General News

Antioquia’s 2017 Economic Outlook Superior to Colombia’s: CCM

Medellin Herald March 10, 2017

Medellin and the surrounding Antioquia department are likely to see 3.3% growth this year in gross domestic product (“PIB” in Spanish initials), according to the latest forecast by the Camara de Comercio de Medellin para Antioquia (CCM), the local chamber of commerce. In a March 8 presentation

General News

Antioquia’s ‘Vias del Nus’ Highway Project Launches Construction

Medellin Herald March 9, 2017

Colombia’s Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura (ANI) announced March 9 the start of construction on the “Vias del Nus” highway project linking Medellin suburbs northward to major Atlantic ports including Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta. The COP$1.1 trillion (US$366 million) project — also known as “Vinus”– is financed privately, with Colombia’s

General News

Police Capture Last Suspect in 2016 Murders of Danish, Mexican Visitors

Medellin Herald February 27, 2017

The Metropolitan Police for Medellin and the Valley of Aburrá announced February 27 that alias “Marulo” – one of four accused killers of two foreign visitors to Medellin last year — has just voluntarily surrendered, following police investigations and citizen information. Alias “Marulo” is the fourth person charged with the murders of Mexican citizen Gustavo […]

General News

Medellin’s International Airport: 11.3% Rise in Passengers in 2016

Medellin Herald February 13, 2017

Colombia’s civil aviation authority (Aeronautica Civil de Colombia, ACC) announced February 13 that Medellin’s international airport (Jose Maria Cordova, JMC) saw 2016 passenger counts jump 11.3% year-on-year, to 7.68 million. The year-on-year percentage increase in the number of passengers traveling through JMC – located in the Medellin suburb of Rionegro — was

General News

Accused Murderer of Japanese Tourist Captured by Medellin Police

Medellin Herald February 3, 2017

Colombia’s National Police (Policia Nacional de Colombia, PNC) announced February 3 that they have captured the accused murderer of Japanese tourist Ryo Izaki. Izaki was shot to death on November 19, 2016, when he offered resistance to two robbers that approached him on a motorcycle. The robbers violently stole a bag that Izaki was carrying […]

General News

Navelena Faces February 22 Deadline to Re-Finance Magdalena Dredging Project

Medellin Herald February 2, 2017

Cormagdalena – the Colombian government agency overseeing a proposed dredging project that would dramatically improve freight movements on the Magdalena River – announced January 31 that project developer Navelena now faces a February 22 deadline to present a new financing scheme. The agency demand arose because Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation has just decided

General News

Medellin-Bogota Highway Finally Reopened; ‘Mar 2’ Gets Financial Close

Medellin Herald January 17, 2017

Medellin’s decades-long battle to overcome logistical isolation from world markets took two more steps this month as highway concessionaire Devimed partially cleared a huge landslide blocking the Medellin-Bogota highway — and the crucial “Mar 2” project linking Medellin to Atlantic ports also finally got its financial close. According to Devimed, construction crews

General News

‘Medellin Como Vamos 2016’ Positive, but Pollution, Traffic, Health Biggest Concerns

Medellin Herald December 7, 2016

The annual “Medellin Como Vamos” (“How Are We Doing?”) citizen survey released December 6 found that most residents are generally positive about living conditions. But pollution, traffic and health services remain as top concerns. Medellin’s air pollution is mainly the result of a huge increase in vehicle traffic combined with large numbers of obsolete,

General News

ANI Announces Completion of La Pintada-Medellin Highway Upgrades

Medellin Herald December 5, 2016

Colombia’s national infrastructure agency (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura, ANI) announced December 5 that upgrades to the existing, two-lane highway between the southern Medellin suburb of Primavera and the municipality of La Pintada (adjacent to the Cauca River) have now been completed. This 54-kilometers-long upgrade — part of the “Conexion Pacifico 2” highway

General News

Fitch: Medellin Municipal Bonds Get ‘AAA(col)’ Long-Term Rating

Medellin Herald November 30, 2016

Wall Street bond rater Fitch announced November 23 that it affirmed the city of Medellin’s national long-term bond rating at “AAA(col)” with a “stable” outlook and the short-term rating at ‘F1+(col)’. Fitch has also affirmed the Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at “BBB.” While the rating outlook “remains negative,” this outlook “reflects the ‘negative