Una de las mayores agencias para el desarrollo sustentable se ha aliado con empresas de hidrocarburos para aplastar a la oposición y mantener el flujo de petróleo, incluso en zonas sensibles.
Tag Archives: Colombia
In the Amazon, a U.N. Agency Has a Green Mission, but Dirty Partners
One of the world’s largest sustainable development agencies has worked with energy companies to quash opposition and keep oil flowing, even in sensitive areas.
As Latin America Shifts Left, Leaders Face a Bleak Reality.
All six of the largest economies in the region could soon be run by presidents elected on leftist platforms. Their challenge? Inflation, war in Europe, growing poverty at home.
At the Serpentine, a Show of Nature’s Healing Power
The climate crisis is inspiring — and requiring — new perspectives in thinking for the London gallery, starting with “Back to Earth.”
Colombia’s Truth Commission Is Highly Critical of U.S. Policy
Its report estimates that 450,000 people were killed in the decades-long internal conflict — more than twice the number previously thought.
Gustavo Petro Promised to Transform Colombia as President. Can He Do It?
During his campaign, Gustavo Petro proposed major reforms if he was elected. After winning Sunday’s presidential election, he’ll now have to prove he can carry out those changes.
Gustavo Petro gana las elecciones y será el primer presidente de izquierda de Colombia
La victoria del exrebelde y senador veterano sitúa al tercer país más poblado de América Latina en un nuevo rumbo.
Gustavo Petro Wins the Election, Becoming Colombia’s First Leftist Leader
The former rebel and longtime senator’s victory sets the third largest nation in Latin America on a sharply new path.
How to Stop Colombia’s Surging Violence
Neither candidate has a clear plan to contain rising levels of conflict and armed violence in the countryside.
The TikTok Star and Political Chameleon Vying for Colombia’s Presidency
Rodolfo Hernández bills himself as a paragon of democracy and a successful businessman who cares for the poor. A trip to Bucaramanga, the mountain-fringed city where he built his empire, reveals a different picture.
Rodolfo Hernández is Colombia’s Trump and He May Be Headed for the Presidential Palace
The Colombian establishment is lining up behind Rodolfo Hernández, a populist businessman with an incendiary streak, to defeat the leftist former rebel Gustavo Petro.
These Veterans Started Businesses Inspired by Their Deployments
Some veterans have started businesses that draw from their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, and thrived.
En Colombia, Petro y Hernández a segunda vuelta por la presidencia
Los resultados de la primera ronda de votaciones asestaron un duro golpe a la clase política conservadora en Colombia.
In Colombia, a Leftist and a Right-Wing Populist Head for June Runoff
The results in the first round of voting delivered a stunning blow to Colombia’s dominant conservative political class.
Luis Díaz Is the Liverpool Star Who Never Should Have Made It
Luis Díaz has become a hero in only five months in England. But his story resonates not because he made it, but because so many others like him never get the chance.
Colombia Election: Angry, Mobilized and Voting for Gustavo Petro
A large and loud youth electorate hungry to transform one of Latin America’s most unequal societies could propel Gustavo Petro, a former rebel, to the presidency.
7 Great Biking Cities (and Which Trails to Ride)
There’s no better way to zip through a new city than on two wheels. Here are some routes to try, from riverside jaunts to mountain climbs.
Roe Inspired Activists Worldwide, Who May Be Rethinking Strategy
Feminist movements in some countries similarly sought abortion protections in their courts, but for others, the goal was legislative change.
The Vanishing Variants: Lessons from Gamma, Iota and Mu
Studying the coronavirus variants that have faded away could help us prepare for what comes next, scientists say.
Colombian General and 10 Others Admit to Crimes Against Humanity
In the first hearing of its kind, officials admitted to orchestrating extrajudicial killings. But victims asked for more. “We know that there are powerful people behind you,” said one woman. “We need names.”
En Colombia hay una nueva generación de grupos armados
El histórico acuerdo de paz se firmó hace más de cinco años. Pero el vacío de poder y la falta de oportunidades impulsan el surgimiento de nuevos grupos armados.
Deep in Colombia, a New Generation of Armed Groups Battles for Control
The country signed a historic peace deal more than five years ago. But a power vacuum is fueling the rise of new armed groups.
‘Encanto’ May Be Accurate, but Can It Carry a Whole Country?
The filmmakers behind the Disney hit worked for cultural accuracy. Some Colombians and Colombian Americans are looking for more.
Does This Amazon Rock Art Depict Extinct Ice Age Mammals?
The animals painted in ocher in Colombia may include giant ground sloths and other creatures that vanished from the Americas. But some researchers say the art has a more recent origin.
How Colombian Feminists Decriminalized Abortion
As the United States faces growing restrictions on abortion, activists in Latin America are increasingly relying on one another to knock down barriers in the region.
Colombia Decriminalizes Abortion, Bolstering Trend Across Region
The court’s decision follows years of organizing by women across Latin America for greater protections and more rights, and significant shifts in the region’s legal landscape.
A World Away From Ukraine, Russia Is Courting Latin America
The Ukraine crisis has revived a struggle over Latin America between the U.S. and Russia, as Vladimir V. Putin seeks greater influence in the region.
This Ancient Crab Had Unusually Huge Eyes
A study of fossils from Colombia suggests that a prehistoric shellfish hunted prey with remarkably sharp vision.
Ingrid Betancourt to Make a Bid for President of Colombia
Ingrid Betancourt’s candidacy comes at a critical time, when Colombians are fed up with the political establishment and the future of the peace agreement is at stake.
Leftists Are Ascendant in Latin America as Key Elections Loom
Growing inequality and sputtering economies have helped fuel a wave of leftist victories that may soon extend to Brazil and Colombia.
Años Viejos: Torching the Old Year to Toast the New One
In parts of Latin America, the traditional burning of rag dolls was used to symbolically banish the woes of the year gone by. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see TV hosts and ex-presidents going up in flames.
How to Fix Colombia’s Peace
Key promises to address the conflict’s root causes have gone unmet.
I Watched ‘Encanto’ With My Dad. It Brought Him Back Home.
The animated Disney movie is set in Colombia, where my father is from — a place he rarely talks about. Would he fall for the film?
‘Social Detonator’: In Artist’s Work, and Life, Different Classes Collide
Oscar Murillo, a Colombian-born painter raised in London, considers it an “infiltration” when his class-conscious canvases wind up on the walls of collectors.
Former D.E.A. Agent Sentenced to 12 Years in Drug Money Scheme
Jose Ismael Irizarry took part in a seven-year scheme that used proceeds from drug investigations to buy jewelry, cars and a house in Colombia, prosecutors said.
Belgian Port City Grapples With a Flood of Cocaine
Antwerp has become the main port of entry into Europe for the drug, which is being blamed for a surge of violence that has prompted some Belgian officials to call for a war on drugs.
U.S. Removes Colombia’s FARC Rebel Group From Terrorist List
The move is a Biden administration effort to support the country’s fragile 2016 peace agreement.
Ballroom Takes Root in Colombia. But Who Is It For?
As the scene expands, so too have concerns about cultural appropriation and inclusion.
Will Iván Duque Protect Environmental Defenders?
Colombia’s president wants to convince the world he is a champion for the environment. But his country is deadly for those guarding the rainforest.
The U.S. Needs a Hemispheric Migration Strategy
The U.S. should move from a border policy approach to a truly regional and collaborative plan of action.
Colombia Announces Capture of Leader of Major Drug Cartel
The arrest of Dairo Antonio Úsuga, widely known as Otoniel, was a victory for Colombia’s president, who has been struggling to contain persistent violence.
Blinken Cites ‘Democratic Reckoning’ in South America
Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of an eroding trust in democracy in the Western Hemisphere and described challenges posed to open government by authoritarian leaders.
Colombians Are Uniting Around Land Reform. Here’s Why.
Helping farmers is an idea that unites the country’s left and right.
How the Colombian Band Morat Is Winning Over a Global Audience
One of the fastest growing bands in Latin America is speaking to a generation whose personal anxieties often exist amid a broader backdrop of social turmoil.
Facebook’s Apps Went Down. The World Saw How Much It Runs on Them.
The outage disrupted the digital lives of small-business owners, politicians, aid workers and others. But for some, it was a welcome reprieve.
Trams, Cable Cars, Electric Ferries: How Cities Are Rethinking Transit
Urban transportation is central to the effort to slow climate change. It can’t be done by just switching to electric cars. Several cities are starting to electrify mass transit.
Perilous, Roadless Jungle Becomes a Path of Desperate Hope
The recent surge at the Mexican border is likely to grow, as more migrants, mostly Haitian, risk everything negotiating the notorious Darién Gap on their way to the U.S.
Addi raises $75M to advance ‘buy now, pay later’ in LatAm, nearly triples valuation
Buy now, pay later is officially everywhere, and Latin America is no exception.
Today, one startup in the region, Addi, is announcing a $75 million extension to its Series B, bringing the total round size to $140 million. In late May, the startup announced it had raised $35 million in an equity round led by Union Square’s Opportunity Fund, and $30 million in debt funding from Architect Capital.
The company, which has dual headquarters in Bogota, Colombia, and São Paulo, Brazil, declined to reveal its new valuation other than to say it is “nearly triple” what it was 90 days ago when it closed on the first tranche of its Series B, and that it is now in the “hundreds of millions” of dollars range.
New York-based Greycroft led the extension, which also included participation from new backers GGV Capital, Citius Capital and Intersection Growth Partners, as well as existing investors Union Square’s Opportunity Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, Endeavor Catalyst, Foundation Capital, Monashees and Quona Capital.
With the latest financing, Addi has now raised a total of $220 million in debt and equity since its September 2018 inception — $140 million of that in equity and over $80 million in debt.
Addi co-founder and CEO Santiago Suarez, says he, Daniel Vallejo and Elmer Ortega started the company with a vision of making digital commerce a reality in Latin America — a region where an estimated fewer than 25% of people have a credit card.
“To do this, we had to solve the payment problem,” he said. “We wanted to make frictionless payments possible while allowing customers to afford what they wanted.”
Addi started with a buy now, pay later offering, which allowed consumers to make purchases in minutes with “just a few clicks.” Today, the company allows customers to pay for their purchases over three months at no cost. For bigger purchases, Addi lets them pay for up to 24 months at what it describes as “competitive and fair rates.”
Addi is currently available for e-commerce, mobile and brick-and-mortar purchases in Brazil and Colombia, with plans to expand across Latin America in the coming years. In particular, it plans to enter the Mexican market in 2022.
Since the beginning of this year alone, Addi has grown its GMV (gross merchandise volume) by 13x, according to Suarez.
“And our ARR has seen similar growth,” he said.
Like many other companies, Addi temporarily saw a slowdown in business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it quickly bounced back.
“We lost 99% of our GMV in 20 days when the pandemic hit. We had to make some painful decisions, including letting go of many of our colleagues at a very difficult time,” Suarez recalled. “We also refocused the business on e-commerce and digital payments, and we haven’t looked back since then.”
As a result, Addi reached its pre-COVID high again in March/April of 2021, and has grown by about 3x since.
For now, the company is more focused on growth than profitability, Suarez added.
“This round has increased our focus on making digital commerce ubiquitous and accessible across Latin America,” he said.
Indeed, Latin America led the world in e-commerce sales growth last year. For its part, Addi currently has more than 150,000 customers, a number that is growing at 30% to 40% month over month. On the merchant side, it has close to 500 merchant partners, including brands such as Arturo Calle, Mario Hernandez, Keep Running and Claro. Earlier this year, it inked a strategic partnership with Banco Santander.
Addi currently has over 260 employees (or as Suarez put it, partners), up from less than 120 a year ago. The company prides itself as being “one of the few Latin American startups” that grants equity to everyone on staff.
“And we make it a point of speaking about partners and co-owners rather than employees,” Suarez told TechCrunch.
The company plans to use the new capital to speed up its product roadmap and geographic expansion. On the product side, it will be launching “a one-click checkout solution” for its merchant partners and customers by year’s end. Addi will also be accelerating its entry into Mexico, as mentioned previously, where it’s aiming to launch in early 2022.
Greycroft’s Thabet Mahayni said that prior to investing in Addi, his firm had been tracking the startup “for a long time.”
“In addition to an exceptional team, we believe the BNPL value proposition is stronger in LatAm than anywhere else in the world,” Mahayni told TechCrunch.” We…believe they have an opportunity to fundamentally reshape the entire consumer payments experience in the region.”
That is in part because currently, consumers in Latin America have very few alternatives when it comes to credit, he points out. Card penetration is very low and those who apply for credit “face a cumbersome and frustrating application process,” Mahayni added.
And those who do have credit cards are often given very low limits with high interest rates.
“It’s easy to see how this dynamic makes it difficult and expensive for consumers to access safe and reliable credit,” he said.
Addi, according to Mahayni, has “rebuilt the entire onboarding, underwriting and fraud stack so they can provide safer credit alternatives to consumers while enabling merchants to meaningfully increase their basket sizes and GMV.”
It’s the second LatAm investment for Greycroft, which previously invested in Rocket.chat, a Brazilian enterprise communication and collaboration platform.
In Mexico next year, Addi will join existing player, Nelo. That startup raised $3 million in April, and at the time, was live with more than 45 merchants and over 150,000 users. Also, Alchemy earlier this year entered the Mexican market.
Bomba Estéreo Strives to Save the Planet and Soothe the Heart
Mixing traditions and electronics, this duo from Colombia envisions a futurism with roots.
Searching for Bird Life in a Former ‘Ocean of Forest’
A century after museum collectors surveyed Colombia’s avian fauna, a new generation of researchers returns to see what remains, and what has changed.