facebook
linkedin
twitter
About Us
  • BFSI
  • Energy
  • Infocom
  • Mining
  • Venture
  • Industry
  • Travel
  • Civic
  • Food, Health, Ag
  • Real Estate
  • Responsibility
  • Economy
  • Law & Justice
  • Interview
  • Analysis
Sergio Escobar, ACI Medellin

Guest Editorial: Restore Confidence in Medellín

Posted On September 1, 2020
By : Sergio Escobar
Comment: 0
Tag: city relations framework agreement, civic life, colombia, Corporate Governance, daniel quintero, epm, Finance Colombia, medellin futuro, oecd, ruta n, Sergio Escobar, Sustainable Development Goals

In recent weeks, the harmony of Medellin’s governance with the city’s civil society has been affected by a series of decisions originating from the Medellin mayor’s office that interfere with the regulations and corporate governance of companies so emblematic of the city & the country such as Empresas Públicas de Medellin (EPM) and Ruta N that generate national and international concern.

Medellin is a resilient city by nature based on the values ​​of work, family, and education as the axes of progress and of collaborative governance as a fundamental basis for citizen consensus on institutional trust and good governance with the entire municipal corpus.

Recently, the mayor made some decisions behind the back of the EPM board of directors, motivating the board’s massive resignation in an act of protest. Likewise, it did not consult with the academy, civil organizations, and the industrial associations of the city, as has been traditional, for the formation of a new board. A similar circumstance we encounter with the leading entity in innovation, science and technology of Medellin, Ruta N, where the director, appointed by the mayor himself, was fired for “complying with the technical but for failing to comply with the political”, an entity that had previously been armored against the political machinations of the governments of the day.

The opinions of guest editorial contributors are their own and not necessarily those of Finance Colombia, its publisher, editors, or staff.

In this sense, the mayor goes against complying with EPM’s City Relations Framework Agreement as well as the proposed government program put forward by the candidate to the citizens when running for mayor and then materialized in the Medellín Futuro 2020–2023 development plan.

Leading citizens of all socio-economic and socio-cultural sectors of the city have extended, on multiple occasions and forms, bridges of dialogue, but the mayor has missed opportunities to rebuild a constructive relationship and a roadmap to work as a team with key sectors of the city. Personal resentment, pride, and arrogance are not good qualities when power is exercised and this particular agenda is in contrast to a Medellin that has worked together for decades for its integral development and is a benchmark in Colombia and throughout the world.

The mayor considers the members of the civic oversight bodies that exist to take care of the state, an instrument established in the country’s legal system and that the mayor himself, as a citizen, proposed in the past. These forces cannot be obscure when the names of citizens, civil organizations, companies, academic institutions and think-tanks are in the light of all and there are oversight bodies with legal frame acting for many years, strengthening the guidelines of the Sustainable Development Goals and the policies of the OECD that strengthen territorial governance.

These oversight bodies work with basic principles and clear objectives that reflect the broad citizen consensus that considers that the state belongs to and matters to all the citizens of Medellin. They are instances outside any type of activism, political party platform or any person.

If the mayor does not take the initiative, citizens must rebuild a broken trust that in turn generates trust in the international community that Medellin continues to be a resilient society interested in the well-being of all those who reside in the city.

ABOVE PHOTO: Just as in an orchestra, a functioning municipal or civic society counts on the harmony between multiple units working together towards a common objective. Above, the musicians are being addressed by Sergio Escobar, author of this guest opinion piece.

DON'T MISS OUT: The only English-language Colombia news that's strictly business, markets, & investment!
Join global executives & investors by subscribing to our FREE weekly updates
I agree to have my personal information transferred to MailChimp ( more information ) DISCLAIMER: Protección de Datos Personales Artículo 15 de la Constitución Política de Colombia, ley 1581 de 2012 y decreto 1377 de 2013.
We will never spam you or share your email address ¡Nunca Jamás!

Share the news!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Print
  • WhatsApp
  • LinkedIn
  • Skype

Related

Share your thoughts:

comments

About the Author
Sergio Escobar is the executive director of the Medellín Global Center for Strategic International Studies. He is a former diplomat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, serving in Mexico, Costa Rica, Italy & acting ambassador in Brazil. He is former Executive Director of the Commercial Offices of Procolombia in Mexico & Costa Rica and Representative of BANCOLDEX in Mexico & Executive Director of the Agency for International Cooperation and Investment of Medellín. Escobar’s private sector experience includes: Technical VP of FEDEMETAL in Colombia; advisor to companies such as Avianca, Abocol & Renault Colombia, among others. He is co-author of the book "Latin America has been left alone" by Santillana. He speaks Portuguese, Spanish, English & Italian. Escobar studied law at the Javeriana University and is a diplomat graduated from the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University of Bogotá, & specialized in International Relations in Italy and Brazil; He has been professor of international affairs at universities in Colombia & Mexico
  • google-share
Previous Story

From Tomato-Thrower To Banana Republican, Can Medellin’s Mayor Daniel Quintero Learn Good Governance (Please?): Op-Ed

Next Story

New Details Emerge On How Medellín Mayor Daniel Quintero Provoked Ruta-N Board Walkout

Related Posts

Grand Bahamas photo © Loren Moss
0

Bahamas Seeks Air Connectivity With Colombia

Posted On May 18, 2022
, By Loren Moss
Roberto Kriete, avianca's main shareholder and chairman of the Board of Directors.
0

Shareholders Of Viva, Avianca & Gol Announce The Creation Of Abra Group To Dominate South American Skies

Posted On May 11, 2022
, By Loren Moss
Colombia’s attorney general charged Russian national Sergein Vagin and six other people
0

Alleged Russian Spy Charged…With Running A Gambling Mafia

Posted On April 12, 2022
, By Loren Moss

You must log in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.





Search

RECENT

POPULAR

COMMENTS

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants today reveals Leonor Espinosa of Leo, Bogotá, as the 2022 winner of The World’s Best Female Chef Award, sponsored by Nude Glass

Colombian Leonor Espinosa Named "World's Best Female Chef"

Posted On May 18, 2022
Grand Bahamas photo © Loren Moss

Bahamas Seeks Air Connectivity With Colombia

Posted On May 18, 2022
Roberto Kriete, avianca's main shareholder and chairman of the Board of Directors.

Shareholders Of Viva, Avianca & Gol Announce The Creation Of Abra Group To Dominate South American Skies

Posted On May 11, 2022
Colombia’s attorney general charged Russian national Sergein Vagin and six other people

Alleged Russian Spy Charged…With Running A Gambling Mafia

Posted On April 12, 2022

Viva Launches Nonstop Routes To Buenos Aires, Argentina From Medellín & Bogotá, Colombia

Posted On April 12, 2022

Romanian Cybercriminal Mihai Ionut Paunescu Captured In Colombia

Posted On June 29, 2021
Photo montage courtesy EPM

EPM’s Board of Directors Resign En Masse, Creating Crisis For Mayor Daniel Quintero

Posted On August 17, 2020

Court Blocks Colombia’s $370 Million USD Emergency Loan To Bankrupt Avianca Airlines

Posted On September 12, 2020

Deadly Riots & Protests Against Police Brutality Break Out Across Colombia

Posted On September 10, 2020

AVIANCA IS BANKRUPT

Posted On May 10, 2020

[…] damn what she said. She and...

Posted On April 4, 2022

[…] by short sellers seeking to...

Posted On March 22, 2022

[…] no longer travel freely...

Posted On March 8, 2022

[…] Duque’s administration will...

Posted On March 8, 2022

[…] See also: 13 Police Injured In...

Posted On March 3, 2022

Watch This!

Consider Advertising With Us

Click here to visit Expat Group's English site

Subscribe Free

don't forget to include "http://"
* = required field
Your Background / Function








unsubscribe from list

RECENT

POPULAR

COMMENTS

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants today reveals Leonor Espinosa of Leo, Bogotá, as the 2022 winner of The World’s Best Female Chef Award, sponsored by Nude Glass

Colombian Leonor Espinosa Named "World's Best Female Chef"

Posted On May 18, 2022
Grand Bahamas photo © Loren Moss

Bahamas Seeks Air Connectivity With Colombia

Posted On May 18, 2022
Roberto Kriete, avianca's main shareholder and chairman of the Board of Directors.

Shareholders Of Viva, Avianca & Gol Announce The Creation Of Abra Group To Dominate South American Skies

Posted On May 11, 2022

Romanian Cybercriminal Mihai Ionut Paunescu Captured In Colombia

Posted On June 29, 2021
Photo montage courtesy EPM

EPM’s Board of Directors Resign En Masse, Creating Crisis For Mayor Daniel Quintero

Posted On August 17, 2020

Deadly Riots & Protests Against Police Brutality Break Out Across Colombia

Posted On September 10, 2020

[…] damn what she said. She and...

Posted On April 4, 2022

[…] by short sellers seeking to...

Posted On March 22, 2022

[…] no longer travel freely...

Posted On March 8, 2022

Watch This!

Contact Us (Click the image):

Pages

  • About Us
  • Colombia Events, Conferences, Festivals and Important Dates
  • Contact Us
  • main
  • Media Partnerships
  • Privacy Policy
  • Search Results
  • Whatsapp test page
Copyright 2014-2020 Finance Colombia All Rights Reserved. We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
Posting....
WhatsApp us