General News

Quarantine Goes National, Extends Through First Minute of April 13

Medellin Herald March 21, 2020

Colombia President Ivan Duque announced late last night (March 20) that the coronavirus quarantine on nearly all people and vehicles (already effective in Medellin and Antioquia) will be extended nationally through the first minute of April 13. “Essential activities, such as access to health

General News

Drastic Quarantine Starts 7 pm March 20 on All Residents, Vehicles, Restaurants, Meetings, Gatherings

Medellin Herald March 20, 2020

Antioquia Governor Anibal Gaviria and Medellin Mayor Daniel Quintero jointly announced March 19 a drastic quarantine for nearly all people, vehicles, restaurants, meetings, public spaces and many other activities starting at 7 pm Friday, March 20 (this evening), until 3 am Tuesday, March 24. The quarantine aims to slash potential exposures to the deadly Coronavirus, […]

General News

Update: Medellin, Colombia Learning to Cope with Coronavirus; Even Nationals Banned from Returning for 30 Days

Medellin Herald March 19, 2020

Medellin and Colombia today face the same issues with Coronavirus as the entire planet — and coping steps being taken here are virtually identical to every other nation and major city. As of March 16, all foreigners have been banned from travelling to Colombia — until further notice. What’s more, starting this weekend (the last […]

General News

USAID ‘Legal Gold’ Project Paying Off Financially, Environmentally for Small Miners

Medellin Herald January 23, 2020

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) “Oro Legal” (Legal Gold) project in Antioquia announced January 23 that between the September 2016 launch of the project and October 2019, dozens of formerly artisanal miners in the project produced 2.9 tons of gold worth more than US$112 million. “The results of gold sales and the payment […]

General News

EPM Successfully Closes Crucial Flood-Prevention Doors at Hidroituango Dam

Medellin Herald December 19, 2019

Medellin-based power giant EPM announced December18 that it successfully closed the second of two massive flood-prevention doors in the “auxiliary diversion tunnel” (“GAD” in Spanish initials) at the US$5 billion, 2.4-gigawatt “Hidroituango” hydropower project. The “GAD” had collapsed in April 2018, which forced EPM to divert Cauca River water through the dam’s machine

General News

USAID, Companies, Antioquia Governments Replant 2 Million Trees, 12,000 Beehives to Recover Lands Wrecked by Illegal Mining

Medellin Herald November 29, 2019

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) office in Colombia on November 28 issued an update on a joint USAID-Antioquia governmental program that is restoring 1,781 hectares of lands wrecked by criminal and illegal mining. To date, the US$4 million project has planted 2 million trees on deforested lands and established 12,000 beehives for honey […]

General News

Medellin Outshines Colombia With Peaceful Protest & Civility, in Contrast to Vandalism in Bogota, Cali

Medellin Herald November 22, 2019

In contrast to rock-throwing against police and vandalism to buildings and infrastructure in Bogota and Cali — following otherwise peaceful, well-organized November 21 nationwide protest marches — Medellin once again demonstrated to all Colombia that peaceful protest in a democracy effectively advances civil reform. Immediately taking note of that was Colombia

General News

Antioquia Mining Applications Declining in Number, but Environmental/Social Quality Rising: CGS 2019 Highlights

Medellin Herald November 19, 2019

In a November 12 keynote presentation to the fourth annual Colombia Gold Symposium (CGS) here in Medellin, CGS founder Paul Harris pointed to a recent study showing a drastic decline in mining concession contract applications in Antioquia – the heartland of Colombia gold mining. According to the study by Colombia-based consultant Portex, the number of […]

General News

Update: AngloGold Ashanti Unveils More Details on ‘Biodynamic’ Mining Scheme at Jerico, Antioquia

Medellin Herald November 18, 2019

South Africa-based global mining giant AngloGold Ashanti on November 28 unveiled more details of its proposed “Quebradona” copper-gold mining project at Jerico, Antioquia — including a novel “Biodynamic” nature park that would restore and improve the entire area, as part of its just-filed environmental impact assessment (EIA). AngloGold first

General News

Colombia’s Controller-General Probing 2 Former Medellin Mayors, 2 Former Antioquia Governors over Hidroituango Construction Errors, Financial Losses

Medellin Herald November 14, 2019

Colombia’s Controller General (Contraloria General de la Republica, CGR) Carlos Felipe Córdoba Larrarte announced November 14 that his agency has opened an investigation into two former Medellin Mayors, two former Antioquia Governors and three EPM representatives potentially responsible for construction errors and financial losses resulting from the collapse of a diversion