General News

Colombia’s Economic Slowdown Penalizes Medellin in ‘Como Vamos’ Survey

Medellin Herald March 16, 2018

The annual “Medellin Como Vamos” (“how are we doing?”) citizen survey released March 15 finds that while most Medellin residents remain relatively optimistic, Colombia’s economic slowdown in 2017 pushed the favorability index downward. The face-to-face survey in November 2017 of 1,500 residents

General News

ANI Touts Billion-Dollar Investments in Antioquia Highways, Ports, Airport Upgrades

Medellin Herald March 14, 2018

Colombia’s Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura (ANI) infrastructure-project agency president Dimitri Zaninovich on March 13 publicly hailed what he termed as multi-billion-dollar investments in “fourth generation” (4G) highways connecting Medellin and Antioquia to key ocean freight ports. In a speech following inspection of Colombia’s first-ever unified air-freight

General News

Japan’s Chamber of Commerce Opens New Office in Medellin

Medellin Herald February 27, 2018

Japan’s Ambassador to Colombia Keiichiro Morishita this month unveiled new offices in Medellin of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI). The decision to open new offices here came following an initiative by local investment promotion agency ACI (Agencia de Cooperación e Inversión de Medellín). According to ACI, the new CCI office aims to […]

General News

‘Vias del Nus’ Highways, Crucial Tunnel Passages Win Enviro Permits

Medellin Herald January 27, 2018

The Medellin-based “Vias del Nus” (“Vinus”) highway construction concessionaire announced January 22 that it won crucial permits from Agencia Nacional de Licencias Ambientales (ANLA) to build twin tunnels through “La Quiebra,” the principal obstacle blocking cost- and time-efficient freight traffic between Medellin and the Rio Magdalena. The “Quiebra” pass currently only

Congresses & Conferences

Colombiatex 2018: New Markets, Bigger Sales, Higher Tech

Medellin Herald January 26, 2018

Inexmoda — the Medellin-based national trade group for Colombia’s textile and fashion industry – announced January 25 that the 30th annual “Colombiatex” show here generated new business deals likely to top US$356 million, surpassing last year’s estimate of US$326 million. In total, 36% of the dollar value of projected new-business deals here involved purchase of […]

General News

EPM Debuts 1st-Ever Commercial Solar-Power System at ‘El Tesoro’ Shopping Mall

Medellin Herald January 19, 2018

Medellin-based multinational electric-power giant EPM announced January 19 the start-up of a 590 megawatt-hours/year (MWh/year) solar-voltaic power system for the “El Tesoro” shopping mall in the Poblado district. The photovoltaic system will operate in parallel with conventional grid power (overwhelmingly hydroelectric-sourced), according to EPM. It’s EPM’s first-ever

General News

Electric Power Demand During 2017 Dipped in Antioquia, Grew Nationally

Medellin Herald January 18, 2018

The latest study by Medellin-based XM – Colombia’s national power-grid operator and wholesale power-trading center – finds that demand for electric power in Antioquia slipped by 0.8% year-on-year during full-year 2017, while nationwide power demand actually rose 1.3%. Nationwide power demand in 2017 totaled 66,893 gigawatt-hours, the study found. Power demand growth in

General News

Antioquia’s ‘Toyo’ Tunnel Wins Enviro Licenses, Construction to Start in 2018

Medellin Herald December 21, 2017

Medellin Mayor Federico Gutierrez and Antioquia Governor Luis Perez jointly announced December 18 that the 9.8-kilometers-long “Toyo” tunnel project has now won required environmental licenses, paving the way for construction start-up in January 2018. The “Toyo” tunnel project – estimated to cost COP$1.83 trillion (US$617 million) in 2012 pesos — would link the new

General News

Medellin’s Top Business-Development Leaders Reveal Big Investments, Expansions Coming

Medellin Herald December 21, 2017

In a December 21 press conference at Mayor Federico Gutierrez’s office, Medellin’s top business-development agency leaders revealed a host of initiatives that promise to bring millions of dollars in new investments and re-investments starting in 2018 and subsequent years. One example: At least three of the world’s top hotel chains are mulling a proposal to […]

General News

‘Ruta al Mar’ Highway Project Wins Big Financing Package

Medellin Herald December 15, 2017

Colombia’s national infrastructure agency (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura, ANI) and the Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN) national financing organization jointly announced December 14 that a new deal ensures COP$1.47 trillion (US$490 million) financing for the “Ruta al Mar” highway project linking northern Antioquia to Atlantic coastal ports. The new financing