General News

EPM Completes 95% of US$330 Million Social, Environmental Spending Around Hidroituango Project in Antioquia

Medellin Herald July 8, 2020

Medellin-based electric power giant EPM revealed July 8 that it has now spent 95% of its COP$1.2 trillion (US$330 million) budget for social and environmental projects in 13 municipalities around its 2.4-gigawatt “Hidroituango” hydroelectric project in Antioquia. The massive spending is

Colombian economy

Colombia Business Sector Liquidity Improves Thanks to Gradual Reopenings

Medellin Herald July 8, 2020

ANDI — Colombia’s biggest industrial-commercial trade association — announced July 8 that its most recent survey of 200 major companies shows that business liquidity is starting to improve thanks to the gradual reopening of various economic sectors during the current Covid-19 crisis. During the height of the national quarantine and business shutdowns in April,

Ecotourism

Rare Black Hawk-Eagle Discovered in Medellin Forest Reserve

Medellin Herald July 7, 2020

The Medellin Mayor’s Office revealed July 6 that forest rangers in one of the city’s protected reserves confirmed the presence of Black Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus) — the largest eagle in the city proper and second-largest in Valle de Aburrá. The 68-centimeters-long raptor — known locally as the “águila iguanera” — is the first-ever reported in […]

Companies

EPM Eyes Dramatic Expansions into Infrastructure, Services, Advanced Technologies

Medellin Herald July 3, 2020

Medellin Mayor Daniel Quintero and EPM General Manager Alvaro Rendon revealed in a July 2 filing with Colombia’s Superfinanciera oversight agency an eye-popping proposal that would dramatically expand EPM’s product-and-service offerings nationwide and internationally. Already Colombia’s biggest single energy producer and Medellin’s single-biggest financial contributor, EPM

General News

Medellin Adds 1,000 Epidemiological Trackers; Debuts Online Covid-19 Database, Cracks-Down on Irresponsible Partying

Medellin Herald July 3, 2020

Medellin Mayor Daniel Quintero announced July 2 that the city has just added 1,000 more epidemiological trackers to help the city stem the rise in Covid-19 cases. Simultaneously, Medellin debuted an on-line database and mapping program (see: https://www.medellin.gov.co/irj/portal/medellin?NavigationTarget=navurl://48b007fc8d7912ef960824275ea1cb7a ) so that citizens

Health & Insurance.

Covid-19 Intensive Care Units, Ventilators Continue to Expand in Antioquia, Colombia

Medellin Herald July 1, 2020

Antioquia Acting Governor Luis Fernando Suárez announced June 30 that another 130 intensive care unit (ICU) beds will debut in Antioquia by July 11 to handle a potential future surge of critical Covid-19 victims. The latest expansion is part of a plan to have at least 909 ICU beds available over the coming weeks, with […]

Other Norms

Colombia Debuts Biosecurity Protocols for Domestic Flights, but Mayors Get Final Say

Medellin Herald July 1, 2020

Colombia’s Health and Transport Ministers on July 1 unveiled long-awaited aviation biosecurity protocols – hoping to spur more economic recovery, but also aiming to minimize Covid-19 infections for all future domestic passenger flights. However, mayors and departmental governors get the final say on whether and when to allow any flights, according to the new protocol. […]

Other Norms

Medellin Metro Area Cracking-Down on Stores over Covid-19 Biosafety; Pico y Cedula Restriction to Continue on Tax-Free Day

Medellin Herald July 1, 2020

The Medellin Mayor’s Office announced July 1 that it is intensifying biosafety inspections and shutdowns of retail outlets that fail to comply with strict controls designed to thwart Covid-19 infections. Meanwhile, the Area Metropolitana de Valle de Aburra (AMVA, the Medellin metro government coordinating agency) announced June 30 that “pico y cedula” restrictions will

General News

EPM Promises to Give City of Medellin 55% of its Profits from 2020 to 2023

Medellin Herald June 30, 2020

Medellin-based multinational utilities giant EPM revealed in a June 29 filing with Colombia’s Superfinanciera oversight agency that it has pledged to give 55% of all its profits in 2020 through 2023 to the city of Medellin – its sole shareholder. According to the filing, 25% of profits will go directly to the city while another […]

Colombian economy

Medellin Unemployment Rate Hits 21.6% on Covid-19 Crisis; IMF Sees Rebound in 2021

Medellin Herald June 30, 2020

Colombia’s national economic statistics agency (DANE) announced June 30 that the Covid-19 crisis — now starting its fifth month — predictably has caused massive unemployment nationally as well as locally as a result of quarantines and strict biosafety controls. According to the latest DANE bulletin, the Colombia national unemployment rate skyrocketed to 21.4%