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

Culture

Rio Medellin Once Again Shines for Annual Xmas Lights Spectacular

Medellin Herald November 29, 2019

Medellin utilities giant EPM on November 29 relights 27 million LED bulbs for an annual Christmas-season spectacle in several city parks and neighborhoods, as well as light-show designs alongside Rio Medellin — absent in recent years due to “Parques del Rio” construction. The spectacle can be viewed daily from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. midnight, […]

Infrastructure

May 2019 Landslide on Medellin-Bolombolo Highway Seen Cleared by March 2020: ANI

Medellin Herald November 27, 2019

Colombia’s national infrastructure agency (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura, ANI) announced November 26 that a May 28, 2019 landslide blocking the Medellin-Bolombolo highway near Amaga should be cleared by around March 2020. The landslide wiped-out an under-construction section of the “Pacifico 1” four-lane divided highway as well as a stretch of the existing highway

Infrastructure

Renewable-Electricity Developer Invenergy Inks Solar, Wind-Power Alliance with EPM

Medellin Herald November 27, 2019

Medellin-based multinational electric power producer EPM announced November 27 an alliance with U.S.-based, global renewable-power developer Invenergy for at least 400 megawatts of solar- and wind-power generation capacity in Colombia. The alliance will “invest, develop, build, operate and maintain unconventional renewable energy projects in Colombia, specifically with

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

Infrastructure

Update: Medellin-Bogota Highway Partially Reopened at Kilometer 73

Medellin Herald November 18, 2019

Colombia’s national highway institute Invias announced November 25 the partial reopening of the Medellin-Bogota highway at kilometer 73 (San Luis, Antioquia) following a November 13 landslide that blocked all traffic. According to Invias, more than 84,000 cubic meters of rocks and dirt have been removed so far, but the job isn’t quite finished. As a […]

Infrastructure

Medellin’s ‘Plaza Mayor’ Convention Center Unveils US$9.4 Million Expansion Scheme, Including New Hotel

Medellin Herald November 15, 2019

Medellin’s “Plaza Mayor” on November 14 unveiled a COP$32 billion (US$9.4 million) expansion plan that over the next 10 years would modernize a host of convention facilities and add a new hotel. The “2019-2029 Events with a Future” scheme includes 10 proposals both within and outside the convention center, along with “modernization of spaces and […]

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