Collective Mining Ltd. (NYSE: CNL, TSX: CNL) has reported assay results for four holes drilled at the Trap Target, located approximately 3.5 kilometers northeast of the company’s flagship Apollo system within the Guayabales Project in Caldas, Colombia.

Drill-hole TRC-11, designed to validate the geological model for Trap, intercepted significant mineralization. The results include 174.45 meters at 1.19 g/t gold equivalent (AuEq), with a notable section of 40.85 meters at 3.76 g/t AuEq.

Two additional holes, TRC-12 and TRC-14, were drilled from a new pad (TPad-4) and intercepted the Mineralized Deformation Zone (MDZ) further along strike. TRC-14 also identified a new zone of mineralization near the collar of the pad. The MDZ corridor, mapped for approximately 1.4 kilometers, remains open for further expansion.

TRC-8 intersected mineralization in the MDZ before being cut short by a post-mineral intrusive dyke, returning 51.05 meters at 1.41 g/t AuEq. TRC-9 and TRC-10, drilled outside the MDZ, showed lower grade mineralization.

The company plans to continue drilling along the MDZ corridor and has mobilized a second rig to Trap. Reconnaissance exploration drilling will also commence shortly at the X target and the southern part of the Plutus target.

Drill Results Summary:

• TRC-11: 174.45 meters @ 1.19 g/t AuEq, including 40.85 meters @ 3.76 g/t AuEq
• TRC-8: 51.05 meters @ 1.41 g/t AuEq, including 11.90 meters @ 2.49 g/t AuEq
• TRC-9: Multiple intercepts, including 3.25 meters @ 4.83 g/t AuEq
• TRC-10: 89.85 meters @ 0.73 g/t AuEq, including 13.10 meters @ 1.98 g/t AuEq

Assay results from outcrops at the southeastern end of the MDZ indicate potential for further expansion. The company will continue to update as more results become available.

“I would like to commend our team for their tenacity at Trap, which I believe will now rapidly evolve through drilling into a multi-million-ounce precious metal system. Additionally, the discovery at Trap should nicely compliment our flagship Apollo system and in time, I am confident the two systems will lead to a robust mineral resource inventory capable of producing at a large-scale production profile for many years in the future,” said Ari Sussman, Executive Chairman.

“With five drill rigs turning as part of our 40,000-meter program and a backlog of core in the lab, we are excited about the second half of the year where aggressive drilling with four rigs will take place at the Apollo and Trap systems. Additionally, reconnaissance exploration drilling will commence shortly with one rig at the X target, where we will drill test a look-a-like brecciated porphyry system to Apollo and another rig (six in total at the Guayabales project) at the southern part of the Plutus target, where we will test for a potential copper-gold porphyry system.”

The premier event for the HVAC/R industry in Latin America, RefriAméricas, organized by ACR Latinoamérica, will celebrate its 20th anniversary on July 24-25, 2024, at the Miami Airport Convention Center. With two decades of history, this successful convention continues to bring together professionals, companies, and institutions in the sector.

During the event, the prestigious Cala Awards ceremony will take place, recognizing the Best HVAC/R Installation in Latin America for 2024. This award honors innovation, efficiency, and quality in the most outstanding projects in the region.

RefriAméricas offers a robust academic program with conferences led by renowned experts in the HVAC/R industry. Topics include the latest trends, emerging technologies, and best practices, providing attendees with valuable learning and professional development opportunities.

The event also includes two exclusive technical tours to modern installations in Miami: Society Winwood and 830 Brickell. These tours will allow participants to closely explore innovative and cutting-edge projects in the sector.

The RefriAméricas trade show will feature more than 100 recognized companies from the HVAC/R market. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore state-of-the-art products, services, and solutions, establishing valuable connections with suppliers and industry leaders.

During the event, to celebrate its two decades in the market, RefriAméricas will host the Fiesta Alegría. This special festive event commemorates the growth and development of the HVAC/R industry over the past 20 years.

RefriAméricas 2024 promises to be an unforgettable experience, combining learning, innovation, and celebration. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this unique event and celebrate 20 years of success in the HVAC/R industry with us.

Date: July 24-25, 2024 Location: Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC), Miami, FL For more information, visit: Website: www.refriamericas.com Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: refriamericas LinkedIn: refriamericas

Many people, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro, like to beat up on what’s left of the coal industry. But few realize that coal is still an essential fuel for energy production —and will remain so until later stages in the global energy transition.

The Cerrejón coal mine owned by Switzerland-based Glencore, is the largest economic actor in Colombia’s La Guajira department in the far Northeast of the country near the Caribbean Sea and the Venezuelan border. The open-pit Cerrejón mine has had its share of controversy, with many local people, including the indigenous Wayúu opposing the mine, while others support it and depend upon it for their livelihoods.

During the 2024 Minexpo mining industry event organized by industry trade group Asociación Colombiana de Minería, or the Colombian Mining Association, Juan Carlos García Otero took the time to speak with Finance Colombia’s Executive Editor Loren Moss for a brief but intense interview where nothing was off limits.

Garcia, who is Cerrejón’s social affairs manager, spoke about the mine’s record regarding social and environmental responsibility, touching upon coal’s role in the global energy transition.

Loren Moss: Well, I am here with Juan Carlos García Otero. Thank you for your time. Here we are at MinExpo in Medellín. Tell me about your role and about the company you represent.

Juan Carlos García: Thank you so much, Loren. My name is Juan Carlos García Otero, I am the social affairs manager at Cerrejón. My area is in charge of securing the social license for operating our mine on La Guajira, for the benefit of all the people in that department, but also of the people in this country.

Loren Moss: Well, Cerrejón is, I think, the largest operating mine in Colombia. It’s a coal mine in La Guajira. Tell me, how many employees do you have?

Juan Carlos García: Look, maybe I should clarify that our measurement is not necessarily based on the size. The biggest and most important thing we have, that we are sure of, is that when it comes to people we are the largest. Why? We have over 12,000 employees, between direct ones and contractors, who are linked to the company and make all the development of their own lives and families through the mining operation in Cerrejón. So, in that sense, we are strongly convinced of the importance and significance it has for the department that that work connection happens.

Loren Moss: Because it’s the largest powerhouse in that region of Colombia — from Valledupar to the Atlantic coast — I cannot think of a company with more local economic impact. Tell me please, in general terms, about the importance for the economy of department capital Riohacha and La Guajira.

Juan Carlos García: Cerrejón represents between 55%-60% of the department’s gross domestic product. In that sense, we are a fundamental cornerstone of the development of the region. But we also signify over 105 billion Colombian pesos in social investment that we have done throughout last year through commitments and voluntary and mandatory executions.

We have had over 60 million liters of water delivered to a region that still needs additional efforts in order to provide water for the whole population, and in which we have increased in the last year almost 50% of that volume that we delivered.

We are a fundamental part, with over 11 billion pesos delivered in taxes and royalties, which represent almost 50% of what is delivered by the entire mining industry in Colombia. And in that regard, we leverage the whole country’s development in a fundamental way.

In that sense, I think we truly are protagonists of the development of the region and of Colombia.

Loren Moss: I visited the area on a trip. I was not there for anything related to your company but I stayed at your hotel. That hotel is wonderful — with a view of the mine in the distance. Really, it’s like the best hotel in the region. We went to visit Manaure. Anyway, another thing I noticed when we visited some rural villages — some Wayúu people — is that there was not even a mobile signal or electricity. You are not the power company and you are not the phone company. But apart from the employment and everything, can you tell me about the contribution you offer to the region?

Juan Carlos García: Look, a few things to tell you: The first is that the hotel is not ours, we promoted the arrival of investment for that hotel to be built, and we have a small participation that serves a social purpose in its development. We are basically leveraging tourism, we are strengthening the development capabilities of the community from that area, so that they can get to know the region — besides the existence of Cerrejón. La Guajira is a department worth getting to know, and we are aware that we need to make contributions and to leverage others’ investments to make that happen.

Now, you said you got to know communities, and you say they are not related to us. But they are! And, actually, if you look at exhibits at this exposition, we can see there are communities that we have brought here. Because part of our effort is to generate capabilities and development so that those cultural, productive, and employment activities can happen in the department. And so that people can offer their products in a direct way with better commercialization. So, what we do there is strengthen those capabilities.

When it comes to development, our contributions are focused on facilitating that the different actors — governmental in this case, when we are referring to energy matters — can carry out their functions. In that regard, we have been part of the solution, contributing with our assets to problem-solving, like in the case of Uribia. At this moment, we have some preliminary agreements that allow us to facilitate the access to Cerrejón’s power line, for the improvement of the power in that municipality. And in Manaure as well.

Additionally, we have facilitated our resources to achieve the connectivity of a very important area, the harbor area and Cabo de la Vela, to the national electrical system. If that construction had not been done with Cerrejón’s assistance, those communities would probably not have achieved that — or not have been on the path to attaining such development — through the ultimate entities responsible, the state and the local operator.

So, what do we do? We incorporate ourselves into the solution. We are aware that we are not the solution. But we are more aware that we are part of the solution that can be achieved in La Guajira.

 

Loren Moss: Well, you are doing really necessary work. It’s needed. There are many places that depend on coal, but long-term, in many places — including the president here in Colombia — they do not see it as an ultra-long-term thing. What is your position as a producer of a product that is necessary now for the short and medium term? And when talking long-term, what is your plan as a company? What is the long-term environmental plan, so it can be successful as a business — but also make long-term contributions with everything that‘s changing in the environmental setting?

Juan Carlos García: I understand. Look, I think that you are touching on many variables that would not be responsible of me to address. Because I am not the one managing them. I am not the one managing the world’s energy matrix. I am not the one who defines how the production of energy will be managed — or how it will be managed in other places.

I cannot give you an answer in that sense. But what I can make totally clear for you is that we, today, have a commitment — and it is to make the most of the entire Cerrejón operation from the standpoint of the people. Meaning, on the basis of the people being able to understand the opportunity that a mining operation represents in an area that needs development. And we need to leverage that effort so that they, when coal stops being part of their reality definitively — a part of their environment — whenever that may happen, they have the alternatives. They will have visualized the options and have built a future leveraged on this reality today that allows us to help them the way we do.

Loren Moss: Here at the event, at MinExpo, we have members of the Wayúu community. Some are producers of dairy, artisans, and musicians. As a big sponsor at this MinExpo event, tell me about the activities you do to promote the development of not only the Wayúu people, but also for all the people who live there in the local area and La Guajira?

Juan Carlos García: Well, look, I believe you would need a show with many episodes for me to tell you everything. But I am going to tell you about only some of the things we do, and I will try to do a run through things we have here.

I want to start off with the musicians. We have an orchestra here, and we do a great amount of work so the guys stay away from vices — from drugs, from activities that are not positive — and connect with music from the point of view of their tradition and their culture. We try to make it possible for music to be a job alternative, like it is for over 50 guys who have been in the orchestra and today do that job professionally. That is part of what we believe in.

We also support sports. We have a huge commitment to strengthening football [soccer] — a sport that is valued and appreciated in La Guajira — and of a championship that we sponsor — and from which [Colombian and Liverpool FC superstar] Luis Díaz came out. You’ve probably heard of him and he has been in those championships.

We continue to believe that strengthening those spaces is useful — not only because of what it signifies, like stories as important as Luis’ — but for the amount of people that distract themselves with sports and what it represents for their lives and their health.

We support enterprises. We support companies. We have companies that develop their company objectives through the direct hiring from Cerrejón so that they are able to generate economy, employment. and sustainability — as well as gain experience in the world of business and trade. They learn hand in hand with a company like Cerrejón.

Then there the artisan crafts. A few years ago, the artisans only produced the supplies, and they would sell it to third parties that were the ones earning the profits. We have been working on strengthening the designs, strengthening entrepreneurship, strengthening the capabilities — and that allows them to make the sales themselves. We take them to every fair event that we can, and they make their own sales directly. That has led, for example, to them surpassing over 100 million pesos in sales last year at the Expoartesanías fair in Bogota.

We have also worked on the culture. We build hand in hand with the communities, including Wayúy and black people in that territory, and that is are very valuable and they teach us very important things. But we also need to highlight their language, their traditions, understand them, and co-exist with them.

That is just part of what we do. Here, at the fair, we have brought only a small sample. But, without a doubt, if we get the chance we can tell you about it in greater detail later on.

The United Nations agency dedicated to developing the global tourism sector has selected Cartagena as the host city for the next meeting of its executive council.

The gathering, officially the 122nd meeting of the UN Tourism Executive Council, will be held in October and led by the Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism (MinCIT) along with the support from the Cartagena mayor’s office, the nation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, national business promotion agency ProColombia, and tourism promotion agencies Fontur and Corpoturismo.

The decision, which was made during a session held in Barcelona, saw Colombia’s Caribbean tourism jewel beat out second-place vote getter, the Bahamas, by a 21 to 11 margin.

“Thanks to the support of 21 nations for our candidacy and the outstanding experience of Colombia in building a culture of peace through tourism, we will receive this event that will represent a great economic impact for Cartagena, with an average expenditure of $480 USD per day per participant, according to data from the International Congress and Convention Association,” said Arturo Bravo, Colombia’s vice minister of tourism.

In parallel with the October meeting the “UN Tourism Tech Adventure Colombia” will be held to further promote tourism in the country.

Photo: One of Cartagena’s many iconic historic plazas. (Credit: MinCIT)

Latin American retailers stand to benefit from easing macroeconomic conditions across the region as inflation stabilizes and interest rates come down, according to a recent report from Fitch Ratings.

“Retailers are demonstrating increased prudence with their capex, directing their investments toward optimizing logistics and bolstering the long-term value of customer relationships,” noted Fitch Ratings in a statement accompanying its report.

“In response to these market dynamics, companies are striving for a more balanced strategy between growth and profitability when executing digital strategies.”

Along with the macro cycle transition and relevant market dynamics, the New York-based ratings agency also notes other factors influencing competitiveness for the sector in Latin America.

“Increased competition from pure online retailers has led traditional retailers to defend market share by focusing on enhancing their product offerings, elevating service levels and improving the overall shopping experience,” stated Fitch Ratings.

Inventory management has also been helping to improve expectations for some retailers.

“Retailers started 2024 with better inventory levels after paring back their purchases during 2023,” stated the big three rating agency. “Fitch believes inventory management continues to be key to preserve profitability despite these more efficient inventory levels.”

Finally, it notes that refinancing risks remain “manageable” and local debt markets “have been supportive for refinancing.” On the other hand, Fitch concludes that “international debt markets remain volatile as global macroeconomic environment and geopolitical risks disrupt stability.”

Photo: Havaianas store in Bogotá’s Andino mall. (Credit: Jared Wade)

The United States Department of State recently announced that it is offering millions of dollars in reward money for information that helps the law enforcement agency pursue cases against Clan del Golfo leaders involved in human smuggling in the migrant corridor of the Darién region between Colombia and Panama.

The Colombian armed group, which alternatively is referred to as the Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia – AGC) or just the Gaitanistas, have been the largest belligerent force operating widely in the Pacific and western Caribbean region for years, with a hand in a wide range of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion, and generally exerting influence on smuggling and migrant routes.

Specifically, those who provide valuable information can earn millions under these three reward offers, as publicized by the State Department:

1. up to $2 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of any key leader of Clan del Golfo involved in human smuggling in the Darién
2. up to $1 million for information leading to the disruption of financial mechanisms of the Clan del Golfo to finance, sustain, or support human smuggling operations in the Darién
3. up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of any key leader of Clan del Golfo involved in human smuggling in the Darién by encouraging and inducing aliens to enter the United States resulting in death [in violation of Title 8, U.S. Code, sections 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv) and 1324(a)(1)(B)(iv)]

 

“Today’s three reward offers support law enforcement efforts in Colombia, Panama, and the United States to disrupt the exploitive treatment of migrants from all over the world who seek passage through the Darién region,” noted the State Departement.

The agency added that information and tips can be submitted to the Homeland Security Investigations and the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) by calling (866) 347-2423 (toll free) or by submitting online at www.ice.gov/tips.

The incentives to provide information fall within the State Department’s “anti-smuggling rewards initiative” within the wider Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP), according to the US agency.

Photo: US Department of State headquarters in Washington DC. (Photo credit: AgnosticPreachersKid)

This article, written by Alicia Florez and Sara Garcia, was originally published by InSight Crime, a Medellín-based foundation dedicated to the investigation and analysis of crime and security in Colombia and Latin America.

Changes in the leadership of Colombia’s illicit crop substitution program and problems in its implementation raise questions about how organized crime is hindering the government initiative.

Colombia’s Comprehensive National Crop Substitution Program (Programa Nacional Integral de Sustitución de Cultivos) was born out of the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC). The program’s goal is to reduce the amount of coca crops in the country through substitution, depriving criminal groups of the raw material needed for cocaine production.

However, the project’s implementation has faced major obstacles. Colombia continues to have the largest number of hectares of coca in the world and has recently broken records in cocaine production.

In mid-May, President Gustavo Petro named Gloria Miranda as the new national director of the Directorate for the Substitution of Illicit Crops, the entity in charge of implementing the program. Until then, Miranda had served as Director of Drug Policy and Related Activities in the Ministry of Justice.

Miranda’s new appointment is in response to criticism that the government has done little to implement the substitution program. During a Congressional debate in April, representatives announced that only 5% of the budget allocated to the program was used during 2023.

As a result of its failure to implement the program, the government’s relationship with communities in coca-growing areas has deteriorated. Coca growers in departments such as Norte de Santander and Córdoba announced that they will go on strike due to the government’s failure to uphold the substitution program. Families who signed substitution agreements continue to demand answers.

Below, InSight Crime explains key points from the current debate on coca cultivation in Colombia, how organized crime has hindered the implementation of the substitution program, and the role armed groups may play in the future of the initiative.

A Road Full of Obstacles

When the substitution program was created in 2017, experts considered it Colombia’s most ambitious coca crop substitution strategy yet. It was organized around agreements between families and the national government: families would eradicate their crops, and, in return, the government would provide subsidies and technical advice for short- and long-term agricultural projects.

“It was an overly ambitious program with huge goals,” Luis Felipe Cruz, a researcher at DeJusticia, a legal and social research center, explained to InSight Crime.

From the beginning, the substitution program was plagued with problems, starting with the lack of coordination between its management and the Ministry of Agriculture and other government institutions. The program was also hindered by its lack of budget and program design that failed to consider the different needs of different territories, according to a report by the Center for Studies on Security and Drugs of the Universidad de los Andes.

Criminal groups in coca-growing areas pointed to the shortcomings of the substitution program to legitimize their claims about the government’s failure to comply with the peace accords, and to increase distrust of the government among affected communities.

The failure to implement the substitution program also put social leaders who supported it in their territories at risk. After the government and families signed the agreements, the murder rate of social leaders increased by 546%, according to a study by economist Lucas Marín Llanes.

The national government’s drug policy outlines its strategy to implement the program, which consists of making payments of 36 million pesos — about $9,000 — to the families that joined. But the governments’ commitments to productive projects established at the outset of the program remain undefined.

The complex social and economic reality in coca-growing areas means these measures will not be enough to solve the violence that plagues local communities, where criminal groups have strengthened in the last year.

 

A Missed Opportunity

With recent changes in the criminal landscape, the coca market in Colombia has shifted.

Since the second half of 2022, farmers in departments that produce most of the country’s coca crops, such as Norte de Santander, Cauca, Nariño, and Putumayo, experienced a drop in coca leaf and coca paste prices of 45% and 30%, respectively.

There are several factors that influence changes in coca prices, such as a rise in the cost of raw material and the saturation of drug trafficking routes, or shifts in criminal control. One such change followed the FARC’s post-peace agreement exit from the territories in 2017.

Previously, the FARC dominated the coca market in the areas where they exercised territorial control. Since the FARC disarmed, other criminal groups have failed to establish the same level of control. Territorial disputes between groups such as the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN), the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia – AGC) and FARC dissidents have exacerbated the drop in coca prices, as international buyers are reluctant to visit these contested areas.

As a result of the collapse in coca prices, more coca growers are willing to consider substitute crops. In parts of the department of Cauca, farmers have even turned to coffee as a solution. This is a window of opportunity that has not yet been taken advantage of by the government.

An Uncertain Future

Colombia’s current drug policy represents a different approach in the fight against drug trafficking in the country: instead of attacking small growers, it targets international cocaine trafficking networks.

However, the policy has distanced itself from its initial substitution approach, arguing that these programs are limited, as they focus on short-term agreements and overlook structural aspects that are key to understanding and addressing the dependence of certain territories on illicit economies.

In response, debate has arisen around how coca production could be channeled toward legal uses for the coca leaf as an alternative to substitution. This has become one of the Petro government’s main policy priorities regarding coca cultivation.

At the end of 2023, the Colombian Agricultural Institute (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario – ICA) approved the first license for organic fertilizer made from coca leaf, grown in the departments of Cauca and Huila. In addition, Indigenous, peasant, and Afro-Colombian organizations have used coca leaf in the production of food and beverages, fabric dyes, and fertilizers.

The creation of alternative economies is an important opportunity. A member of an international agency — who spoke to InSight Crime on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to comment on the issue — said that beyond substituting one crop for another, strategies can also focus on replacing illegal economies with legal ones, which can also help boost economic opportunities beyond agriculture.

However, they pointed out that, if the state fails to replace one economy with another, the vacuum will continue to be filled by criminal groups and illegal economies. This is already happening in some coca-growing territories where, faced with falling coca prices, growers have migrated to illegal mining, an illicit economy that is making millions in profits for criminal groups.

This article, written by Alicia Florez and Sara Garcia, was originally published by InSight Crime, a Medellín-based foundation dedicated to the investigation and analysis of crime and security in Colombia and Latin America.

In April 2024, exports from Colombia’s agricultural and agro-industrial sector totaled $947 million USD, an increase of 22.9% compared to April 2023, according to statistics from the nation’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Banana exports, which grew by $66.6 million USD year over year, showed the largest growth (100.3%) followed by coffee (up by $48 million USD and 22.7%) and flowers (up $32.2 million USD and 22.4%).

In terms of volume, April exports of agricultural and agro-industrial products reached 549,775 tons, a jump of 38% compared to April 2023.

“The increase in exports of key products, such as bananas, coffee, or flowers, demonstrates the strength and potential of the Colombian agricultural sector,” said Claudia Cortés, director of the Rural Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA).

“We are committed to continuing to support our producers to maintain this positive trend and explore new opportunities in international markets.”

The uptick in April continues a trend that has been ongoing throughout the year.

Overall, in the first four months of the year, agricultural exports are up 8.5% in value compared to the same period 2023, reaching a total of $3.6 billion USD and 1.94 million tons of products.

“These results reflect the dynamism and resilience of the Colombian agricultural sector, highlighting its ability to adapt and grow in a competitive global environment,” said Cortés.

Colombian technology association CINTEL (Center for Research and Development in Information and Communications Technologies) has officially launched the Smart City Innovator Awards with a goal of recognizing outstanding initiatives that are transforming cities into more sustainable, safe, and efficient environments.

Nominations are now open through July 31 for the inaugural awards and the winners will be announced at ANDICOM 2024 from September 4-6 in Cartagena, Colombia.

“This award was designed to promote a smart, innovative, and inclusive city model in which technology can be measured as a benefit for people,” said Manuel Martínez Niño, executive director of CINTEL.

“At CINTEL, we are committed to promoting and disseminating initiatives that guarantee inclusive digitalization, ensuring that all people benefit in various sectors, from mobility to security, including well-being, the environment, energy, culture and governance,” he added. “That’s why we work tirelessly to implement technological solutions that improve the quality of life.”

More information can be found below as well as on CINTEL’s website.

Competition Rules

The award has three different categories, taking into account the diverse characteristics and contexts of the country’s cities and municipalities:

Pioneer City
For cities with more than 1 million inhabitants that demonstrate results in at least four of the seven topics raised.

Avant-garde City
For intermediate cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, which present results in at least two themes.

Emerging City
For small cities with less than 100,000 inhabitants, which show results in at least one theme.

 

Seven Themes for the Smart City Innovator Awards

Within this categorization, there are seven themes that will be considered (depending on the size of each city) for the Smart City Innovator Awards are:

1. Technology and Connectivity

· ICT infrastructure drives solutions for smart cities, ensuring the necessary interconnection for digital services.
· The IoT (Internet of Things) facilitates the collection of data in real time, essential for urban automation and efficiency.

2. Citizen Participation

· Citizen participation platforms strengthen democracy and inclusion, allowing citizens to contribute to decision-making.
· Electronic government promotes transparency and efficiency in the provision of public services, improving the interaction between citizens and authorities.

3. Environmental Sustainability

· Environmental monitoring detects and addresses problems such as pollution, ensuring healthy and safe environments for all.

4. Quality of Life

· Intelligent transportation and sustainable mobility promote accessibility and safety in urban travel, improving the quality of life.
· Smart green spaces offer recreation areas that promote mental health and contact with nature, contributing to a better quality of life.

5. Innovation and Entrepreneurship

· Investment in R&D (Research and Development) drives advanced technological solutions to address complex urban challenges, fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors.
· Entrepreneurship policies provide the necessary framework for innovators to transform ideas into viable businesses, stimulating economic growth and job creation.

6. Resilience and Adaptability

· Emergency planning and resilient infrastructure strengthen cities’ ability to withstand and recover from adverse events, such as climate change or pandemics.

7. Efficiency in Urban Management

· Data analysis informs decisions to improve urban planning and service delivery, optimizing the quality of life of citizens.
· Traffic management and intelligent transport reduce congestion and improve road safety, ensuring efficient mobility in cities.

Colombian airline Avianca this month announced that it is tightening dimensions for the personal items that passengers will be permitted to carry on in its cabins.

Those boarding flights operated by the Bogotá-based carrier will now have to keep their personal items to a maximum of 45 x 35 x 20 cm (17.7 x 13.8 x 7.9 inches).

Avianca noted the change during a wider announcement regarding the coming of the summer high season, and the new policy has been met with widespread criticism by frequent travelers who have complained that it’s another example of the airline trying to pinch pennies and further cramp passengers following other cabin changes in recent years.

“Regarding the arrival of this holiday season, Avianca invites its customers to follow the following recommendations, so that they have a better travel experience,” stated the airline in its announcement.

The carrier describes potential personal items as a “purse, backpack, diaper bag, laptop bag, or package.”

Larger carry-on bags are included in certain fare tiers but incur additional charges on the most basic fare types.

These carry-on bags must fit in the overhead compartment of the aircraft cabin, with a maximum of 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and maximum dimensions of 55 x 35 x 25 cm (21.7 x 13.8 x 9.8 inches) including wheels and handles.

(Photo credit: Avianca)