The Santafé Shopping Center in Medellín has unveiled the 15th edition of the world’s largest living flower carpet, featuring a 14-meter-tall hot air balloon sculpture, as a prelude to the city’s upcoming Flower Festival, which begins August 1.

“We have this grand, majestic, and emblematic flower carpet, the largest living carpet in both Colombia and the world, which will be on display for 48 days in the Medellín plaza,” María Fernanda Bertel, general manager of Santafé Shopping Center, told EFE.

The plaza housing the carpet spans 1,000 square meters, with 800 square meters covered by 25,000 plants, including more than 200,000 petunias and marigolds. All the flowers used in the installation come from various nurseries in eastern Antioquia, the department of which Medellín is the capital.

What began fifteen years ago as a tribute to the region’s silletera tradition—by showcasing “the city’s largest silleta”—has become a major tourist attraction during the Flower Festival, according to Bertel.

Silletas are wooden frames that were once used by local farmers to carry loads on their backs. Bertel noted that the 2024 edition of the flower carpet attracted 2.8 million visitors, including locals, Colombians from other regions, and international tourists. This year, organizers hope to surpass that figure.

Economically, the “flower season” is the second most important of the year for the shopping center’s co-owners, after December. The exhibition coincides with major citywide events such as Colombiamoda in late July and the Flower Festival in early August. According to Bertel, the season accounts for between 27% and 30% of the annual sales for the center’s business partners.

This year’s artistic theme, The Journey of the Flowers, invites visitors to Santafé to “become adventurers” and explore figures that adorned previous editions of the carpet—such as a seahorse, parrots, hummingbirds, and butterflies—now displayed throughout the shopping center, Bertel said.

For the first time, visitors can also view the flower carpet from its center and at a height of 2.8 meters by stepping into the basket of the hot air balloon that forms part of the installation.

Although the Flower Festival runs from August 1 to 10, the floral installation at Santafé Shopping Center will remain open to the public until August 31.

Above Photograph of a carpet made with flowers in Medellín (Colombia). The Santafé Shopping Centre in Medellín presented its 15th edition of the world’s largest carpet made with live flowers. EFE/STR

Colombia’s civil aviation authority, Aerocivil, has suspended the licenses of several air traffic controllers and launched a formal investigation after Colombian media outlet RCN reported that an air traffic controller at Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG), one of the busiest international hub airports in Latin America, allowed his teenage son to take over operations, placing the lives of thousands of passengers at risk. Worse, the controller’s supervisor was complicit in the very bad idea, alleged to have taken place on July 21. The incident has prompted a multi-agency response to determine the full extent of the security breach and any potential criminal liability.

“Under no circumstances may anyone outside the air traffic control services be permitted to manipulate the control communications equipment.” – Aerocivil

According to a statement from Aerocivil, the agency took immediate action following the incident. Through Resolution 1923, issued on July 25, the aeronautical licenses of the air traffic controllers directly involved have been temporarily suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

In addition to the suspensions, the Office of Internal Disciplinary Control has opened a case (2025/178) into five other officials who may have been connected to the event. The aviation authority has also announced its intention to refer the findings of its internal investigation to the Attorney General’s Office of Colombia to determine whether the acts warrant criminal charges against the controllers.

Video shows the teen providing runway coordinates, directions, landing authorizations & other weather information to airline pilots.

In its public statements, Aerocivil tried to reassure the public, saying that while the incident represents a “serious violation of air safety regulations,” established security protocols were activated, and at no point were active flight operations compromised. The authority emphasized that the actions of the individuals under investigation do not reflect the standards of the majority of its air traffic control professionals.

El Dorado International Airport is operated by Operadora Aeroportuaria Internacional (OPAIN S.A.), a private consortium. The airport is a critical hub for passenger and cargo traffic in Latin America. OPAIN has not yet issued a public statement on the matter.

Video provided by RCN

An interesting few days, but there again, when isn’t it in Colombia?

US relations are again making headlines with support for the country (Plan Colombia) reportedly set to drop by 50% from $410 million USD to $206 million USD. Whilst a blow, in reality, Colombia shouldn’t need to rely on the US for such funds – time to grow up. This week, we also had the Republican extremists referring to Gustavo Petro (and others in the government) as habitual drug users and again making inferences regarding the assassination attempt on Miguel Uribe – all pretty pathetic. It’s hard to take Donald Trump or his cronies seriously when they have threatened any country that deals with Venezuela – he has now reportedly permitted Chevron to resume oil exploration. The New Silk Road seems ever more appealing.

The May trade data from Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística – DANE Colombia hit the headlines with a troubling $1.4 billion USD deficit, only adding to concerns over the fiscal situation amongst the press. There is, of course, real pressure to improve the situation, and the government needs to look at the spending situation; however, much of the cause of the problem is an economy that is growing at a healthy pace. Lower inflation and interest rates are driving domestic demand, retail sales, and confidence, which saw imports rise 10.8% in May as locals continue to buy consumer durables from overseas – the main country of origin is at the other end of that Silk Road.

This surge in imports has been accompanied by weak export data. It is noteworthy that Petro has again expressed the need for Colombia to wean itself off its oil & coal dependence and focus more on agriculture. The former two categories are struggling with international sales, whilst the latter is booming. An uncomfortable truth for the elite & the commodity sector.

Another element of the economic recovery is record low unemployment; however, this appears to be an inconvenient truth to the press (Portafolio), preferring to highlight that Colombia has the 3rd worst labor situation in the OECD – OCDE. A particularly lazy piece of journalism, considering the makeup of the 19 other countries in the survey. Yes, there is too much informality, but even Bancolombia this week pointed out that the labor reform should help that situation.

Finally, good news on poverty. The DANE reported a drop in the national number from 34.6% to 31.8%. That is still a disgrace given the natural resources that Colombia enjoys, but considering the sky-high GINI coefficient not a surprise. The good news is that they are record low numbers – but work to do !!

Elsewhere, there has been no advancement in the various reform processes, and the countries’ politicians continue to take cheap shots at one another.

Have a fabulous Friday.

Regards.

Rupert.

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Presidential candidate and Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay with his wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona. (source: social media)

Board-certified pediatric spine surgeon and researcher Dr. Jaime A. Gomez has joined the Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, and Spine Institute. According to US News & World Report, Dr. Gomez brings his extensive expertise in the operative and nonoperative treatment of scoliosis and other complex spinal conditions in children and adolescents to one of the best-known children’s orthopedic programs in the nation.

His specialty includes using growth-friendly surgical techniques for young children and less invasive approaches such as scoliosis casting, bracing, and complex spinal deformity corrections. An active researcher, Dr. Gomez focuses on clinical outcomes in pediatric orthopedics and scoliosis. He has contributed to more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, presented his research at national and international conferences, and participated in numerous medical-surgical trips to the Dominican Republic with World Spine Outreach and the Butterfly Foundation.

“It is an honor to join the world-renowned team of specialty physicians at Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute,” says Dr. Jaime A. Gomez. “I’m looking forward to joining and collaborating with pioneers in the field whose innovations have shaped the advanced surgical techniques we use today to treat the most complex spinal conditions,” Gomez added.

Lead Pediatric Spine Surgeon and Researcher, Dr. Jaime A. Gomez, Joins Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Photo credit: Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Gomez earned his medical degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, followed by an orthopedic surgical residency at Columbia University‘s New York Presbyterian Hospital. He later pursued a pediatric orthopedic fellowship at Harvard Medical School/Boston Children’s Hospital, followed by a spine surgery fellowship at New York University‘s Hospital for Joint Diseases.

“Nicklaus Children’s continues to be a national leader in treating spinal disorders in children,” says Dr. Stephen George, medical director of surgical service and pediatric spinal surgeon at Nicklaus Children’s. “With Dr. Gomez’s years of expertise and research in scoliosis treatments, we’re looking forward to continuing the legacy within the institute,” George added.

Before joining Nicklaus Children’s, Dr. Gomez was director of Spinal Deformity, Pediatric Spine Surgery, and Pediatric Orthopedic Education and Research at Montefiore Einstein in New York City. He also held the position of associate professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Pediatrics.

Dr. Gomez is employed by Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists, the multi-specialty medical group practice of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Lead Pediatric Spine Surgeon and Researcher, Dr. Jaime A. Gomez, joins Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Photo and video credit: Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.

The Mayor’s Office of Medellín, through Sapiencia, the post-secondary education agency, is improving language skills through the Medellinglish program. The English training program, in partnership with EAFIT University, received 10,787 applications for the 4,000 spots available in the first round of 2025, to learn free of charge.

Photo courtesy of Medellín Mayor’s office.

Priority was given to vulnerable and special populations, reflecting the commitment to equitable access to training opportunities for employment and life, with an investment of approximately $750,000 USD.

So far, 3,634 people have confirmed their enrollment and began classes on July 15 using a hybrid methodology that combines in-person and virtual learning. To fill the available spaces, a process is underway for the remaining selected applicants, who will begin their training the week of July 22nd and finish classes the week of December 13th.

The program meets the standards of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Those selected took diagnostic tests for levels A1, A2, B1, or B2, depending on their language proficiency.
Those who did not obtain a place can apply for the August application period for the Digital Citadel Medellín program. The program offers free, 100% virtual modular short courses in basic and intermediate English. This year, 14,173 people have benefited from this Sapiencia training program.

Photos courtesy City of Medellín.

Medellín is scheduled to host the 2025 Feria de las Flores from August 1 to August 10. The event, which highlights the silletera culture, will feature over 200 public and private activities across the city.

Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga announced plans for the festival, including 21 musical stages distributed across the city’s 16 communes and five corregimientos, all offering free admission. The Alcaldía de Medellín (Mayor’s Office of Medellín) has allocated $336 million COP (approximately $81,000 USD) for the renewal of attire for 535 silleteros and silleteras—flower farmers who carry elaborate floral arrangements. This update marks the first such renewal since 2017. The new attire includes trousers and shirts for men, and skirts and blouses for women, along with traditional accessories such as cotizas (sandals), paruma (wrap-around skirt), aprons, hats, and scarves.

Mayor Gutiérrez stated that the Feria de las Flores remains a public event, with over 110 activities organized by the Mayor’s Office. He emphasized the role of the silleteros as central to the festival, representing the region’s values and customs. Both adult and child silleteros are expected to debut new uniforms.

Above photo of Medellín’s “Feria de las Flores” (Flower Festival) courtesy of Medellín Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Under the theme “Medellín Te quiere celebrando lo que somos” (Medellín Loves You, Celebrating Who We Are), the program includes five parades. These are the second edition of Avenida Primavera, the Classic and Antique Cars Parade, the Chivas and Flowers Parade, and the Heroes of the Homeland Parade.

The 68th edition of the Iconic Silleteros Parade will feature 535 silleteros and silleteras, including five children with neurodiversity. Martín Atehortúa, a silletero from Santa Elena and president of the Corporación de Silleteros de Santa Elena (Cosse), acknowledged the inclusion efforts, noting it as an advance for equality. The parade is scheduled for Sunday, August 10. On this day, which marks the close of the Feria de las Flores, each silletero will wear a black ribbon in honor of victims of winter weather in the metropolitan area and nationwide.

The District Administration will provide 44 grandstands with a total capacity of 22,000 people per parade, each accommodating 500 attendees. Over 50% of these spaces will be open to the public without charge to ensure broader access. A specialized module with a capacity for 50 individuals with reduced mobility will also be available. The remaining grandstand spaces will be managed by the Greater Medellín Convention & Visitors Bureau for commercialization among festival sponsors and tourism operators.

Throughout the 10-day festival, musical stages will return with artistic programming in each of the 16 communes and five corregimientos, aiming to decentralize the event’s reach. Attendance at these stages is projected to range from 10,000 to 40,000 attendees per stage.

The inaugural concert is scheduled for Friday, August 1, in the Obelisco sector, featuring artists such as Jorge Celedón, Fernando González, and Jessi Uribe. Additionally, the Parque Cultural Nocturno (Night Cultural Park) will take place at Plaza Gardel, offering high-level performances. The program includes Colombian, Afro, and bolero music, along with a tribute to the 50th anniversary of El Combo de las Estrellas.

The 19th edition of the National Trova Festival Ciudad de Medellín will hold its semifinal rounds on August 1 and 2 at the Parque de los Deseos. The grand final for the Rey or Reina de la Trova (King or Queen of Trova) will be on Friday, August 8, at Plaza Gardel.

Other scheduled activities include the Silleteritos Parade and Sancochos Festival in Santa Elena, the La Floresta Silleteritos Parade, the Feria al Ritmo de Bici (Fair to the Rhythm of Bike) Parade, the Canine and Pet Walk, Plazas de las Flores (Flower Plazas), Fondas de Mi Tierra (My Land’s Inns) at Aeroparque Juan Pablo II, and “Florecer: orquídeas, naturaleza y tradiciones” (To Blossom: Orchids, Nature, and Traditions) at the Jardín Botánico de Medellín.

Mauricio Londoño, president of the Corporación de Silleteros de Santa Elena (Cosse), noted that grandstand ticket sales for 2025 will include the experience of visiting a silletera farm, aiming to increase visibility for these farms and allow visitors to experience them firsthand.

Migración Colombia projects that between 55,000 and 60,000 international passengers will arrive during the Feria de las Flores 2025, with at least 55% being foreign visitors and non-resident Colombians. Terminales Medellín estimates that land transport passenger arrivals will range between 250,000 and 260,000 people. Cotelco, the Colombian Hotel and Tourism Association, forecasts hotel occupancy rates between 77.0% and 81.0%, indicating an upward trend.

Medellín’s Féria de las Flores. Photo credit: Loren Moss

Bogotá is preparing to transform its main strength – air connectivity – into a powerful tool for tourist attraction with the launch of ‘Stopover, Amor a primera pista’ which means “Stopover, Love at First Landing” a strategy of the District Institute of Tourism (IDT), in alliance with Avianca, the airline that currently offers the greatest connectivity to Bogotá, with a global network of more than 165 routes that connect with 80 destinations in 28 countries.

With the support of the District Development Plan ‘Bogotá Camina Segura’ and the ‘Bogotá Airport City’ program, the strategy is presented as a high-impact initiative to consolidate the Colombian capital as a mandatory transit destination in Latin America. The proposal is to allow international travelers who connect in Bogotá to stay up to 24 hours at no additional cost on their air ticket and take advantage of their stopover to get to know the best of the city with special offers on hotels, city tours, restaurants and tourist packages offered by local travel agencies through the Visitbogota.co website.

With this initiative, Bogotá is joining a global trend – known as  a “Stopover” – that has now been successfully adopted by capitals such as Lisbon, Dubai, and Istanbul, nearby Panamá City, among others. “With Stopover Bogotá, we are looking for more travelers to take advantage of their stopover to discover our city, enjoy its diversity, and take away a story that inspires them to return. We want a stopover to become a tour of Candelaria, a lunch with an ajiaco flavor, an afternoon in Monserrate, or a night enjoying the culture of Bogotá. What was once wasted time, today can be an experience that energizes the economy and strengthens the image of the city,” said the Director of the Bogotá Tourism Office, Andrés Santamaría.

Why Bogotá?

El Dorado International Airport, with more than 355,000 flights operated and 45 million passengers mobilized in 2024, is one of the main air connectivity hubs in Latin America. Flights take off and land from its runways to 57 international destinations and 45 domestic destinations, making it a strategic hub between South America, North America, and Europe. However, according to data from the 2024 Great Traveler Survey of the District Tourism Observatory, 95% of international passengers in transit do not leave the airport. With Stopover Bogotá, the city seeks to reverse this trend, encouraging express stays that boost the local economy, strengthen the image of Bogotá as a destination, and increase tourist spending per visitor.

In 2024, Bogotá received more than 14 million visitors, of whom 1,871,956 were international tourists, evidencing a growth of 8.7% compared to 2023. Tourism generated about 7 billion pesos and more than 106,000 jobs per month, consolidating itself as a key economic engine for the city. Hotel occupancy reached an average of 61.4% and the daily expenditure of an international tourist was approximately $100 USD.

Stopover Bogotá: a city experience for up to 24 hours

Through packages designed by certified local operators, travelers will be able to enjoy tours such as:

• Bogotá in 24 hours: visit to the historic center, museums, gastronomy, and shopping.
• Flavors of the capital: experience in market squares and local restaurants.
• Bogotá in nature: routes through the hills, gardens, and green spaces within the city.

Each experience seeks to show that Bogotá is not just a point of passage, but a city that you fall in love with from the first moment. Tourists will be able to find the offer of special discounts offered by the city on the official tourism portal Visitbogota.co.
With this strategy, Bogotá’s Tourism Office that at least 472,000 passengers will opt for the Bogotá Stopover between July 2025 and December 2026, generating revenues in the order of $40 million dollars in tourism spending alone. Likewise, airport tax revenues are estimated to exceed $21.2 million dollars.

Avianca, the partner airline of Stopover Bogotá

Avianca, the airline with the most complete route network in Colombia and one of the largest in the region, will be the partner of the Stopover Bogotá program. Today, the company connects the Colombian capital with more than 40 international destinations and more than 20 national destinations. Every day, it operates more than 240 flights to and from El Dorado International Airport, transporting more than 32,000 passengers, of whom approximately 18,000 travels in connection via Bogotá, which reflects a city that has become a hub par excellence.

In its initial phase, and through Avianca’s route network, the strategy will be focused on seven priority markets: Lima, Madrid, Miami, Guayaquil, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo. The District Institute of Tourism will carry out an international promotion strategy. With this initiative, the office expects that by the second half of 202,5, the total number of travelers departing from the airport will be close to 72,000, generating an impact on the local economy of more than 6 million dollars.

“At Avianca, we have been connecting Bogotá, which is our home, with Colombia and the world for more than 105 years. For this reason, it is an honor for us to be part of projects such as Stopover Bogotá, which are essential to lay the foundations for the future of the city with tourism as the axis of development, so that those who have a stopover in the city see the immense attraction it has and want to explore it, while waiting for their next flight. For this to become a reality, it will be essential to continue working with all actors so that El Dorado International Airport has efficient processes on the air and ground side, and thus support the economic development of the capital,” said Frederico Pedreira, CEO of Avianca.

Airbus-A320. Photo credit: Avianca.

A 42-year-old man who calls himself Colombian (see video below) but was born in the United States, man identified as Emmanuel Andrés Hernandez has been inadmitted and is pending expulsion from Colombia following a violent episode at Cartagena’s Rafael Núñez International Airport’s arrivals immigration processing section last Thursday, July 17, 2025. Hernández, while waiting in the immigration line, removed his shirt and then aggressively confronted officials in the migration area, physically and verbally assaulting staff from Migración Colombia and the National Police. He also vandalized electronic equipment, throwing and smashing computers belonging to Colombia’s immigration authority.

Eyewitnesses and published videos show Hernandez displaying erratic behavior. A Daily Mail report states operators of the terminal suspected the individual may have been under the influence of hallucinogenic substances—a claim consistent with the disoriented and unpredictable conduct observed during the altercation. Initial reports stated that Hernandez is a New Yorker, but he claims to hail from the tampa area. Hernandez says the episode started when he removed his shirt because it was hot. Finance Colombia has verified that immigration intake at the Rafael Nuñez International Airport in Cartagena is airconditioned, and no other passengers felt the need to remove their shirts.

Intoxicated American Tourist Disrupts Cartagena Airport, Damages Immigration Booths An intoxicated American, Enmanuel Andrés Hernández, 42, from New York, sparked chaos at Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena, Bolívar, on Colombia’s northern Caribbean coast. On… pic.twitter.com/lnzzhwf6aP

— Cartel Watch (@CartelWatchNet) July 18, 2025

Emmanuel Andrés Hernandez passport. Photo credit: Cartagena Secretary of the Interior.

Airport security and law enforcement personnel intervened, physically restraining Hernández to regain control of the situation. Migración Colombia officials then detained him, conducting standard procedures to determine the extent of the breach regarding public order and safety.

Migración Colombia invoked Article 105 of Decree 1067 of 2015, which permits the forcible removal of non-citizens who pose a threat to public order or institutional security. Under this decree, Hernández was served an expulsion order, placed on a flight back to the United States, and issued a ten-year ban on re-entry to Colombia.
Further, the Mayor’s Office of Cartagena officially condemned the incident, reaffirming the city’s commitment to protecting civil order and institutional respect at all border entry points.

The incident reportedly caused temporary disruptions in immigration processing and alarm among airport personnel and travelers; however, operations returned to normal shortly after security regained control. Authorities have reported no serious damage to structural infrastructure. As can be seen in the video below, Hernandez complains about disrespect from officials and bystanders who started recording him, that they were “violating his privacy,” as though taking off one’s shirt in an airport line is not behavior worth noting.

“What hurts me the most about everything that happened? Being expelled from the country where you spent many years of childhood. Not being able to return to Colombia to hug your parents or perhaps receive forgiveness for your aggressive behavior. What hurts me the most is not seeing my parents in Colombia for 10 years. That really hurts me.”

Hernandez Speaks

Colombian news outlet Impacto News was able to speak with Hernandez, where the traveler laments that after the episode, no airline is willing to transport him back to the US. In the interview, which can be seen below, Hernandez explains that he is from a Colombian family, and was visiting his elderly father. The video shows photos of Hernandez’s family, who had to cut his father’s birthday cake with Hernandez in custody and waiting for expulsion.

” I think it’s that when I took off my shirt, there was an immigration officer or people who were at the airport who started recording me and I told them to please stop, that this was part of my privacy, that they shouldn’t record me, Please don’t record me. And everyone started taking out their cell phones and recording me. And it wasn’t the people who were in the line, it was the people who work for immigration. Who work for the government. Instead of helping me and asking me how I was, they started recording me and that was my reaction because it’s my privacy and it broke my heart that no. If I’m feeling bad, if you’re feeling bad, seriously, Sir, I see you on the street. I try to help you. I don’t try to bring you down or humiliate you or make you feel less. That’s logical. That’s what one expects from a person, especially an official, a person who works for the Colombian government, any government in the world, you know what I mean? And that’s why, and if you watch the sequence of videos, there’s a part where I’m laughing that there hadn’t been any commotion yet and nothing had happened. I was laughing because he was recording me and I told him please don’t record me anymore. I was saying please don’t record me anymore, please don’t record me. Very disrespectful. It’s disrespectful that you record me. And he understood me and I asked him several times. And I think it’s something that, uh, everyone takes out their cell phone to record, but no one reaches out to help right now.”

While violent episodes involving foreign visitors at airports are rare in Colombia, and no charges related to illegal drug use have been leveled against Mr. Hernandez, the government cautions against the potential legal and safety risks linked to visitors consuming psychoactive substances—often without understanding their effects or legal status. In response, Migración Colombia emphasizes that it continues to reinforce protocols to manage disruptive travelers and safeguard public safety.

Emmanuel Andrés Hernandez. Photo credit: Cartagena Secretary of the Interior.

✈️ Expulsan a turista que protagonizó acto violento en aeropuerto de Cartagena.

🇺🇸 El ciudadano estadounidense agredió a funcionarios y causó destrozos. Migración Colombia ordenó su salida.

🗣️ “Cartagena se respeta”, dijo el secretario del Interior, Bruno Hernández. pic.twitter.com/I8xfExYoei

— Red+ Noticias (@RedMasNoticias) July 19, 2025

According to data from the UPRA’s Food Supply and Safety bulletin, in June 2025, the supply of food in the country’s main wholesale centers increased by 8.7% compared to the same month of the previous year. This trend reflects a greater supply of fresh and processed foods in urban markets at a key moment for the country’s food security.

The positive performance of supply was reflected in 18 of the 23 cities where the monitoring is carried out, with growth in Tibasosa (79.5%), Tunja (42.1%), Manizales (30.8%), Valledupar (25.3%), and Montería (21.5%). The highest percentage growth was observed mainly in fish, dairy and eggs, tubers, roots and bananas, processed foods, and grains and cereals.

The analysis of the data also shows a sustained recovery in supply throughout the year. In the period between January and June 2025, the total volume entered wholesale centers increased by 3.4% compared to the same period in 2024. This evolution is explained by the dynamism observed in key groups such as grains and cereals, processed foods, dairy products and eggs and fish, with no falls in any food group.

Supply monitoring is a vital input to make strategic decisions in the territories. Thanks to this data, we can guide policies, anticipate warnings, and strengthen urban and rural food security. The sustained increase in the supply of food is good news for the country, especially in highly sensitive contexts such as the current one,” said Dora Inés Rey, director of the Rural Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA).

In specific foods, significant increases were highlighted in products such as tangerine, pineapple, blackberry, cucumber, beans, and potatoes. On the other hand, some products, such as mangoes, lemons, papayas, and pumpkins showed occasional decreases, reflecting seasonal behaviors or adjustments in production dynamics.

From the UPRA, it is projected that in July and August a positive supply will continue with products such as sapote, tangerine, pear, kiwi, banana, arracacha, cassava, broccoli, chili pepper, coriander and eggplant, among others, strengthening access to varied foods of national origin in the country’s markets.

Fish at the market. Photo credit: photo-graphe from Pixabay.

In the absence of much news over the weekend, I have deferred the first note of the week until today.

Overnight we had the latest real sector data from Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística – DANE Colombia which read well.

The manufacturing production numbers, despite the tidy GDP growth, have been spotty, but in May there was a 3% increase (above 2% estimates) in real terms, with sales (2.6%) & employment (0.3%) also showing improvement. However, despite 25 of the 39 sectors being in positive territory, it’s a little early to claim victory – only last month, there was a 3.3% overall decline. For the record, the main drivers were food, clothing, and chemical manufacture.

As expected in Colombia’s consumer driven economy, there was another big retail sales (13.2%) increase driven by vehicles (+29.8%), information/technology (+56.6%), & food (+6%). This all reads well, except for the fact that scanning through the categories, so much is imported. With exports still in the doldrums, expect ongoing deficit problems.

Interestingly, the main economic press concentrated on industrial production which dropped 0.2% – no mention of the other data points – any wonder they get criticized by the government for misrepresenting the economy !

Whilst the diplomatic & trade dispute rumbles on with no fresh news, Donald Trump & Gustavo Petro find themselves continuing as strange bedfellows with Petro again this weekend, aiming at Banco de la República – Colombia and what he perceives as their stubbornness over rates, which remain at 9.25%. Trump has the same attitude toward the FOMC. Whilst 2025 has seen slower-than-expected growth in Colombia, the reality is that overnight rates should have come down far more in 2024, and allegations of politics at play are hard to ignore. This month we should see a reduction to 9%, from there hopefully we’ll see rates at or below 8.5% by the end of the year.

Over the past few weeks, there have been a growing number of headlines related to the growth in agriculture, record revenues, exports, etc., which was one of Petro’s stated aims when he came to office. Why is there so much surprise? Colombia has arguably the best growing climate in the world, and it is also a country where only 4 million of an estimated 32 million farmable hectares are in use, so there is huge upside potential. The fly in the ointment, of course, are the mega-rich robber barons who prefer to use their farms for their purebred horses and infinity pools, as opposed to contributing to the future of the country.

Those are the main points this Wednesday, but where we haven’t heard anything significant for the past week is pension reform, tax reform, referendums, decrees, or national assemblies. There has, of course, been plenty of hot air amongst the runners and riders in the 2026 presidential derby – but there is no need to give them airtime.

Have a great rest of the week.

Roops.

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Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística – DANE Colombia office in Cúcuta. Photo credit: EEIM/Wikipedia.