Colombia stars on USA Today

In its 20-page special about Colombia, the most popular newspaper in the United States, USA Today highlighted the country's progress in the past few years, highlighting its advancements on topics like security, human rights, democracy, business and the five growth engines: infrastructure, innovation, energy, agriculture and housing. 

In addition, it highlighted the benefits of the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Colombia, and the joint agenda between both countries.

"The great reduction in violence has brought Colombia back on the economic and Foreign Direct Investment map", said the publication. "This whole atmosphere has made Colombia the ideal place for investors seeking opportunities. The country classified number 39 in the 2011 Edition of Doing Business by the World Bank, which classifies 183 countries based on a series of criteria. Colombia's best scoring field in this survey was investor protection, where it ranked fifth", says the report.

USA Today gave a positive summary of Colombia's main achievements, such as its new membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), software exports growth, stability of the country's financial sector during times of the world economic crisis, the solidity of the private sector, which grew for several years without the support of foreign investors, the country's Duty Free Zones as the most competitive in the region, the growth of direct foreign investment, the growth of usage, access and investment on Information Technologies, a trained work force and the health system as one of the best in Latin America. 

 It also explains the growth opportunities in several sectors like mining, infrastructure, innovation and agriculture. "Colombia has an enormous potential to become an agricultural superpower. The country has large extensions of land that are yet to be developed which, with the right investments, can be as productive and successful as the 'Cerrado de Brasil", which made that country one of the main agricultural exporters in the world", said USA Today. 

The report, which was written thanks to the assistance by the Presidential Office of the Republic, the various Ministries and PROCOLOMBIA, quoted the opinions of a variety of entrepreneurs, journalists and important individuals who speak of the country's growth in the past years and the benefits Colombia can offer its investors.

Furthermore, it mentioned the work of 11 companies that have contributed to the growth of the local economy on several fronts. Some started from scratch and are now great leaders, like Servientrega, Inversiones Mundial and Olímpica. Others became important allies to multinational companies like Hyundai Colombia; some like Grupo Bolívar, Grupo Aval and UNE, which responded to a clear demand from the market; Pacific Rubiales, Procafecol, Grupo Nutresa and Grupo Aviatur, four local companies that took advantage of Colombia's natural wealth. The article also highlighted the work of other important multinational companies with presence in the country.

Finally, USA Today went on a tour of some of the Colombian regions and said that "each of the six natural regions have a lot to offer for curious tourists. The geological contrast yet to be discovered here could not be larger. All the way from a sun bath on virgin beaches, diving into a rich variety of cultures, to drenching in one of the most humid places on earth, Colombia has a lot to offer to feed the appetite of adventurous visitors." 

See the full special.