General News

Antioquia Toll-Booth Worker Burned to Death by Colombia’s Extremist ‘Protesters’

Medellin Herald July 7, 2021

Colombia’s national infrastructure agency INVIAS announced July 6 that Antioquia highway toll-booth worker Luis Fernando Álvarez Correa has just died of massive burns suffered as a result of a terrorist “protester” attack on the “Los Llanos” highway toll booth in Antioquia last month. The

Infrastructure

‘Magdalena 2’ Connecting Medellin to ‘Ruta del Sol’ Highways Wins US$740 Million Finance

Medellin Herald June 30, 2021

Colombia’s infrastructure agency (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura, ANI) announced today (June 30) that the “Magdalena 2” project linking Medellin northward to the “Ruta del Sol” highways just won a COP$2.8 trillion (US$740 million) loan deal organized by Colombian coordinator Financiero de Desarollo Nacional (FDN). The loan deal for ANI’s “Magdalena 2” concession

Health & Insurance.

Colombia Covid-19 Vaccinations Will Cover 35 Million People by December 2021

Medellin Herald June 30, 2021

Colombia Health Minister Fernando Ruiz announced today (June 30) that because of acceleration in Covid-19 vaccination rates, Colombia is likely to achieve its stated goal of having its 35 million most-vulnerable-people fully vaccinated by December 2021. “We see an important growth in daily vaccinations, having started with an average of less than 50,000 per day […]

Health & Insurance.

Colombia Nears 17 Million Covid-19 Vaccinations; Antioquia at 2.4 Million; Medellin at 1.1 Million

Medellin Herald June 24, 2021

Colombia Health Minister Fernando Ruiz announced this morning (June 24) that Colombia has now exceeded 16 million Covid-19 vaccinations — and is averaging close to 300,000 daily, making its 17-million total-vaccinations-target by end-June likely a certainty. Of those 16 million nationwide vaccinations, 5.4 million are second shots – as required by almost all the

Infrastructure

Pacifico 1 Wins US$150 Million Finance Package to Complete Crucial Medellin-Southwest Antioquia Highway

Medellin Herald June 16, 2021

Medellin-based highway construction consortium Covipacifico announced June 15 that it just won confirmation of a US$150 million financing package for its “Pacifico 1” highway project. The financing will guarantee completion of the COP$2.6 trillion (US$704 million), 50-kilometers-long “Pacifico 1” project between the southern Medellin suburb of Caldas and a new

General News

Expats Rank Colombia 11th-Best Among 59 Nations in Living-Working Survey

Medellin Herald May 18, 2021

The latest InterNations global survey of the “best and worst” nations for living and working abroad finds that Colombia ranks 11th out of 59. Colombia’s highest rating (third overall) is in the “personal finance index” but its worst ranking (38th overall) is in the “working abroad index,” according to InterNations. “With more than 12,000 respondents, […]

Schools

Free College Tuition Debuts for 97% of Colombians This Year

Medellin Herald May 12, 2021

Colombia President Ivan Duque announced May 11 that the government has just decided to extend tuition-free college education for 97% of students attending public universities and technical colleges here, starting the second half of 2021. The historic move puts Colombia way ahead of many nations — including the relatively wealthy United States — by eliminating

Health & Insurance.

Colombia Updates Covid-19 Vaccination Rollout Plan as Shot Rate Accelerates

Medellin Herald May 9, 2021

Colombia’s Health Ministry announced May 8 a new, updated Covid-19 vaccination plan on the heels of accelerating vaccination rates – now topping 200,000 daily, likely meaning that more than 10 million Colombians will have had at least one shot by the end of May 2021. The plan adjustments “were made based on scientific evidence, which […]

General News

Update: Antioquia, Medellin Ease Covid Restrictions for May 10-May 17; Medellin-Bogota Highway Now Unblocked

Medellin Herald May 9, 2021

Antioquia Acting Governor Luis Fernando Suárez announced  May 9 that starting Monday, May 10 through Monday, May 17, a 10-pm to 5-am daily curfew and booze-sales ban will replace the stricter Covid-19 curfew/quarantine standards of the past three weeks. “Pico y cedula” shopping restrictions will switch to odd/even-numbered days tied to cedulas ending in odd […]

General News

Antioquia’s ‘IDEA” Development Bank Inks Alliance with Animal Bank

Medellin Herald April 23, 2021

The Antioquia departmental government’s Institute for the Development of Antioquia (IDEA) announced April 22 that it just signed an alliance deal with Medellin-based “green” project consultant Animal Bank. Animal Bank is an initiative created by Medellin’s Portafolio Verde organization (see Medellin Herald 08/26/2019), which helps various commercial or industrial project