The past September 4th, President Gustavo Petro denounced that the previous government had illegally purchased the espionage program, Pegasus; but the previous president of Colombia, Ivan Duque, disavows anything to do with the spyware.

Pegasus is software developed by an Israeli company, that has been used to illegally intercept journalists, activists, government opponents and politicians in more than 40 countries. It is designed to infiltrate mobile phones, extracting data such as messages, photos and even activate the camera and microphone without the user’s knowledge.

Pegasus is Israeli-developed malware that can infect Android and Apple mobile devices and spy on users, pilfering messages, photographs and emails, and even record calls, audio and video.

According to the president, this spyware was acquired during Ivan Duque’s government, the president prior Petro’s election, and raised concerns about whether this program was used to monitor political opponents, including his own campaign.

Gustavo Petro, in his X account, also added that “In a plane in June 2021, five and a half million dollars were sent to Tel Aviv and, after being registered at Israeli customs, were deposited in a bank that alerted IMPA due to suspicions about their illicit origin. Then, a bank transaction took place in September 2021 for another five and a half million dollars to complete the purchase. The official agency IMPA states that the transaction was between the national police of Colombia and NSO in Israel.”

Details of the alleged purchase

In march of this year, the diary Haaretz released an article confirming that the colombian government did indeed buy this spyware, and that Yair Kulas, the head of Defense Ministry’s export assistance department, took part in this transaction.

“The Colombian government asked that its payment to be in cash – $13 million. And the haul would be flown to Israel by private jet,” says the article.

Gur Meggido, from this diary, recently talked with the journalist Julio Sánchez Cristo about his investigation regarding the acquisition by the colombian government of Pegasus. In this conversation, Meggido pointed out that it is difficult to deny the existence of this agreement between Colombia and Israel, as the company behind Pegasus did not refute it, and the Israeli Ministry of Defense authorized the sale.

Investigations regarding Pegasus Continue

Jorge Lemus, the Director of Colombia’s National Intelligence Directorate, argues that “there is no evidence that the Colombian government acquired such software.” Also, the Directorate of National Intelligence released a document to contradict what Gustavo Petro said. “There are no contractual processes, equipment, or Pegasus software within the Police Intelligence Directorate. Likewise, no funds have been allocated or assigned for the acquisition of the mentioned software.”

Read the document here (Spanish).

Luz Adriana Camargo, Colombia’s attorney general, during a press encounter also said that “We don’t have evidence that this has happened; we still don’t have that evidence. We are identifying whether that software existed. This type of software is very sophisticated and normally doesn’t leave a trace.”

Nonetheless, the prosecutor’s office stated that “investigative actions were initiated to establish the truth and the eventual identification and individualization of those responsible for the possible illegal acquisition and use of the Pegasus spyware.”

Bayport Colombia, a key player in the non-bank payroll lending sector, has expanded its structured credit facility with Citibank Colombia to $55 million. This move is expected to enhance the company’s financial structure and bolster its capacity to meet market demands.

The collaboration between Bayport and Citibank began in 2022, and the increased credit facility marks a significant milestone in their relationship. Bayport plans to use the additional funding to continue its growth in the non-bank lending market, where it currently manages a portfolio exceeding 1.3 trillion pesos and serves over 170,000 clients.

Lilian Perea, CEO of Bayport Colombia, emphasized that the expanded credit facility with Citibank reflects the company’s sustained growth and solid financial management. “This renewed trust will allow us to advance our mission of promoting financial inclusion, particularly in communities underserved by traditional banks,” said Perea.

David Castillo, Head of Financial Institutions at Citi Colombia, highlighted Citi’s ongoing support for Bayport’s growth strategy, particularly in reaching underserved populations. “We are excited to continue supporting Bayport as it expands its services to more Colombians,” Castillo noted.

Bayport Colombia focuses on providing accessible credit solutions to pensioners, public sector employees, military personnel, and police, particularly those with limited or no credit history. Through its payroll loans, the company aims to enhance financial inclusion in communities traditionally excluded from mainstream banking. Additionally, Bayport offers financial education resources, including free courses and digital content, to help Colombians make informed financial decisions.

This credit facility expansion aligns with Bayport’s strategy to deepen its impact in the country’s financial sector while continuing to address the needs of underserved communities.

ANDICOM 2024, organized by CINTEL, concluded its 39th edition, with artificial intelligence (AI) and connectivity as key focal points. Held in Cartagena, Colombia, from September 4 to 6, the event brought together 6,000 participants from more than 35 countries, including 2,000 business delegates and over 150 international speakers across 110 academic sessions.

Japan, the event’s guest of honor, showcased its technological innovations and contributed speakers who presented the country’s vision in areas such as AI and cybersecurity. A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the governments of Japan and Colombia, focusing on enhancing collaboration in cybersecurity, AI, infrastructure development, and promoting connectivity in rural areas.

The event included a pre-conference featuring sessions on AI, smart cities, and blockchain, attended by 450 participants. The primary agenda covered a wide range of topics, including AI, robotics, 5G, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. Colombia’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MinTIC) outlined its progress in advancing the country’s digital capabilities. MinTIC launched the National Observatory of Information and Communications Technologies (Ontic), a platform designed to consolidate key connectivity data for Colombia.

Additionally, Gabriel Jurado, Colombia’s Vice Minister of Connectivity, introduced six key initiatives aimed at expanding internet access nationwide. These included strengthening mobile and fixed access networks, increasing connectivity for educational institutions, improving affordability, and enhancing institutional capacity.

The event also addressed gender inequality in the technology sector, with representatives from various organizations signing a manifesto to promote women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Telecommunications Sector Challenges

A key focus of ANDICOM 2024 was the challenges facing the telecommunications sector. In a panel discussion on future connectivity, industry leaders emphasized the need for robust infrastructure to support AI and smart city initiatives in Colombia. While efforts to close the connectivity gap are underway, panelists called for regulatory attention to issues such as network traffic management, energy costs, and the “fair share” debate, which centers on whether content providers like Netflix and Google should contribute to network infrastructure costs.

The panel on “Innovation and Equity: Exploring Fair Share in Telecom” sparked diverse opinions, with discussions covering governance, spectrum management, and consumer impacts. Panelists largely agreed on the importance of maintaining net neutrality, which they argued could be at risk from potential regulatory intervention.

AI: Present and Future

Executive Director of ANDICOM organizer CINTEL, Manuel Martínez Niño

Artificial intelligence was a recurring theme at ANDICOM 2024. Oracle announced the deployment of Nvidia’s latest generation GPUs in Colombia, which will be used to expand AI capabilities for businesses and government organizations. Marcelo Christianini, Oracle’s VP of AI and Cloud Engineering for Latin America, highlighted the company’s investment in AI infrastructure as a key step toward enabling large-scale AI adoption.

Speakers at the event included Gabriele Mazzini, principal architect of the European Union’s AI Act, who discussed the importance of local considerations in AI regulation. Hiroshi Ishiguro, executive director at AVITA and professor at Osaka University, presented on the use of AI to create avatars aimed at enhancing human physical and cognitive abilities. Ishiguro’s research focuses on using AI to improve quality of life by providing better access to healthcare and education.

AI’s potential in the financial sector was also discussed. Panelists in the session on “Economic Transformation through AI” noted that AI can streamline verification processes and improve decision-making. However, challenges such as technology investment, data sovereignty, and skills development remain barriers to wider AI adoption.

Innovation and Technology for Social Transformation

Innovation and technology were central to ANDICOM’s discussions. Diana Barrero Zalles, head of research and sustainability at the Global Blockchain Business Council, emphasized the role of blockchain in driving innovation and sustainability in the region. She stressed the need for harmonized regulations, particularly regarding tokenization and digital assets, to facilitate global exchanges.

The conference also addressed Colombia’s energy transition with a panel on sustainable energy. Participants from various sectors discussed the barriers and opportunities in transitioning to clean energy, with a focus on user adoption and the environmental impact of new energy technologies.

Andra Keay, director of Silicon Valley Robotics, concluded the event with a presentation on the role of robots in society. Keay argued that while robots are increasingly capable of performing repetitive tasks, ethical considerations must guide the development and implementation of AI and robotics technologies.

Networking and Business Opportunities

In addition to the academic sessions, ANDICOM 2024 provided a platform for business networking. Attendees participated in meetings with technology buyers, including chief technology officers (CTOs) and chief information officers (CIOs), to discuss short- and medium-term investment plans.

CINTEL’s Digital Leaders community hosted workshops on cybersecurity and AI for CIOs from various industries, facilitating discussions on the potential of digital tools in different sectors.

According to CINTEL’s executive director, Manuel Martínez Niño, ANDICOM continues to be a key event for the region’s technology sector. The conference is a space where government, academia, and industry come together to discuss the role of technology in social transformation. Plans for the 40th edition of ANDICOM in 2025 are already underway.

Key Figures from ANDICOM 2024:

• 6,000 participants
• 35 countries represented
• 215 companies in the commercial exhibition
• 2,000 business delegates
• 150 international speakers
• 110 academic sessions
• 250 square meters dedicated to the Japan Pavilion
• 450 pre-conference attendees

Avianca has announced the launch of a new direct route between Bogotá and Tulum, Mexico, marking its first entry into the popular tourist destination. The airline will begin offering flights on December 10, with three weekly frequencies on Airbus A320 aircraft. This service will provide over 1,000 seats per week, connecting travelers from Bogotá to Tulum and beyond.

Avianca’s new route is expected to strengthen connections to more than 75 destinations across the Americas and Europe. Passengers can now purchase tickets via Avianca’s website, mobile app, physical sales points, and travel agencies.

David Alemán, Avianca’s Director of Sales for Colombia and South America, highlighted the expansion: “2024 has been significant for our Bogotá route network, with the return of key destinations such as Caracas, Paris, Montreal, Chicago, and Aeroparque (Buenos Aires). Adding Tulum to our network further enhances connectivity, providing travelers from over 25 countries access to the Riviera Maya.”

Flight Schedule for the Bogotá-Tulum Route:

• Bogotá to Tulum: Flight AV94 departs at 12:30 PM and arrives at 4:00 PM (local time) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, starting December 10.
• Tulum to Bogotá: Flight AV95 departs at 5:05 PM and arrives at 8:25 PM (local time).

Avianca’s current network between Colombia and Mexico includes routes from Bogotá to Mexico City and Cancún, as well as from Medellín to the same destinations. With the addition of Tulum, Avianca will offer nine routes and 87 weekly flights between Colombia, Central America, and Mexico.

Avianca’s Mexico Routes:

• From Bogotá: Mexico City, Cancún, and starting in December, Tulum.
• From Medellín: Mexico City and Cancún.
• From Central America: Routes from Guatemala City, San Salvador, and San José to various destinations in Mexico.

Tulum has become a key destination in the Riviera Maya. In 2023, over 1.8 million travelers visited to explore sites such as the Kukulcán Castle, Playa Paraíso, and the Sian Ka’an National Park, which attracts nature enthusiasts and divers. Tulum is also known for its music festivals and natural phenomena, including the spring equinox, when the sun illuminates the interior of Kukulcán Castle.

Avianca’s expansion to Tulum is part of the airline’s broader strategy to increase its presence in key markets and offer more travel options across Latin America.

Prices for key agricultural products in Colombia dropped significantly in August, according to the latest Wholesale Price Bulletin released by the Unidad de Planificación Rural Agropecuaria (UPRA). The report noted that several staple items, including vegetables, tubers, eggs, and artisanal cheeses, saw price reductions, while fresh fruits experienced price hikes.

Notable decreases include:

• Price drops exceeding 20% for key items such as white and red onions, bell peppers, green peas, and green beans.
• A 10% decrease in prices for all varieties of potatoes, reversing a trend of sustained increases seen in previous months.

Conversely, prices for several fresh fruits, including mangoes, avocados, Tahiti limes, mandarins, grapes, papayas, and pineapples, saw increases of more than 10%.

Pork prices, as well as those for artisanal cheeses and eggs, also declined, offering some relief for consumers. Meanwhile, prices for beef and chicken rose slightly, with fresh whole chicken prices increasing by 1%.

These price fluctuations are largely attributed to an increase in supply due to harvests in regions such as Norte de Santander, Huila, and Antioquia, as well as weather conditions affecting fresh food production.

“The data this month highlights the importance of monitoring wholesale markets to better understand the dynamics impacting Colombian households,” said Dora Inés Rey, Director of UPRA. “We continue to work on providing timely information to help both producers and consumers make strategic decisions in response to market fluctuations.”

In the vegetable and tuber categories, essential products like carrots, green beans, and corn saw significant price reductions. However, cucumbers, beets, and scallions recorded price increases. Most potato varieties, yams, and Hartón plantains experienced price drops.

For fresh fruits, while items like mangoes and avocados became more expensive, other fruits such as Castilian blackberries, tree tomatoes, and lulo saw price decreases.

These shifts reflect broader trends in the Colombian agricultural sector, driven by both regional harvests and environmental factors.

The historic town of San Basilio de Palenque, just two hours outside of Cartagena’s tourist district invites all tourists and visitors, both domestic and international, to participate in its celebration of Afro-Colombian heritage, music, and culture.

This year the 2024 edition of the event takes place October 11-14. Details of the event are in the above video, in both Spanish and English.

For more information contact the organizers via:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CorporacionFestivalDeTamboresDePalenque
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/festitambor
• Whatsapp / telephone (Spanish): +57 320 3085607

Last month, US-based outsourcing firm TaskUs celebrated the grand opening of its Medellín facility at the Ruta-N business incubator facility on the city’s north side. TaskUs opened its first Colombian facility in Cali during the pandemic, and the facility quickly filled to capacity.

With another 500 seats on tap in Medellín, the company is already looking to expand again, signalling the fast-moving outsourcer’s commitment to the Andean Nation.

Loren Moss, executive editor of Finance Colombia was able to sit down for a few minutes with Divisional Vice President Luis Barreto at the company’s Medellín grand opening celebration to speak about the early success TaskUs is experiencing in Colombia.

Finance Colombia: Luis, thank you for your time today. Congratulations. You guys are having your official grand opening. I know that you guys have ramped up operations here already. We’re in Medellin, at your facility here in Ruta N, these are lovely new facilities that you’ve had. Maybe if you can tell me a little bit about your footprint in Colombia, where you have operations already?

Luis Barreto: Yeah, absolutely. So first of all, thank you for the congratulations. It’s taken a while because we’ve been operating for a year now in Medellin. We’ve just gone, you know, we just hadn’t had issues with just getting the right people to be able to celebrate this special achievement. But we’re happy that a year in we’re able to do this because it’s double the celebration. Because we’re not just opening, but we’re celebrating success.

We’ve found tremendous success in Medellin. We’ve been able to ramp to fill the seats and we’ve been able to get some very successful clients who are very happy with the service. So Medellin has been great to us. In terms of the footprint, we currently have three locations in Colombia. We opened up our headquarters in Cali back in 2021 where we currently have about 1,200 teammates, that’s what we call our agents.

We just opened up our second site in Cali. This month was their first operating month and that site has 420 seats. It’s going to have about 600 teammates. Then Medellin, as I said, this site has 400 seats, and it’s going to have about 500. And because everything’s already been sold, meaning we already have committed the space to existing clients from here to the end of the year, we’re already branching out to looking at other options. So we are going to be opening up a fourth location which is going to be the second in Medellin, and then hopefully by Q1 of next year, we’re going to be able to announce our third city for our continued expansion.

Finance Colombia: Oh, amazing. You know, I visited your facilities in Cali a couple years ago. Actually, I think it was still during the pandemic, or when things were just starting to open up. Really impressive. You guys put a lot of thought and effort into making appealing workspaces.

I noticed that that seems to be a key part of TaskUs culture. Maybe if you can tell me, I know that it’s not always apropo to talk about individual clients, but if you can talk about the industries that you’re able to serve out of Medellin, or out of Colombia broadly?

Luis Barreto: Yeah, absolutely. And I think that’s the great thing about that diversity of professionals that we find in the country. You can service any industry, which is pretty much what we do. We currently have about 25 clients in Colombia, which was for four different industries. Most of them are tech innovation related. So fintech, as an example; we provide service for retail, some of the biggest retail brands, fashion brands in the world are serviced out of Colombia. We also have food delivery apps. So it’s really a blend, and we don’t have a specific target because, you know, through our recruiting process, we’re able to identify skilled skillsets and aptitudes within our candidates to be able to route them into what industry or what program they would do best.

So, because the servicing industry and the BPO industry is so diverse, you do need to be able to have that ability to be flexible in terms of the offering, because you can be in one industry, but that industry requires different skills. So you can use social media management, back office, chat, e-mail; or it could be all voice, customer service, billing, transaction.

So to say that we do one, or that we focus or that we have a strength on one, is difficult because we’re just a very diverse solution-oriented company and we’ve found quick success with being able to service everything out of Colombia. That’s why we keep growing.

Finance Colombia: So you do more than just customer contact, you’re doing back-office services and other types. Well, tell me about some of those other types of services. Aside from voice and aside from chat, what are the other services that you provide to your corporate clients?

Luis Barreto: Yeah. So I think an interesting thing that’s in the industry and, you know, just the level of services that the industry is going to, we’re seeing a lot of growth in the content moderation space, trust and safety space, which is really just protecting the social media platforms from bad intentions. So I would say that that’s one specific area where we’re focusing our growth, and that you’re going to see big growth from us in terms of the percentage of the work that we do currently to migrate into that.

But on top of that, we do back office like you said, we do messaging, we do e-mail, chat work… 50-60% it’s still voice because that’s still the preferred communication channel for most of our clients. But everybody is slowly migrating to more digital channels.

Finance Colombia: Right.

Luis Barreto: Which is a part of our strategy as well. You know, we’re a digital company. We take pride in being able to partner with some of the most innovative companies in the world. And as you know, we have a very entrepreneurial spirit, which means that we’re always going to be happy to work with a company, regardless of the size. If they have a desire to learn of the BPO and how to best service their clients, we’re going to partner, we’re going to put our technology forward, and our experience, to make sure that we build the best customer experience that they need for their companies.

Finance Colombia: I’ve noticed that TaskUs is kind of already a large company, global, you know, you’re in all sectors around the globe. But it still has kind of a startup feel to it. It has kind of a startup attitude to it, you would say.

Luis Barreto: Yes. We do, yeah. Absolutely. And I think it’s: 1—Our founders and CEO and president are very young. So they’re very well up to date with innovation, and they still consider themselves a startup because of the fact that it’s still growing, it’s still growing, still attracting.  And, you know, the fact that we help a lot of startups begin their journey into the CX experience is also the reason why we keep our vision, our mission, and our brand, similar and close to that. So, you know, not to say that we don’t focus on any specific market, but we do gravitate towards companies that are starting up, innovation, tech, instead of the larger, more traditional services like banking or telco. The majority of our footprint is in startups and tech companies.

Finance Colombia: You know, I remember talking to one of the huge traditional customer experience outsourcers one time, one of their top people told me that if it’s under 100 FTE (full-time equivalent seats), their salespeople don’t even get compensated on it.

Luis Barreto: Yeah [Laughs.]

Finance Colombia: Because they only want to talk to the giant—they are a giant multinational, they only want to talk to other giant multinationals. But it’s interesting how I’ve seen companies who start with startups, and some startups are going to fail and that’s just kind of how it is. But some…I know a company that started with Lyft, and they had five seats and now that’s a major client for them, for example. And so I’ve seen where…you know, it’s great to hear that you guys give an opportunity to companies that are scrappy startups and things like that and work. And by the way, I have no idea if you guys have Lyft, that was a company that’s not here in Colombia that I was mentioning. I know that they use multiple outsourcing partners, and so if they use you guys, you know, that was by coincidence, by the way.

Luis Barreto: That’s fine.

Finance Colombia: But that’s an interesting thing, because you see a lot of times these become high-growth companies and also high-potential companies. And that’s kind of part of that entrepreneurial spirit.

And I think Colombia, especially Medellin, has some of that, Ruta N is a business incubator.

Luis Barreto: It is, yeah.

Finance Colombia: They welcome established businesses like you guys. But if we go over across the way into the other tower, you’re going to have startups with a single person and they’ve got something for those people, and they’ve got startups that have gotten their first parts of funding and things like that. And the city’s behind them. And then you also see here, the private sector is kind of behind the city. There’s quite a partnership.

And as you and I both…neither one of us are from Colombia. Tell me about your impression of what you’ve seen in Colombia broadly, as far as the business climate. And then specifically, I don’t want to get you in trouble knowing that you’re, you know, team Cali. So I know you can’t, you know, be too nice, but if you could maybe give your impression of the business climate in Colombia and then let’s say Medellin and Cali.

Luis Barreto: Yeah, absolutely. So first I want to tackle the startup common, which I think it’s… yes, the bigger players tend to have a standard of business size to which they agree to do business with. Part of what we do and we differentiate, because, you know, as I mentioned before, we are considered startup and we love being able to work with startups to build their CX journey. So it’s not that they come with five seats, maybe they have zero seats and they want to build everything from scratch with us. We will take it.

“And what I’ve seen is that the Colombian talent, the infrastructure, the political stability, the need for these kinds of opportunities has been tremendous.” – Luis Barreto

Finance Colombia: Wow.

Luis Barreto: We will partner and we will invest in a long-term relationship because that’s really how you gain long-term relationships, and that’s really how our founders built this business, working with startups like that.

The second is, yes, I’m a foreigner. And I do say that I’m a proud Colombian resident now because I love the country. It’s been tremendously good for me and my family because, you know, the industry, I’ve seen the industry grow so much. And what I’ve seen is that the Colombian talent, the infrastructure, the political stability, the need for these kinds of opportunities has been tremendous. When I first landed in Colombia, it was probably only 10 years (into) outsourcing. And when I mean outsourcing, to the US, because now this is their primary market. Now, it’s insane the amount of growth. And to me, Colombia has been an exceptional success story that is very rarely seen. I mean, at least in LATAM, you don’t see any other story like this. You might see stories, you know, in the Philippines and India, but not like this in LATAM. And I think again, it’s because Colombians are by nature, you know, very towards service, like it’s in their nature, it’s in their blood.

Finance Colombia: Yes. “¡Para servirle!” That’s the saying here.

Luis Barreto: “Para servirle,” yes. “Bien pueda.” It’s like, it’s very natural. So obviously the Tier 1 and just the soft skills that you need to be able to do this business are there from the get go. Everything else, the skillsets and everything, it comes. In other regions, it’s more difficult, right? You have to spend a little bit more time and effort to engrave some, you know, basic skills of communication and engagement, here is very flawless. And then from a city perspective, I think, you know, obviously I don’t have a preference. I think…I live in Cali, my wife and I prefer the city, but every city has its charm and every city has its business purpose. Cali is less mature in the market in regards to BPO. It’s actually relatively unknown for other companies right now.

Finance Colombia: Right.

Luis Barreto: We know TaskUs is the biggest BPO in Cali, which we only were able to achieve because we took a chance, we saw potential and we decided to invest and we’re now taking a lot of benefit from it. Because competitors try to come, they can’t match your offers, they can’t match your benefits. So it’s been great because it’s where we positioned this.

And you know, Cali right now is the headquarters for everything Colombia, and not just Colombia, but regionally, including Mexico, because my responsibility extends to Mexico. And because of the talent and I would say the need for better career opportunities has driven great talent towards our industry in Cali.

Now Medellin obviously, it’s a great success story as well on its own because this one is…I call it a more specialized, more complex work, more, you know, specific targeted clients. So when you talk about innovation, when you talk about these tech higher-paying lines of business, this is a better option. So obviously, we service everything out of all of our sites, but there is some kind of strategy towards what city fits best for the client, and that’s something that we want to build and continue to sustain as part of our strategy growth in Colombia.

Finance Colombia: Got it. You’ve been very generous with your time. And you’re right, Medellin kind of sees itself, it kind of wants to be the Silicon Valley of Latin America. And I think it to a large degree deserves that. There’s competition with places like Costa Rica, places like Uruguay, but really there’s an established tech scene here. I’m always reading about companies or writing about companies that have gotten funded, that have gone on to greater things when it comes to tech and innovation. My last question for you is, I would imagine that a large percentage of your business requires bilingual skills, in terms of the agents. I would imagine that, I mean there’s always some agents that can do everything in Spanish, but I would imagine that TaskUs being a US-based company, a lot of the skills need to be bilingual. How easy or difficult has it been to hire bilingual talent here in Colombia?

Luis Barreto: Yeah. Great question. Obviously, the BPO industry has grown in Colombia mostly because of nearshoring support, we’re supporting mostly companies in the US, which means that it’s got to have an English component. Right now 90% of the work that we do in Colombia is English. We have about 8% Spanish and then 2% Portuguese, French. So we do still have a little bit of a blend now. In terms of the quality and the quantity of the English, it’s been great. I mean, I think the country has recognized the need for English, that English skills is something that needs to be built-in from a younger age. And we’ve seen a lot of the programs that I started hearing about back in 2016, 2017 when I first came, starting to materialize and starting to really give, you know, candidates to our funnel, which is fantastic. So it is a challenge because obviously the industry is now huge. There’s… Over 700,000 Colombians work in the sector, probably 200 – 300,000 work in US work. So the talent pool is reducing. But what’s great is that every single city that I’ve seen, or that we work with and that we partner with, has a clear path towards strategy to help, you know, put candidates and build candidates so that they can benefit from the opportunities of growth, opportunities of a job. So we feel confident that we are going to be able to continue to grow, not by butchering: Meaning, not by going and stealing talent, but by benefiting from the different growth pools that every region is building now. You know, there’s a reason why we’re not involved with that. We feel Bogota is a little bit more complex, a little bit more saturated. It’s a different quality of life. So we prefer the Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, where we’ve found more success or more appealing offers, and attracts the talent that we need.

Finance Colombia: It makes sense. I mean, if you were going to open up a contact center in the US, you probably wouldn’t go to Manhattan or Los Angeles, but you would look at other places maybe, you know, upstate New York or somewhere in Eastern California, of course, obviously the Heartland and different places like that. So that strategy makes sense. You’ve been wonderful with your time. I know that there’s a party going on downstairs and I don’t want to keep you from it and I don’t want to keep myself from it either. So, you guys, the hospitality is amazing. So thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it.

Luis Barreto: It’s been a pleasure, thank you very much for having me.

Prior to the 5^th International Conference and Exhibition Mining Chile and Latin America (1-2 October 2024, Santiago, Chile), Vostock Capital has prepared an analytics report featuring the flagship investment projects of the Chilean and Latin American mining industry.
Request the full list of projects

Among the investment projects:

• BHP Escondida – Expansion Plan: Mineral: Copper. Region: Antofagasta. Cost: US$ 10 Bn. Production: 2023 – 2025.
• Codelco, El Teniente Division – El Teniente development plan: Mineral: Copper. Region: O’Higgins. Cost: US$ 7.5 Bn. Status: Execution. Production: 2023 – 2030.
• Antofagasta Minerals – Nueva Centinela Project: Mineral: Copper, molybdenum and gold. Status: Construction. Cost: US$ 4.4 Bn. Production: 2024 – 2027.
• Minera Meridian Limitada – Resource and Reserve Update Part II, Pampa Augusta Victoria de Faen Underground Exploitation: Mineral: Gold & Silver. Cost: US $ 5,6 Mn. Region: Antofagasta. Production: 2024.
• Wealth Minerals – Kuska lithium project: Mineral: Lithium. Status: Prefeasibility studies. Region: Atacama. Cost: US$ 800 Mn. Production: 2026 – 2028.

Request More Information here

Warm regards,

Catalina Velasco

LatAm Marketing Manager

[email protected]

The CGS Colombia 2024 conference is approaching, and the preliminary program has been released. Returning to the Hotel Intercontinental in Medellín on October 29 & 30, the event will feature several expert speakers addressing a variety of topics related to mining and exploration. These include updates on gold and copper exploration and development projects, a regulatory update panel, and discussions on strategic minerals. Additional sessions will focus on partnerships with small-scale miners and other industry-relevant topics.

Networking opportunities will be available through lunches and a cocktail event, sponsored by ALS Global. Further details about the speakers, including bios and LinkedIn profiles, are available on the event website at CGS Colombia 2024.

The event can also be followed on social media:
LinkedIn and Instagram: @CGSEventos
Twitter: @CGSCopperGold
YouTube: @CGSEvents

Geology Short Course at CGS Colombia 2024

CGS Colombia 2024 will include a geology short course titled “Introduction to the Mineral Deposits of Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador,” led by Dr. Stewart Redwood. For more information, contact [email protected].

Special Rate at Intercontinental Medellín

A special rate has been arranged for attendees at the Intercontinental Medellín. To access this rate, email the code “VJ0 DEMANDA EVENTO CGS COLOMBIA” to [email protected] or [email protected].