www.bogotafreeplanet.com en Bogota Free Planet Copyright 2010 2010-03-12T18:50:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6610 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6610#When:13:52:44 American Eagle Outfitters is bringing its T-shirts, jeans and belts outside of North America for the first time, the teen clothier said Thursday, opening a pair of flagship stores in the Middle East. The new stores will open this month in Dubai and Kuwait City in a partnership with franchiser M.H. Alshaya Co. American News 2010-03-12T18:50:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6608 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6608#When:13:41:11 HELENA - Gov. Brian Schweitzer jumped back into the issue of prescription drug pricing Thursday, saying he has asked the federal government to allow Montana to import lower-priced drugs from Canada for use in state-funded programs. At a Capitol news conference, Schweitzer said he sent a letter Thursday to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sibelius, asking her to “certify” importation of prescription drugs for use in Medicaid, Healthy Montana Kids, the state employee health plan and for state institutions. Canada in the News 2010-03-12T18:28:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6605 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6605#When:13:15:51 Fernando Toro sat with a small group of close supporters at a Colombian restaurant in east Orlando, sipping black coffee and strategizing over how to win election to Congress. Although Toro has been an American citizen since 2005 and could contend for political office here, he is not vying for a seat in the U.S. Congress but rather in the Congreso de la República de Colombia, the legislative body of his fatherland in South America. Bogota Colombia News 2010-03-12T18:13:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6604 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6604#When:13:12:41 The Macao Association for the Promotion of Exchange between Asia-Pacific and Latin America (MAPEAL), with the support of IPIM, held a seminar yesterday to promote business, tourism and investment opportunities of Mexico and Colombia. The event’s guest speakers Andrés Peña, Acting Consul General of Mexico in Hong Kong and Macao and Alejandro Ossa Cardenas, Director of Proexport Beijing, Embassy of Colombia - Commercial Office talked about the business opportunities of Mexico and Colombia and shared with the audience their in-depth knowledge about their home countries.  Bogota Colombia News 2010-03-12T18:08:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6603 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6603#When:13:08:25 The European Commission concluded trade negotiations with Lima and Bogota this month, following nine rounds of talks. The agreement, if ratified by the European Parliament, would fully liberalize commerce in some sectors between the bloc and the two Latin American countries. The possible deal has sparked an outcry in some quarters because of concerns over the South American country’s human rights record. Bogota Colombia Business 2010-03-12T18:03:01-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6602 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6602#When:13:03:02 In announcing on March 8 that Venezuela is interested in restoring diplomatic ties with Colombia, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro noted that any improvement will not take place while current Colombian President Álvaro Uribe remains in office. The jab was just one of many that Bogotá and Caracas have traded over the past eight tumultuous years, but the conciliatory rhetoric suggests that the two countries may be turning a corner in bilateral relations. Bogota Colombia News 2010-03-12T17:32:01-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6599 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6599#When:12:23:24 Colombia’s Partido Social de la Unidad, a coalition of parties that support President Álvaro Uribe, officially presented former Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos as its candidate for the May 2010 presidential elections on Monday.  The next day, Santos chose Colombian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Angelino Garzón as his vice president and said he would offer Uribe a ministerial position if elected president. Garzón and Santos worked together in former President Andrés Pastrana’s cabinet between 1998 and 2002.  Bogota Colombia News 2010-03-12T17:10:01-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6597 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6597#When:11:58:54 In The Q210 Business Environment Ratings table for the Americas, Colombia scores 51.7, falling one place to seventh among the 10 major markets in the Americas. The country’s population (expected to reach almost 50mn in number by the end of the decade), combined with rising per-capita expenditure will provide opportunities for drugmakers. However, the persistent shortcomings of the intellectual property (IP) and pricing and reimbursement regime continue to hamper the more direct involvement of foreign companies.  Bogota Colombia Business 2010-03-12T16:53:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6596 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6596#When:11:52:39 Colombia is the coffee lover’s Mecca. Colombia produces ten percent of the world’s Arabica beans, exporting ninety percent of that so the world can enjoy the rich taste of Colombian coffee. Even the aroma itself is satisfying. Visiting Colombian coffee plantations can also be an immensely satisfying experience. Coffee, the region’s most important export, is helping draw tourists to Colombia. They may come for the coffee, but they are captivated by the beauty of the land, the diversity of the culture, and the hospitality of the coffee growers of Colombia. Travel tourism 2010-03-12T16:33:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6595 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6595#When:11:33:24 The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, and the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture), today followed through on a commitment made in last week’s Speech from the Throne by tabling legislation to implement the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. At the same time, the government is also tabling parallel labour and environment agreements with Colombia. Bogota Colombia Business 2010-03-12T16:30:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6594 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6594#When:11:30:37 Colombian pop star and humanitarian leader Juan Esteban Aristizabal, a.k.a. Juanes, met with staff from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to exchange ideas and discuss possible opportunities for partnership. The conversation focused on USAID’s programs in Latin America as well as the work of Fundacion Mi Sangre, a non-profit organization founded by Juanes and dedicated to peace building in Colombia, the artist’s home country.  Bogota Colombia News 2010-03-12T16:22:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6593 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6593#When:11:21:32 222 S Glenoaks Blvd, Burbank, 818-558-3985 The first ache of the flu came the day I went to this little unassuming wonder and oh, how thankful I am that our friends suggested it.Welcoming as your abuela’s home with a side of rebel (look up on the wall for the Shepard Fairey Immigration Now poster), Cafe Colombia is an adorable joint where the food is just as warm as the decor. We shared a plate of Arepas to start. Similar to a pupusa, these little round corn cakes stuffed with cheese were delicious. Each kind , the sweet corn Suprema, white corn Mozzarepa, and the Queso, were their own blend of savory that made me want to order another plate and call it a day.  Restaurant reviews 2010-03-12T16:14:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6591 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6591#When:11:03:34 Golfer Camilo Villegas, who will play at Doral this weekend, has spurred pride and patriotism among his fans who appreciate not only his game but his character. You can’t miss it at this weekend’s big golf tournament at Doral, the human mass of yellow, blue, red and noise undulating around the Blue Monster course like a giant Colombian flag. But what makes the gallery following Camilo Villegas isn’t size, noise or color.  Sports 2010-03-12T15:47:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6590 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6590#When:16:53:57 Colombia, whose growing economic stability has drawn new enthusiasm to its mineral wealth, sees mining investment rising in 2010, Mines and Energy Minister Hernan Martinez Torres said on Tuesday. Speaking on the sidelines of the massive Prospectors and Developers’ Association mining convention in Toronto, Martinez said Colombia is pushing hard to attract investment to mineral riches that range from gold and platinum to oil and coal. Bogota Colombia Business 2010-03-11T21:50:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6587 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6587#When:15:28:29 FARC is pressin the Colombian government to issue security protocols for hostage release. President Álvaro Uribe said on Monday that his country can not allow foreign countries to impose a president in Colombia. Uribe said that Colombians “have to choose the candidate they want, the policies they want instead of the policies intended to be imposed from outside,” DPA reported. Bogota Colombia News 2010-03-11T20:26:01-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6585 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6585#When:15:22:06 JERICO, Colombia — With run-down schools and museums few and far between, rural Colombia can be a cultural wasteland. Beer and eight ball is about as high-brow as it gets. So what’s Andy Warhol doing out here? Thirteen of the late artist’s silkscreens are on display in Jerico, a community of 12,000 people located in the Andes Mountains three hours by car from Medellin. Bogota Colombia News 2010-03-11T20:18:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6584 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6584#When:13:18:27 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. Features 2010-03-11T18:16:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6583 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6583#When:12:01:26 Lonely Planet’s Tom Hall answers your questions on worldwide travel. This week: is Colombia really a safe destination and can you do Cairo in a day? Why is it that we hear so little about Colombia? I know that they had trouble years ago with drug gangs etc, but I’ve heard that it’s settled now and is an absolutely beautiful country. A couple of friends have travelled away from the usual coastal areas to the main coffee area around Armenia and said the Andean scenery was stunning. I’m thinking of going in the summer and would like to go to the central area, not the touristy coast. Can you help? Name and address supplied Travel tourism 2010-03-11T16:45:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6580 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6580#When:11:19:25 IFC continues to back micro-lenders with two recent deals associated with the Women’s World Bank.  The financial sector remains IFC’s largest focus in Colombia. I last wrote about its big backing of Bancolombia – the country’s largest bank – on programs offering hedging instruments to sophisticated clients and to fund Bancolombia’s investment bank unit in acquiring (presumably with other investors) non-performing loans originated by its lending unit.  Bogota Colombia Business 2010-03-11T16:16:00-05:00 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6579 http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com/index.php/article/6579#When:11:16:33 Proteccion SA, Colombia’s second- biggest pension fund, plans to invest 2.4 trillion pesos ($1.3 billion) in private equity in the next two years after reaching the government-set limit on stocks. Proteccion will boost private equity holdings to 10 percent of its 24 trillion pesos in assets by 2012 from less than 1 percent today, Juan Luis Escobar, the fund’s chief financial officer, said in an interview from his office in Medellin yesterday.  Bogota Colombia Business 2010-03-11T16:13:00-05:00