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

General News

Plane Crash Near Medellin Airport Claims Brazilian Soccer Team

Medellin Herald November 29, 2016

A BAe-146 jet aircraft (photo above) operated by Bolivia-based charter airline LaMia crashed near Medellin’s Jose Maria Cordoba (JMC) international airport around 10 p.m. November 28, killing 75 passengers and crew — including most of the members of the “Chapecoense” Brazilian soccer team. According to the official press statement from JMC airport operator Airplan,

General News

Medellin, Bogota Suffer Nation’s Worst Air Pollution: IDEAM

Medellin Herald November 24, 2016

Colombia’s national Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) on November 23 unveiled a new “Air Quality Report 2011-2015” showing that Medellin and Bogota suffer the worst air pollution in the nation. By 2015, the most contaminated areas with air-pollution monitoring stations were the Kennedy neighborhood of Bogota (for “PM 10” coarse

General News

Israel Inks US$77 Million Investment Deal for Antioquia Hydroponic Farm Project

Medellin Herald November 22, 2016

Antioquia Governor Luis Perez and Israeli Ambassador to Colombia Marco Sermoneta jointly announced November 21 that Israeli companies will invest US$77 million in a novel hydroponic farm project near the town of San Roque in Northeast Antioquia. The farm project in the El Nus township would produce tomatoes, sweet peppers and other vegetables on a […]

General News

Medellin’s Crucial ‘Mar 1’ Highway Project Construction Starts

Medellin Herald November 18, 2016

Construction consortium Devimar announced November 11 that it signed the official start-up document for the “Mar 1” highway project linking Medellin westward to Cañasgordas (see map above) and rehabilitation of the existing Bolombolo-Santa Fe de Antioquia highway. The project will create a four-lane divided highway between Medellin and Santa Fe de Antioquia – including a

General News

Medellin’s ‘Ruta N,’ Convention & Visitors Bureau Tout Hits, Initiatives

Medellin Herald November 11, 2016

The “Ruta N” high-tech innovation center partly funded by the Medellin city government announced November 10 the launch of an “Innovation Managers II” program, which aims to help 121 local companies train 261 managers in corporate innovation projects. The latest initiative follows on the heels of “Innovation Managers 2015,” which led to the creation of […]

General News

Medellin’s ‘Ruta N,’ Convention & Visitors Bureau Tout Hits, Initiatives

Medellin Herald November 11, 2016

The “Ruta N” high-tech innovation center partly funded by the Medellin city government announced November 10 the launch of an “Innovation Managers II” program, which aims to help 121 local companies train 261 managers in corporate innovation projects. The latest initiative follows on the heels of “Innovation Managers 2015,” which led to the creation of […]

General News

Deadly Medellin-Bogota Highway Landslide Casts Pall on Progress

Medellin Herald October 27, 2016

A huge landslide October 16 from a rock mine at kilometer 13 of the Medellin-Bogota highway in the municipality of Copacabana has claimed at least 16 lives with uncertainty remaining about several other persons that had been reported missing. Some 60,000 tonnes of rocks, dirt and mud slid down from the rock mine, covering all […]

General News

Medellin Moves Closer to Atlantic with Highway Expansions, Proposed Rail Link

Medellin Herald October 13, 2016

Colombia’s Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura (ANI, the infrastructure development agency) announced October 12 the opening of another 12.1-kilometers stretch of four-lane divided highway linking Medellin northward to Barbosa, Pradera and other Antioquian towns. The COP$438 billion (US$149 million) project, first launched in 2013, will link to new Atlantic-coast routes

General News

USAID Projects Boost Ecological Mining, Honey Incomes for Antioquia Families

Medellin Herald September 21, 2016

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced September 16 that its “Oro Legal” (legal gold mining) project has been expanded to include aid to 15 apiculture (honey producing) cooperatives in the Bajo Cauca gold-mining region in Antioquia. According to the agency, the apiculture project initially identified 56 possible candidate organizations in five