General News

Avianca Restarts Medellin-Bogota Flights September 1; Medellin-Cali, Medellin-Cartagena Restart September 7

Medellin Herald August 28, 2020

Colombia’s biggest national airline Avianca announced August 27 that it will restart national flights from Medellin’s Jose Maria Cordova (JMC) airport to-and-from Bogota starting September 1, then on September 7 relaunch flights at JMC to-and-from Cali and Cartagena. Following five months

Health & Insurance.

Colombia to Test Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine in September

Medellin Herald August 25, 2020

Colombia Health Minister Fernando Ruiz announced August 24 that 60,000 volunteers here will participate in a test next month of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by U.S.-based health-care giant Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen subsidiary. “With this [Janssen] company we have been working for more than a month in conversations about the possibility of conducting phase-3 clinical

General News

Medellin’s Downtown EOH Airport Wins OK to Restart Flights to 10 Cities; Cali-Medellin Route Also Opens to-and-from JMC

Medellin Herald August 25, 2020

Colombia’s Aerocivil aviation authority announced August 24 that Medellin’s downtown Olaya Herrera Airport (EOH) just won rights to restart flights to-and-from 10 cities in Colombia. Simultaneously, flights to and from Cali and Medellin’s Jose Maria Cordova (JMC) international airport at Rionegro also are now allowed, after five months of Covid-19 quarantine shutdowns.

General News

Medellin Metro Area Economic Expansions Restart Next Week through November

Medellin Herald August 24, 2020

Medellin Mayor Daniel Quintero and representatives of the 10 municipalities in Area Metropolitana de Valle de Aburra (AMVA) announced August 24 that they’ve approved a broader economic-reopening schedule that starts now with inter-city bus transport and next week with restaurants and some national flights. According to AMVA, “the following sectors are being reopened:

General News

EPM Contradicts Ex-Governor Luis Perez’s Claims of ‘Disastrous’ Expansion Strategy

Medellin Herald August 22, 2020

Medellin-based electric power and utilities conglomerate EPM is publicly clashing with former Antioquia Governor Luis Perez (2016-2019) over a 15-years-long, debt-financed expansion strategy that has catapulted EPM from just another a local utility to a multinational giant. “From the path traced in 2006, EPM has become a business group that today has 14 affiliates and […]

Infrastructure

Crucial ‘Pacifico 2’ Highway Linking Medellin to Pacific Port Now 89% Complete; ‘Pacifico 1’ Landslide Won’t Affect Construction Deadline: ANI

Medellin Herald August 21, 2020

Agencia Nacional de Infraestrucutura (ANI, Colombia’s national infrastructure agency) announced August 21 that the COP$1.7 trillion (US$443 million) “Pacifico 2” highway linking Medellin and southwest Antioquia to the Pacific port of Buenaventura is now 89% complete. The 96.5-kilometers-long “Pacífico 2” project is linked to “Pacific 3” southward and “Pacifico 1”

General News

EPM Finances Crimped by Prior Board’s Mass Exit over Arbitrary Management Moves; Mayor Quintero Announces New EPM Board Members

Medellin Herald August 18, 2020

Medellin-based electric power giant EPM admitted in an August 17 filing with Colombia’s Superfinanciera oversight agency that its lenders are alarmed over the mass resignation of its Board of Directors following EPM management’s decision to sue Hidroituango contractors and insurers this month without first consulting with the Board. In the latest filing with

General News

Hidroituango Contractors Slam EPM’s COP$9.9 Trillion ‘Conciliation’ Demands; Wall Street Issues Warning Flag on Board’s Sudden Mass Exit

Medellin Herald August 15, 2020

Three contractors principally involved in EPM’s US$5 billion, 2.4-gigawatt Hidroituango hydroelectric plant on August 14 unveiled a letter slamming EPM’s new COP$9.9 trillion (US$2.7 billion) “conciliation” claim tied to a diversion-tunnel collapse two years ago. The contractors making-up the “Consorcio CCI Ituango” consortium —

Infrastructure

President Duque: Crucial Medellin-to-Atlantic Highways, Tunnels, Puerto Antioquia Highest Priorities by 2022

Medellin Herald August 13, 2020

Colombia President Ivan Duque announced August 13 that the crucial “Mar 1” and “Mar 2” highways — including the Toyo Tunnel and Tunel de Occidente — as well as the proposed “Puerto Antioquia” freight port on the Caribbean are his highest priorities for accelerated advance or completion before his term ends in 2022. Speaking August […]

General News

EPM Files US$1.44 Billion Claim Against Hidroituango Insurer Mapfre; Entire EPM Board Resigns in Protest for Being Ignored

Medellin Herald August 12, 2020

Medellin-based electric power giant EPM announced August 11 that it just filed a COP$5.383 trillion (US$1.44 billion) claim against Mapfre Insurance (Colombia) as part of parallel conciliation procedures that seek to resolve an estimated US$2.6 billion in losses resulting from a 2018 tunnel collapse at the Hidroituango hydroelectric project in Antioquia. The claim against