RSSMix.com Mix ID 535007

Sanin wins Conservative primary: Caracol

a.alsema@colombiareports.com (Adriaan Alsema) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:31:12 -0400

Noemi Sanin won Sunday's Conservative Party primary and will be the party's presidential candidate in the May 30 election, Colombian radio station Caracol reported Friday afternoon.

Spanish opposition leader commends Uribe's human rights record

b.borkan@colombiareports.com (Brett Borkan) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:04:28 -0400

Spanish opposition leader Mariano Rajoy commended the president Alvaro Uribe on improving Colombia's human rights record during his administration, following a meeting with the president on Friday.

Judge orders release of 16 more 'false positives' suspects

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:36:59 -0400

Authorities from the central Colombian department of Cundinamarca announced the release of sixteen members of the national army who were being investigated for committing extrajudicial murder of a youth in the municipality of Soacha.

'US-Colombia military base pact is misunderstood'

b.borkan@colombiareports.com (Brett Borkan) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:18:51 -0400

The U.S.-Colombia military base agreement is completely misunderstood, and it is one of the many examples of U.S. military agreements aimed at exporting security in order to stay out of foreign countries in the long run, argues prominent U.S. political-military strategist and author Thomas Barnett.

Department of Cauca suffers 2 FARC attacks in 24 hours

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:57:49 -0400

Police in the western Colombian department of Cauca announced two separate attacks within the department by guerrilla group FARC in the last 24 hours.

Colombian ambassador walks out on OAS meeting

b.borkan@colombiareports.com (Brett Borkan) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:47:47 -0400

The Colombian ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) walked out of a meeting after Ecuador requested that the OAS pass a resolution condemning Colombia for its 2008 attack on a FARC camp on Ecuadorean soil.

Medellin forget to score against Racing

j.roorda@colombiareports.com (Jonathan Roorda) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:02:05 -0400

Independiente Medellin remain without a win in the Copa Libertadores. Late on Thursday, the Colombian league champions were held to a goalless draw by Racing Club of Uruguay.

ELN kidnap 3 members of Partido de la U

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:48:04 -0400

Colombian guerrilla group ELN kidnapped three politicians active in the country's Partido de la U, in the western department of Arauca, close to the Venezuelan border.

Colombia to undergo annual human rights review for FTA with Canada

b.borkan@colombiareports.com (Brett Borkan) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:35:24 -0400

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe announced on Thursday that his government will accept an annual human rights review in order to move forward with a free trade agreement with Canada.

Colombian man arrested for fathering 7 of his daughter's children

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:05:54 -0400

Police in the western Colombian department of Valle del Cauca arrested a 66-year-old farmer found to have conceived seven of his seventeen children with his own daughter.

33 caravaning Germans' Cartagena dilemma

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:16:25 -0400

A traveling troop of 33 Germans, moving around South America in motor homes, arrived in Cartagena - only to encounter that age-old problem, no free parking...

Medellin magazine puts a bunch of naked folk on the cover

a.alsema@colombiareports.com (Adriaan Alsema) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:37:51 -0400

Medellin magazine The Arepa decided to spice up its coming issue by putting a bunch of paisas in their underwear on the cover.

Finally, photos of the beautyqueen-turned-druglord

a.alsema@colombiareports.com (Adriaan Alsema) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:13:26 -0400

Remember Angie Sanclemente, the beautyqueen-turned-druglord who was using models and misses for drug trafficking operations? Colombian magazine Cromos did some digging to find some nice photos of the fugutive criminal.

Colombian actress Nataly Umaa on a quest for a British accent

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:08:25 -0400

Colombian model and soap opera actress Nataly Umaa plans to broaden her acting horizons by taking English classes in London.

Iberia to offer more flights between Spain and Colombia

b.borkan@colombiareports.com (Brett Borkan) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:04:54 -0400

Spanish airline Iberia announces plans to increase the amount of flights to Colombia.

No thank you for the music: Abba will NOT play Bogota

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:33:52 -0400

Colombian businessman German Arango announced the sad news that, contrary to recent reports, international supergroup Abba will not be playing in Bogota after all, and that he had in fact booked an Abba-themed musical to play in the capital.

Colombian TV stars burned at the ballot box

epachico@gmail.com (Elyssa Pachico) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:03:59 -0400

They may be winners on TV, but when it comes to politics, the Colombian entertainers who ran for Congress lost out.

Bogota's 12th Ibero-American Theater Festival

a.hamer@colombiareports.com (Ashley Hamer) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:28:54 -0400

Bogota's twelfth Ibero-American Theater Festival begins March 19: a fortnight-long celebration of the performing arts, dedicated to the memory of the event's founder Fanny Mikey.

Medellin's cultural calendar for the South American Games

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:16:32 -0400

Sports fans will be flocking to Medellin in the coming weeks, as the Colombian city prepares to host the 9th South American Games. And for those who are less interested in sport, the city will also be putting on a variety of cultural events between March 19 and 30.

Former Miss Colombia plans to conquer the small screen

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:07:37 -0400

Former Miss Colombia Eileen Roca announced that she will be branching out and sharing her talents with the world - with grand plans to conquer the worlds of music and reality television.

Mamma Mia! Abba to play in Bogota?

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:49:50 -0500

Swedish kitsch-pop gods Abba will reportedly be bringing their legendary harmonies to Colombia's capital.

New York condoms get Colombian makeover

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:33:12 -0500

A 29-year-old graphic designer of Colombian heritage has won a competition to see his work gracing the packets of free condoms handed out in New York.

Tour buses and tango in Medellin's cemeteries

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:56:07 -0500

Medellin is embarking on a new venture to introduce visitors to the city's historically fascinating network of cemeteries, with organized tours by day and full-moon tangos by night.

A bulky bounty: Thieves steal $7,000 in coins

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:08:50 -0500

Thieves in the northern Colombian city of Sincelejo made off with a valuable, if somewhat weighty, load - stealing over $7,000 in coins.

David Murcia turns business guru in US jail

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:55:47 -0500

David Murcia Guzman, who was convicted of tricking hundreds of thousands of Colombians out of their savings through pyramid scheme DMG, has reportedly become a business guru for fellow inmates in his U.S. prison.

Tanks on the streets of Bogota for Metallica gig

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:39:39 -0500

The security measures are set to be as heavy as the music when rockers Metallica take to the stage in Bogota's Simon Bolivar park this evening.

International sailing tour comes to Cartagena

b.borkan@colombiareports.com (Brett Borkan) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Thousands of sailors from around the world will visit Colombia's coastal city Cartagena when the "Sail Cartagena de Indias 2010" festival docks in the steamy Caribbean port in May.

OMG!!! Vicious schoolgirl catfight caught on video

a.alsema@colombiareports.com (Adriaan Alsema) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:53:40 -0500

Important report from well-respected RCN Noticias (in Spanish): A group of schoolgirls in the east Colombian town of Bucaramanga started a violent catfight, including pulling hair and what-not, all this allegedly over a boy. AND THEY GOT IT ON VIDEO!

Airline prices hikes force Colombians to plan ahead

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:23:35 -0500

New pricing systems for Colombia's domestic airlines mean that Colombians must plan their Easter vacations well in advance this year in order to get a good deal.

Israeli film festival comes to Medellin

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:57:55 -0500

Colombia's second city Medellin will be celebrating Israeli cinema next week, with a series of the country's most critically acclaimed films being shown in the city's libraries from March 11 to March 17.

Cundinamarca - Colombia's new tourism hotspot

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:43:29 -0500

The central Colombian department of Cundinamarca is being promoted as a new tourist hotspot, aiming to attract visitors interested in ecotourism, agrotourism and extreme sports.

Aerosmith to rock Bogota

k.begg@colombiareports.com (Kirsten Begg) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:46:05 -0500

Colombian media is buzzing with the rumor that legendary U.S. band Aerosmith will rock Bogota with a concert on May 20.

Sting to perform in Colombia

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:11:30 -0500

International superstar Sting will be performing in Colombia as part of this year's Buchanan's Forever charity music event.

Gustavo Cerati to perform in Bogota and Medellin

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:04:41 -0500

Argentinian singer and songwriter Gustavo Cerati will be bringing his Latin-rock sounds to Colombia's largest cities in May.

Bogota's new Montserrate tunnel to open in March

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:54:22 -0500

Bogota authorities have announced that a pedestrian tunnel leading to Cerro de Monserrate, the mountain which towers over the city's old town and is one of the Colombian capital's most famous tourist attractions, will be completed before Semana Santa.

Bogota is Colombia's no.1 tourist destination

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:19:42 -0500

Bogota was found to receive the highest number of foreign tourists per year of any destination in Colombia.

Medellin travel blog nominated for Bloggies Award

jeff@careerbreaksecrets.com (Jeff Jung) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:36:57 -0500

A blog about day-to-day life in Medellin was recently nominated as one of the top travel blogs in Latin America. MedellinLiving.com is now waiting until end of this month to find out whether it has won a Bloggies Award.

Bogota launches new website for tourists

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:26:45 -0500

A new interactive website will be launched on Tuesday providing up-to-date information and listings for tourists visiting Colombia's capital.

Bogota gears up for tourism fair

b.borkan@colombiareports.com (Brett Borkan) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:23:24 -0500

Bogota is preparing to host the 29th Colombian Agencies of Travel and Tourism tourism showcase, which will feature exhibitions from every region in Colombia, as well as 30 other countries from around the world.

'Long Live Colombia': $1.5m investment in domestic tourism

cpeasewatkin@gmail.com (Camilla Pease-Watkin) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:19:37 -0500

Colombia's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism announced a new $1.5 million scheme to promote domestic tourism, with the slogan "Long live Colombia, the country that you carry in your heart."