Colombia Changes For The Good.

[Noesdeayer]

i am now in San Francisco,California after spending last week in Bogota and Cali,Colombia.Every time I have visited there in the last 10 years I have noted on-going improvements in all areas of life.Colombia can boast of having one of L.A.,s strongest currencies,lowest inflation rates (1% in 2014) and highest rates of investment and ROI. Unemployment is a high 9%,although 3 years ago it was 12%.This is because the pacification process still has a way to go and there remains a large percentage of the population that was displaced from rural areas to the cities due to the FARC's terrorist activities that still have to feel safe and confident enough to return to the countryside. What most impressed me was the participation in the national pacification of peolple of all income levels and racial backgrounds-white,black,native Indian and mixed race.One Afro-Colombian woman,a former fashion model who has set up an entrepreneurial program for the young called "Buenaventurados"-" Good Ventures" was especially encouraging.The minimum wage and minimum retirement is about U$D 300-smaller than Argentina's but with only 1% annual inflation they go waaaay farther! Bogota is a clean and progressive capital markedly less expensive than B.A.even in the upscale areas.Even poor Colombians speak a clear,"castizo"-pure-Castillian Spanish without all the unnecessary English like -delivery.a full etc.used in Argentina.The music heard on radio,TV and "musica funcional" is basically local Colombian.I have been in B.A. since 1979 and have totally aculturated but I would not say it is a city in which to learn correct Spanish either spoken or written.Maybe Argentina can learn something from Colombia.I certainly hope so-for their own sake.

 

[nkotb]

Punctuation please?

 

[Girino]

Punctuation please?

No, thou shall suffer in full. After all, that' why you're here!

 

[sesamosinsal]

Strongest currencies in Latin America? Low inflation?

The Colombian peso has devalued by 61 percent in the last year -- just behind Brazil, which sits at 67 percent.

Just how many Colombians did you actually talk to? I ask because you wouldn't need to go to Colombia to speak with one, as about 4 percent of all residency applications in Argentina over the last 10 years came from Colombians. Colombia is, in fact, number 4 on the list, just after Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru. http://www.migracion...iembre 2014.pdf (Slide 12)

If Colombia is so great, why are Colombians among the top nationalities that choose to live in Argentina? It doesn't share a border with Argentina, and countries located in the same vicinity geographically (e.g. Venezuela and Ecuador) have much lower residency applications than Colombia does.

 

[Noesdeayer]

Bradley. !) True it WAS one of the strongest currencies in South America before the devaluation.However,it still is ahead of most others except possiblly Chile.Nonetheless, the inflation rate has not exceed 3% for years greatly softening the devaluation effect on the general population.I talked to at least 30 Colombians from students to professionals. My friends are doctors in Manizales,Caldas.Many Colombians want to go to Argentina for university study especially medicine because the UBA is free and accepts them with no problems with revalidation in Colombia..In Cali,for example,there are 2 universities one private with paid tuition and one public but not totally free.Every student must present a "declaracion de rentas" or "income tax statement" from themselves or their family and their is a tuition charged based on that statement.If the student is truely insolvent then nothing is paid.Also,there is a "cupo" or cuota on the number of medical specialties allowed for study e.g. surgery.this could also be true for engineers and other STEM type careers,I'm not sure.As is known Colombians have been emmigrating for decades to the U.S. and Spain due to their large population (48 million) and unequal social system which the FARC was attempting to change by armed revolution as in Cuba.The aforementioned has begun to improve and change especially in the last few years.Nonetheless,the unemployment remains high at 9% and used to emmigrate some are now choosing Argentina.However,the U.S. remains their first choice.I have made it a point for years to talk to many Colombians in Argentina.A large number do it because it is relatively easy and they can speak Spanish.Many,if not most,return to Colombia after short stays in Argentina when they realize there is very little real income to be earned in what they can work in there. Poorer Venezuelans don't emmigrte because they can't get the U$D to do so.However,Costa Rica and Panama are full of more affluent Venezuelan immigrants.I have talked to at least 50 last year.Ecuadorians don't emmigrate YET because they use the U$D as currency.But I'd say they will probably step up emmigrating to the U.S. very soon given oil,their most important export, at only U$D 40.

 

[scotttswan]

Push the return/enter key now and again ffs