]

Health & Insurance.

Low-Cost ‘InnspiraMED’ Ventilators to Debut in Patient Trials as Covid-19 Cases Mount

Medellin Herald July 12, 2020

The Medellin-based “InnspiraMED” consortium producing relatively low-cost ventilators for critical Covid-19 victims got a big boost July 11 when Colombia President Ivan Duque came to Medellin to see for himself these in-development technologies. According to “InnspiraMed” project coordinator Ruta N, “President Duque received information on the equipment delivery process

Health & Insurance.

Covid-19 Growth in Antioquia Prompts ‘Orange Alert,’ Cancellation of Non-Emergency Surgeries, Dentistry

Medellin Herald July 10, 2020

Acting Antioquia Governor Luis Fernando Suárez Vélez on July 9 issued an “orange alert” as growing Covid-19 cases have now grabbed 50% of intensive care unit (ICU) capacity in Antioquia. Following the alert, Antioquia Health Secretary Lina María Bustamante Sánchez ordered a department-wide restriction on non-emergency surgeries or dental work in order to ensure more […]

General News

EPM, Medellin Mayor Postpone Debate on Huge Business-Expansion Schemes; Hail Successful Bond Offering

Medellin Herald July 10, 2020

Medellin-based multinational utilities giant EPM announced July 10 that it supports Medellin Mayor Daniel Quintero’s new decision to postpone debate on a proposal that would vastly expand EPM’s areas of business. The proposal (see Medellin Herald July 3, 2020) would have EPM launch into whole new areas nationally and internationally, including highway and mass-transit

Infrastructure

‘Puerto Antioquia’ Ocean-Freight Project Gets US$110 Million Term Loan

Medellin Herald July 9, 2020

The long-awaited development of the “Puerto Antioquia” ocean-freight port near Turbo, Antioquia, just got a US$110 million term-loan investment from New York-based Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). According to the GIP announcement – which project developer Andres Felipe Bustos of Medellin-based Puertos Inversiones y Obras (PioSAS) confirmed to Medellin Herald as

Companies

PharmaCielo Wins Colombian Government OK for 10 Tons of High-THC Marijuana Cultivation, Processing, Export of Psychoactive Extracts

Medellin Herald July 8, 2020

Medellin-based PharmaCielo Colombia and its Toronto-based parent company announced July 8 that it won Colombian government authorization to cultivate 10 tonnes of marijuana with high content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the psychoactive component of pot) and export of medicinal extracts. The authorization “enables PharmaCielo to produce and deliver psychoactive extracts