By Admin Thursday, March 11, 2010
For many investors, Colombia remains a grey spot on their mental maps of South America.
La Violencia, the 50-year dark age in its recent past, came to an end with the close of the 20th century. But the memories are fresh, and the impact on the local economy and international perceptions of the country lingers. This reputation still prevents most foreigners from investigating Colombia’s potential – and that spells opportunity.
A lesson in democracyBy Admin Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Miami Herald: At a time when good government is under assault in nearby countries, Colombia has offered strong proof of its fealty to democracy and respect for the rule of law.
The Colombian Constitutional Court’s decision shutting the door on a referendum that would have allowed President Alvaro Uribe to run for a third term won’t go down well with everyone, given that the president is hugely popular for crippling a leftist insurgency. Yet it was undoubtedly the right decision, and Uribe and his followers have bowed to the will of the court.
Show changes focus of Latin photographyBy Admin Saturday, March 6, 2010
By RICHARD CHANG THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
When you think of Latin American art, the Mexican muralists may come to mind – Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco.
Then there’s Colombian artist Fernando Botero, who recently had an extensive retrospective at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. Cuban painter Wifredo Lam is considered a giant in the field, and so is Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.
Crackdown in ColombiaBy Admin Friday, February 26, 2010
Workers at BP’s central processing facility at Tauramena, the hub of the Cusiana oil field in Casanare, Colombia, are in their fifth week of indefinite strike.
The workers are members of the national oil workers union USO which has only been able to organise in Casanare in the last year. Their strike met police repression last week and is now at a critical stage.
USO started recruiting members among construction workers at the Tauramena storage and pumping installation. They were working for the contractor SAR Energy, which in turn had procured them through an agency.
Why the war on drugs in Colombia may never be wonBy Admin Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Decades after Richard Nixon tried to end the trafficking of cocaine from Colombia, success seems as elusive as ever
Up close, erythroxylum coca looks almost pretty – a plant with curving branches, green leaves and small yellow flowers that mature into red berries.
It has been cultivated on the slopes of the Andes since before the Incas, and invested with divine properties. When chewed, its leaves act as a mild stimulant and help overcome hunger, thirst and fatigue.
Top 10 Enterprise Features in Windows 7By Admin Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Desktop operating systems are geared toward making life easy for end users—and the Microsoft® Windows® 7 OS is no exception. Ten key features of Windows 7 Enterprise work in conjunction with the Microsoft Windows Server® 2008 R2 OS to advance enterprise efficiency:
1. DirectAccess connectivity: DirectAccess enables mobile users to access enterprise resources simply and securely when out of the office, without the extra step of initiating a virtual private network (VPN) connection.
Why I’m Bullish on ColombiaBy Admin Thursday, February 11, 2010
Sidenote for those who aren’t economics nerds, A ‘bull‘ or ‘bull market’ refers to optimistic investments or expressing confidence. A ‘bear‘ or ‘bear market’ refers to economic pessimism or lacking confidence.
As I outlined in the first post to this blog, a major reason in my moving to Latin America is to make a career in an emerging market. Globalization is a product of two worldwide trends: the fall of socialism and the rise of the internet.
20 years ago, 60% of the world lived under some form of socialism. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, capitalism triumphed and East Germans poured across the border to go to McDonald’s.
Shakira; the big SEAT signingBy Admin Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Today in this blog dedicated to the engine we do a high place between so many cylinders, CV, engines, valves … and speak to you about something less technical. SEAT has recorded for this year the Colombian singing beauty Shakira to promote his new models. The agreement includes the esponsorización of the European tour of the star of pop.
By Admin Tuesday, February 9, 2010
In Colombia, Land is rich. Its rich with oil, coal and precious metals. With over 500 rivers—IT HAS some of the most fertile soil in the world. But IN THE LAST CENTURY most of Colombia’s natural wealth has been controlled by a small minority of the population. And for more than 40 years there has been war. It’s a war for land fueled by the largest cocaine trade in the world. But its innocent Colombians who have been caught most viciously in its crossfire.
By Admin Thursday, February 4, 2010
MANAURE, Colombia — Where South America juts like a finger into the Caribbean ocean, sheets of salt roll out into the sea, made bright white under a scorching sun.
In the coastal town of Manaure, home to Colombia’s largest salt deposits, salt miners of the Wayuu indigenous group shuffle their flip-flops over a slush of salt, sand and seawater that sears the soles of their feet. They shovel the salt into 100-pound sacks that they sell to the company down the road.
