She has the machinery of the Partido de la U party at her service, a party that under her directorship from 2020 until August 5 achieved broad influence in all regions and in decision-making positions in Bogotá.

Photo: Dilian Francisca Toro, frontrunner to win the October election to become governor of Valle del Cauca. (Credit: Partido de la U)

The only candidate within close proximity of her in recent polls, Tulio Gómez, is no longer in the race.

Despite holding nearly 25% in a recent poll of those who intend to vote by the firm MM Consultores, the Superinter founder was disqualified by the National Electoral Council (CNE) due to the fact that the football club he owns, América de Cali, has entered into multiple contracts with the mayor of Cali in recent years. Though he may appeal the decision, the vote was heavily against his ability to run in this election

The other main challengers — including Ferney Lozano, William Cruz, and Óscar Gamboa — have failed to register even 3% of expected voter, leaving a potentially easy path to victory if Gómez is in fact unable to participate.

Dilian Francisca Toro and Valle del Cauca

Valle del Cauca is the biggest and richest department in Colombia’s Pacific coast. Cali, its capital, is the third in the country (after Bogotá and Medellín) and receives the migratory flow from areas of the Pacific zone and southern Colombia. Additionally, on its coast of the Pacific Ocean is located the Port District of Buenaventura, where 44% of the nation’s foreign trade is moved.

Having an outlet to the Pacific also represents a challenge for the authorities because criminal drug trafficking organizations, heavily armed, seek this exit corridor for their illicit business and are in a continuous battle between them for territorial control.

In political terms, this part of Colombia holds special interest for Colombian President Gustavo Petro given that it was where he received his second-highest vote total when he was elected in 2022 with more than 1.3 million votes. (Petro received 2.25 million votes in Bogotá.)

Toro stood in first place in the race, holding favor with 31.5% of those with the intention to vote, in the MM Consultores poll on September 20 — even before Gómez was disqualified.

During her previous term, which began with her winning the election by more than 500,000 votes, she faced and solved social problems such as the increase in crime in the coastal city of Buenaventura and Palmira, a neighbor of Cali. Despite this, and financial instability of the region’s state hospitals, whose crisis had them on the brink of closure, she was selected as the best governor in the country by the Colombia Líder organization.

All those are known attainments that the inhabitants of this part of the country appear to remember and that they apparently recognize in terms of the favorability that backs her in the surveys. During Toro’s term, her manager of the Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation of Valle del Cauca, was Clara Luz Roldán, who won the election later in 2019 and is the current Valle del Cauca’s governor.

On her official website, she recounted that her political career began as Mayor of Guacarí —a city where she was born and is located in the center of Valle del Cauca— from 1992 to 1994. Afterward, she held the position of Departmental Health Secretary between 1995 and 1997 and from 2002 until 2010, she was elected as senator in the National Congress.

Toro lost in her first attempt to win the governorship election in 2000 before her success in 2015. Concurrently, she expanded her participation in the Partido de la U party until she was chosen as its director in the midst of the pandemic, in 2020.

Having become an important actor in the Colombian political scene, it has earned her the nickname The Baroness, which she already accepts, although reluctantly, as she hinted in an interview with La Silla Vacía on August 13. For the 2023 candidacy, she has the support of six other political parties. Toro is also backed up by the majority of the Cambio Radical party senators.

For the 2022 presidential elections, her name was considered as an option, but in the end she declined. Because of this, it is not ruled out that Toro will try again to run for the first position in the country in future political campaigns.

Gómez, a Formidable Challenger, Exits the Governor’s Race

Gómez, originally from Caldas before relocating to Valle del Cauca more than 50 years ago, looked like a formidable challenger who potentially could have prevented Toro’s return to office.

But in a surprise turn of events, on September 25 de CNE revoked his candidacy with a vote of 6-2, according to them, because there were merits to overthrow Gomez’s aspiration given that he would be disqualified by law from holding the position.

The CNE had a pending request asking them to revoke his candidacy (file #CNE-E-DG-2023-019080), in view of the fact that the electoral regulations emphasize that no candidate for popularly elected office can have a contractual relationship with the state, at least one year before the corporation to which he wants to aspire.

In Tulio Gómez’s case, he signed arrangements with the municipality of Cali, in the last year, related to spaces that he rented at the Pascual Guerrero stadium, home to América de Cali, of which he is the largest shareholder.

It is known that he was involved — as representative of América de Cali — in three contracts, between November 2022 and January 2023, with the Sports Secretary, which is part of the Cali mayor’s office. When notified of the decision, Gómez may appeal it through an appeal resource and the court would have two days to respond.

On Twitter, Gómez decried the decision: “I am not a state contractor, they want to disqualify me for a place that they were going to rent to us for the América de Cali’s merchandise, but that place was not the one we needed, therefore the contract was not finalized. Let them defeat me at the polls, not with tricks.”

Who Is Tulio Gómez?

Gómez has a reputation as a successful businessman and savior of lost causes, although no experience in politics, per a characterization by Huevos Revueltos con el Partido (Scrambled Eggs with Politics), a well-known podcast covering Colombian politics.

His popularity emanates from the football. More specifically, his tenure as the main shareholder and president of América de Cali has seen the team promoted from the second division back to the top flight after several embarrassing years in the lower level for the storied club.

In the business world, since 2019, he has been the owner of a well-known network of retail supermarkets called Agromercados La Montaña. He is considered a successful business person because he went from having a little grocery store in a Cali’s low-income city area to becoming, in 1990, the owner of Super Inter, a large chain of supermarkets with commercial premises in several cities of Valle del Cauca. Years later, in 2014, he sold it to the giant economic group Éxito, based in Medellín.

La Silla Vacía highlights on its website that Gómez, who was registered by signatures before the National Registry representing the Valle 2.0 movement, received support from politicians such as Senator Carlos Motoa, from the Cambio Radical party, and Duvalier Sánchez, from the Alianza Verde Party. Also, he is backed up by Ritter López, a former senator of Partido de la U party and old ally of Dilian Francisca Toro.

In like manner, Horman David García, who was in the race for Valle del Cauca’s next governor with the endorsement of the Verde Oxígeno political movement, renounced his aspiration and joined Tulio Gómez’s campaign.

Other Candidates Remaining in the Race

The rest of aspirants sit below 3% in the latest by MM Consultores. Ferney Lozano (2.74%), promoted by the Pacto Histórico, the current national government coalition, worked closely with President Gustavo Petro during his position as Bogotá’s Mayor (2013), and actively was part of his campaign in Valle del Cauca when Petro ran for President in 2022.

In turn, William Cruz (1.20%) represents the Fuerza Ciudadana movement and this is his first foray into politics.

With the same percentage in the MM Consultores firm’s survey (1.20%), Óscar Gamboa is seeking for the third time to become governor of Valle del Cauca after obtaining more than 100,000 votes in 2015 and again in 2019, when he achieved a little more than 22,000 votes. On this occasion, he is supported by the Dignidad & Compromiso party. He is a close friend of the Colombian ambassador in Washington, Luis Gilberto Murillo.

The representative of the traditional parties is Santiago Castro, who appears with 1.03% in the survey. Castro has been part of the Conservador party (founded in 1849), which he represented as a congressman (2002-2006), but currently represents the Centro Democrático party.

At the bottom of the named survey are Luis Velásquez (0.85%) for the Liga Gobernantes Anticorrupción party (the political group of Rodolfo Hernández, former presidential candidate in 2022) and Horman David García (0.68%) who, as noted, is working on Gómez’s campaign.

MOE Monitors Elections in Valle del Cauca

One other major factor that will surround the upcoming elections are concerns over public order, a threat that has unsettled the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) in this department.

Alejandro Sánchez, MOE coordinator in Valle del Cauca, told Finance Colombia that their worries are about the upper area of ​​Jamundí (city neighboring Cali, in the south), in the western mountain range, where the Jaime Martínez mobile column of the FARC dissidents is present. In addition to this area, MOE is concerned about the central mountain range, bordering the department Cauca, a part known as “The Marijuana Triangle” that involves cities in Cauca and Valle del Cauca, such as Pradera.

Additionally, there are cities about which the MOE presented reports on political violence, such as Buenaventura and Cali, which are the ones that historically, in the last 10 years, were beset by the violence associated with the voting processes. However, in Tuluá, a city located in the center of Valle del Cauca, has also attracted the attention of the MOE due to recent situations of electoral violence, including candidates killed and threatened last August.

Reconsider travel to Colombia due to COVID-19. Exercise increased caution in Colombia due to civil unrest, crime, terrorism and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Finance Colombia notes that air travel to Colombia’s major cities and tourist destinations is generally safe for tourism, family visits, and business travel, though travelers should always assess their individual circumstances. 

Read the Department of State’s COVID-19 page before you plan any international travel.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Colombia due to COVID-19, indicating a moderate level of COVID-19 in the country. Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC’s specific recommendations for fully vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. Visit the Embassy’s COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 in Colombia.

As a service to readers, this message has been reprinted in its entirety as issued by the US Embassy in Bogotá.

Do Not Travel to:

Arauca, Cauca (except Popayán), Chocó (except Nuquí), Nariño, and Norte de Santander (except Cúcuta) departments due to crime and terrorism.

Reconsider Travel to:

Several departments throughout the country due to crime and terrorism.

Country Summary: Colombia is experiencing continuing demonstrations, unrest, and disruptions throughout the country. The nationwide events can cause the shutdown of local roads and major highways, often without prior notice or estimated reopening timelines. Road closures may significantly reduce access to public transportation and airports and may disrupt travel both within and between cities. Several cities have seen vandalism, looting, and destruction. Demonstrations have resulted in fatalities and injuries across the country.

Violent crime, such as homicide, assault, and armed robbery, is common. Organized criminal activities, such as extortion, robbery, and kidnapping for ransom, are widespread.

While the Colombian government signed a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) terrorist group, some dissident groups refuse to demobilize.

The National Liberation Army (ELN) terrorist organization continues plotting possible attacks in Colombia. They may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.

US government personnel cannot travel freely throughout Colombia for security reasons.

Read the country information page.

If you decide to travel to Colombia:

• See the U.S. Embassy’s web page regarding COVID-19.
• Visit the CDC’s webpage on Travel during COVID-19
• Avoid protest areas and crowds.
• Monitor local media for breaking events and adjust your plans based on new information.
• Keep a low profile.
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.
• Review the Crime and Safety Reports for Colombia.
• U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.

Arauca, Cauca, Chocó, Nariño and Norte de Santander Departments – Do Not Travel

Violent crime, including armed robbery and homicide is widespread.

Terrorist groups are active in some parts.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens as US government personnel cannot travel to these areas due to security concerns.

Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.

Several Departments throughout the Country – Reconsider Travel

Reconsider Travel to:

• Antioquia department north of Medellin
• Caquetá department
• Casanare department
• Cesar department outside of Valledupar
• Cordoba department outside of Montería
• Guainía department
• Guaviare department
• Meta department
• Putumayo department
• Valle del Cauca department outside of Cali and Palmira area
• Vaupes department
• Vichada department

Violent crime, including armed robbery and homicide, is widespread.

The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens as US government personnel cannot travel to these areas because of security restrictions and limited domestic travel options.

Visit the state department website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.

Assistance:

U.S. Embassy Bogota, Colombia Tel. +57-1-275-2000 or 601-275-2000 acsbogota@state.gov https://co.usembassy.gov/     U.S. Consular Agency, Barranquilla   conagencybarranquilla@state.gov     U.S. Department of State – Consular Affairs   1-888-407-4747 or 1-202-501-4444

After 10 months of investigation and complaints by 17 victims, prosecutors revealed that the ‘Cómbita III’ gang created false profiles on social networks and pages with sexual content, through which they asked their visitors for personal information and intimate images. They took advantage of both men and women seeking employment as sexual webcam models to demand a “casting” audition from candidates where they had to send photos and videos of a sexual nature.

Physical evidence and testimony led investigators to the Cómbita prison in the Colombian department of Boyacá, where a raid was carried out, leading to charges against a man known as ‘Santiago’, leader of the criminal group, who operating from inside the penitentiary, contacted and deceived victims to later extort them through text messages and intimidating calls, demanding sums between 2-3 million pesos in exchange for not publishing the contents through social networks or accusing the victims of sexual deviancy.

To pressure extortion payments, the criminals sent images to the victims, warning them that an investigation had already been initiated against them by the National Police.

In the municipalities of Caldas (Antioquia), Palmira Valle del Cauca) and Villavicencio, Meta, accomplices known as ‘Martica’, ‘Palma’ and ‘La Gorda’ were captured. The trio were allegedly in charge of withdrawing the money from the consigned extortions through bank branches and money order companies. As a result of their criminal activities, they collected an average of $15,000,000 per month, according to Colombian police.

Photo: Policía Nacional

Jalina Porter is the principal deputy spokesperson for the United States Department of State.

The United States is deeply saddened by the loss of life during protests throughout Colombia in recent days, and sends its condolences to the families and friends of all victims.

All over the world, citizens in democratic countries have the unquestionable right to protest peacefully. Violence and vandalism is an abuse of that right.

At the same time, we urge the utmost restraint by public forces to prevent additional loss of life. We recognize the Government of Colombia’s commitment to investigate reports of police excesses and address any violations of human rights.

We continue to support the Colombian government’s efforts to address the current situation through political dialogue.

Colombia’s own government human rights ombudsman has reported alarm at over 87 cases of disappearances in areas where there have been clashes between protestors or rioters and government security forces. The Cali suburb of Palmira was a flashpoint, with the international airport temporarily closed due to nearby disturbances that impeded travel. Government troops were deployed to the area.

While there have been incidents of looting and rioting, there have been alarming reports of riot police attacking peaceful protesters not engaging in vandalism or violence. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson, Marta Hurtado, also called on the Colombian authorities to respect human rights, citing events in and around Cali as an area of extreme concern.  “We are deeply alarmed by the events that occurred in Cali. Our office in Colombia is working to verify the exact number of victims,” she said, adding that: “We remind the state authorities of their responsibility to protect human rights, including the right to life and personal security, and to facilitate the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.”

Estamos profundamente alarmados por los acontecimientos ocurridos en la ciudad de Cali, Colombia, la pasada noche ??video con pronunciamiento de portavoz de la Alta Comisionada de la ONU Para los Derechos Humanos pic.twitter.com/xXeA7MIpeO

— ONU Derechos Humanos Colombia (@ONUHumanRights) May 4, 2021

Headline photo: Peaceful protesters in the Medellín neighborhood of San Javier (photo: Julian Padierna)

According to Aeronáutica Civil, or Aerocivil as it is called, the airport currently has all services operational to guarantee the air connectivity of passengers and supplies. The agency encourages all passengers to contact their air carriers directly to confirm flight measures or to make necessary arrangements.

Please contact your air carrier directly. Finance Colombia does not provide airline or passenger service.

Airport photo credit: Loren Moss

The move to close the airport was due to civil disturbances related to the nationwide protests expressing discontent with President Ivan Duque’s fiscal reform package, and broader political policies of his administration. Cali experienced some of the worst violence and looting in the country, even though it must be emphasized that most protesters were peaceful. In fact, many local politicians have denounced the behavior and provocations of the national police force, including Cali’s own mayor, who announced that his own cousin was shot in the head while protesting,

Video of the moments after the Mayor of Cali’s young cousin was shot in the head during the protests:

Video de Carolina Bohòrquez pic.twitter.com/4bgC9iYaYc

— Carolina Bohórquez (@car49655116) May 3, 2021

According to Aerocivil, the airport was closed to flights and traffic at 5pm Monday, May 3 as blocked roads outside the airport have prevented the ingress and egress of both passengers and aviation workers. Operations will be restarted, says Aerocivil, once conditions permit. Sources inside Colombian’s commercial aviation sector tell Finance Colombia that flights remain suspended as of Tuesday morning, and they have no information on a projected reopening. As far as can be ascertained, Cali is the only Colombian airport closed due to civil unrest.

Allow for extra travel time to Medellín’s airport

Passengers to and from Medellín’s José Maria Córdova international airport (MDE) were inconvenienced by the preventive closure of the tunnel providing the most direct route to the airport, requiring passengers to take the longer “old route” out of the valley, adding up to 40 minutes to travel. The closure of the tunnel was decided in an abundance of caution after rioters destroyed a toll booth in the northern suburbs of Medellín, far from routes involving airport passengers. Rioters also tore down “fotomultas” or automated traffic cameras that issue traffic tickets. The fotomultas are widely hated, not only for their inconvenience and cost to commuters, but because they are allegedly issue erroneous and even false fines, leaving innocent motorists in an administrative nightmare.

UPDATED: Aerocivil Announces Reopening of Cali Colombia’s International Airport

Photo credit: Loren Moss

The Puerto Solo Energy Hub Port Complex intends to facilitate international trade by receiving and delivering imported natural gas to the Pacific region of Colombia, providing storage and pipeline infrastructure to store and deliver 1.8 million barrels of fuel into the Colombian market. In conjunction with the Puerto Solo port development, SeaOne also announced that its subsidiaries are developing 228 megawatts of low emissions power generation, with 80 MW in Buenaventura and 148 MW in the Cali suburb of Palmira.

Rendition showing fully expanded Puerto Solo Energy Hub Port Complex to be built in Buenaventura, Colombia

“Colombia’s vast economic potential is constrained by the need to expand the energy infrastructure to avoid an overall lack of economic development and investment. We are honored and proud to be working seamlessly with the Colombian government to address this persistent impediment to growth and prosperity. The world-class energy hub we are developing at Buenaventura will allow for energy independence in the region and help ensure stability through the importation of clean, efficient, and sustainable fuels. SeaOne is providing a direct connection to the U.S. natural gas and NGLs markets, ensuring long-term lower cost fuels for industry and power generation,” said SeaOne Chairman and CEO Forrest Hoglund.

Angela Maria Orozco, Colombia’s Minister of Transportation, stated: “After complying with the requirements of the environmental license, connectivity, and others that a project of such magnitude requires, the national government, headed by the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), grants this new port concession that will facilitate international trade and the supply of gas in the interest of public service for all Colombians.”

Key, defining characteristics of SeaOne’s Puerto Solo Energy Hub Port Complex include:

Phase 1

• • Dock and Marine Infrastructure
  • NGL Receiving, Storage and Distribution Terminal
  • Refined Products Import/Export Terminal and Distribution Terminal

Phase 2

• • Integrated Natural Gas and NGL Receiving and Storage Terminal using SeaOne’s patented CGL system
  • Natural Gas, LPG, and Refined Product Pipelines to Cali

“In the short term, our Puerto Solo Energy Hub Port Complex is also a compelling economic development driver in the Buenaventura region. SeaOne’s initial project investment of more than $225 million (USD)will help create a large number of construction and sustainable long-term jobs. We look forward to working with federal and local governments and local communities to develop important social programs for the region. We are particularly proud of the small environmental footprint associated with our port and pipeline developments – a benefit that will help the region meet its sustainability objectives,” added Hoglund.

Above rendition showing fully expanded Puerto Solo Energy Hub Port Complex at Buenaventura, courtesy SeaOne Holdings.

When Viva Air launched operations over 6 years ago, relations were rocky with airport officials at Cali’s international airport in Palmira, Colombia, according to the new corporate biography “The Viva Effect.”  However, with the return of the airline to Colombia’s third largest city in 2019 and subsequent rapid expansion, it appears that they have turned over a new leaf and are now very much in sync.

According to the airline, its new Cali base will create 200 jobs in Valle del Cauca, the Colombian department where Cali and its suburb of Palmira are located. According to Viva Air, this addition makes the airline the leader for connectivity with Cali and other destinations—barely a year after the airline returned to the Cali market.

“Today Viva has full capacity to compete in new and better conditions in the market. Having Cali as a base of our operations, adding to our bases in Medellín, Bogotá and Lima, not only promotes tourism, but also positively impacts the generation of direct and indirect employment, and the economic development of the Valley and the entire country. We ratify our commitment to Cali as a destination and we remain firm in our purpose of invigorating the air sector in Colombia through air inclusion,” said Félix Antelo, CEO of Viva Air. “In addition, we became the number one airline in connectivity for Cali,” he added.

Viva Air has a Tracxn score of 53

The Cali Barranquilla route will have four weekly flights on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. For its part, the Cali – Santa Marta – Cali route will begin operations on Friday, December 4. It should be noted that Viva is the only operator on this route, which will have a daily flight for the high season at the end of the year. Furthermore, consistent with its sustainability strategy, the airline decided not to carry out the traditional water spray “baptism” of its inaugural flights from now on to conserve natural resources, starting with the launch of these two routes.

Since the beginning of operations in 2012, Viva has transported 27 million travelers on over 182,000 flights. Even during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, Viva Air’s market share in Colombia went from 15 to 24%, according to figures from Aerocivil, Colombia’s civil aviation authority.

New route details to & from Cali:

Barranquilla

o Cali – Barranquilla: 5:30 p.m.

o Barranquilla – Cali: 7:50 p.m.

Operation start date: December 3, 2020

Santa Marta

o Cali – Santa Marta: 10:10 a.m.

o Santa Marta – Cali: 12:30 p.m.

Operation start date: December 4, 2020

Barranquilla “La Arenosa (sandy city)”

Human Development Index: .821—High, Population 1,232,462

Barranquilla (above photo)is Colombia’s largest coastal city, with a population of 1.2 million; slightly more residents than nearby Cartagena. While Cartagena is a famous historical tourist city, Barranquilla is an industrial powerhouse and on the coast of the navigable Magdalena River, a primary gateway to the country’s interior. Barranquilla is home to Colombian architectural glass giant Tecnoglass (NASDAQ: TGLS), an employer of almost 6,000 that uses the city’s port location to export almost half a billion dollars of glass per year to the US and other markets. The city is also suitable for outsourcing services. Atlantic International BPO, a subsidiary of HGS is based in Barranquilla.

Global pop star Shakira is a Barranquilla native.

The city is well run. Outgoing two-time mayor Alejandro Char left office with an astounding (& independently verified) 94% approval rating. There is no beach in the city, but nightlife & tourism magnet Cartagena is less than 2 hours to the west, and the beach resort town of Santa Marta is less than 2 hours to the east. Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ) has nonstop international connections to the United States, Panamá, Ecuador, Aruba, and Venezuela.

Though rare in the rest of the country, American baseball is a popular sport in Barranquilla and the Atlantic coastal region of Colombia.

Cali “La Sultana del Valle (the Sultana of the valley)”

Human Development Index: .910—Very High, Population 2,445,405

Though the musical genre was invented in New York by Puerto Ricans, Cali proclaims itself the “Salsa Capital of the World” and dancing salsa is virtually a religion in the city. Salsa super-group Grupo Niche is native to Cali.

Cali is the largest city in the Southwest of Colombia, and the closest major city to the country’s only international port on the Pacific Ocean, Buenaventura. Situated in a fertile agricultural valley, Cali is the capital of Colombia’s sugar industry, and the road from the airport into town is lined with sugar cane plantations. Not surprisingly, Cali’s economy is supported by a strong industrial and agricultural base and enjoys a low cost of living.

That doesn’t mean the city isn’t attractive for professional services, as evidenced by large global services delivery business parks constructed by developers like Zonamerica and ZF Towers Versalles. Cali gets much less attention than Medellín & Bogotá but the city does have the infrastructure and bilingual talent pool to support even large operations.

As the gateway city to both the Pacific ocean through nearby Buenaventura, and to Ecuador and the rest of South America via its southern highways, Cali offer strategic advantages when ground transportation is integral to an investor’s supply chain. Ample flat terrain as a valley city make construction and transportation easy and inexpensive.

Cali’s Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO) is located in the Cali suburb of Palmira and offers direct international flights to or from Panamá, the United States, Curaçao, Peru, Ecuador & Spain.

The “Eje Cafetero (the Coffee Axis)”

Human Development Index: .758—Medium (Armenia), .820—High (Manizales), Populations: Pereira 476,636; Manizales 400,136; Armenia 301,224

A misty morning in Manizales (photo credit Loren Moss)

Colombia’s “Coffee Axis” is an urban region in the heart of coffee-growing country roughly halfway between Medellín to the north, and Cali to the south. If one thinks of it as analogous to the “Research Triangle” of Raleigh–Durham in North Carolina (US) or the “Twin Cities” of Minneapolis–St. Paul in Minnesota (also US), this region is a cluster of small cities near enough to one another to function largely as a single economic region and labor pool. The three primary cities are Manizales, Caldas; Pereira, Risaralda; and Armenia, Quindió. Manizales has the most universities (7) per capital of any municipality in Colombia.

Panaca is an entertaining amusement park with an educational purpose: Teaching tourists about agriculture, animal husbandry, and Colombia’s rural heritage. (Photo credit Loren Moss)

Agriculture is an obvious economic engine in this peaceful, low crime area, though it also houses several universities providing thousands of bilingual students to the contact center and BPO services sector. Tourism is also a draw, with activities and tourist infrastructure for domestic and international visitors. Manizales is home to some amazing restaurants, and major amusement parks such as agriculture-themed Panaca and coffee-themed Parque del Café. Coffee is still king in this area, and there are countless fincas (plantations) open to visitors, many with bed & breakfast facilities. Nearby volcanoes fuel several natural hot springs, some of which have been made into spa facilities. There are abundant opportunities for ecotourism such as the Los Nevados National Park, home to the Nevado del Ruiz active volcano, the Cocorá Valley with the world’s tallest palm trees, and scenic/artisanal tourist town Salento. Rather than one big city, this neighborhood of several small cities has a palpably more relaxed lifestyle but with the infrastructure, labor pool and resources of a larger metropolis.

One of several roller coasters at Parque del Cafe in Colombia’s Eje Cafetero (Photo credit: Liliana Padierna)

Logistically, the Eje Cafetero is located almost centrally between Medellín, Cali and Bogotá, making it a good logistical destination and a hub for the domestic supply chain. Road networks are well developed, redundant and well maintained. Pereira’s Matecana International Airport (PEI) has nonstop flights to The United States and Panamá, while Armenia’s El Eden International Airport (AXM) has flights to The United States. Manizales’ La Nubia Airport (MZL) offers domestic connections.

Bucaramanga, “the City of Parks”

Human Development Index: .879—High, Population 795,734 (combined with adjoining Floridablanca)

Bucaramanga is often the most important Colombian city that foreign investors have never heard of. Along with its high-income suburb of Floridablanca and nearby bedroom communities of Girón & Pidecuesta, Bucaramanga is the most economically important inland city in the eastern region of Colombia. The tropical city is near the refinery town and river port of Barrancabermeja, and is well connected with both Colombia’s Atlantic coast, Bogotá, and Medellín.

Economically prosperous, Bucaramanga has one of the strongest economies in Colombia with a 5.1% annual growth rate from 2004 to 2014, single digit unemployment, the highest per-capital local GDP in Colombia, and a business-friendly political climate. In addition to traditional economic activities such as leatherworking and shoe manufacturing, the city is a base for Colombia’s petroleum industry, with facilities for downstream petroleum firm Terpel and Ecopetrol’s research arm, the Instituto Colombiano de Petroleo (Colombian Petroleum Institute) located in Bucaramanga.

Bucaramanga is the closest large city to Venezuela, so when Colombia’s neighbor is eventually able to return to viability, the city will be well positioned to supply the economic recovery. Bucaramanga’s Palonegro airport (BGA) has nonstop international connections with Panamá.

An attractive, well-kept city, Bucaramanga is known as the “City of Parks.” Bumanguesas, as its residents call themselves, enjoy adventure and outdoor sports in nearby San Gil, or the Panachi amusement park (Parque Nacional del Chichamocha) in the Chichamocha canyon. Nearby suburb Girón’s colonial architecture and cobbled streets also make for an attractive outing only minutes from the city.

Bucaramanga skyline (Photo credit: Loren Moss)

An estimation of the adjusted human development index for the Colombian departments — Lecturas de Economía Print version ISSN 0120-2596

Barranquilla photo credit: By –F3rn4nd0 06:21, 27 March 2007 (UTC) – Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1848518

Cali photo credit: By Aleko David Alejandro Rendón – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8954828

This move marks another expansion of service for Banco de Bogotá, which claims 7,340 transaction points in Colombia, including its presence in Grupo Éxito stores — including Éxito, Carulla, SurtiMax, and Super Inter — and Colsubsidio supermarkets and pharmacies.

“Our new alliance with La 14 allows us to position ourselves as the first bank with correspondent banking locations in this prestigious chain of supermarkets and stores,” said Yohana Mojica Ramón, a manager at Banco de Bogotá.

La 14 has its largest presence in the south of the country and maintains locations in 12 Colombian cities: Cali, Bogotá, Buenaventura, Manizales, Pereira, Tuluá, Palmira, Jamundí, Yumbo, Neiva, Armenia, and Girardot.

Photo: Banco de Bogotá’s headquarters in Colombia’s capital. (Credit: Jared Wade)