AGP Executive Report

Reusable Packaging Push: PR3, a Colombia-based global reuse alliance, unveiled a new universal symbol for reusable packaging and reuse systems, saying reuse can cut single-use packaging production by up to 90% and emissions by up to 80%. Colombia Tech & Payments: Oobit reports USDT dominates stablecoin payments across Latin America, with Colombia at ~98% of stablecoin transaction volume as it scales cash-like crypto use locally. Corrosion Fix from Waste: A Colombia project is developing natural coatings to slow metal corrosion using avocado, coffee, and plantain peel residues. Energy Debate Reignites: A leading Colombian presidential contender is pushing to fully reopen fracking, reviving the country’s oil-vs-renewables fight ahead of World Environment Day. Cybersecurity Warning: Researchers flagged the Silent Ransom Group’s fast-flux infrastructure and extortion tactics, warning law firms and other sectors. World Cup Tech Ops (Miami): FIFA is running a high-tech operations center in Miami-Dade to coordinate security, weather, flights, and tickets for the 2026 tournament.

Bioeconomy Training: IICA and the Latin American Bioeconomy Network launched BioSinergia 2026 webinars to help turn biological resources into productive, inclusive, sustainable projects across Latin America and the Caribbean. Materials for Sustainability: Colombia is testing natural anti-corrosion coatings made from avocado, coffee, and plantain peels plus pruning residues, aiming to cut maintenance costs from metal corrosion. Crypto Payments in Latam: Oobit says Tether’s USDT dominates stablecoin transaction volume across Latin America, with Colombia at ~98% share, and notes Colombia is now a live market for cash-like crypto usage. Agriculture Biosecurity: Texas confirmed New World screwworm in a calf after decades, and officials are pushing faster construction of a sterile-fly breeding facility to protect the cattle industry. Energy Policy Debate: Abelardo De la Espriella is pushing to fully reopen fracking in Colombia, reigniting the country’s energy transition fight. Legal Tech/Policy: Colombia is contesting an ICSID award tied to a $2.4B liability, arguing the tribunal acted properly. Climate & Inflation Risk: A study warns El Niño could add up to 3.26 points to Colombia’s inflation in the months after it arrives.

Colombia Tech Update: Defense & Aerospace: Brazil plans to expand its Saab Gripen fleet by negotiating 20 more Gripen E/F jets, boosting future inventory from 36 to 56 and accelerating replacement of aging F-5s. Healthcare Tech: A robot-assisted cardiac telesurgery claim says a surgeon in India remotely performed a procedure on a patient in Guyana over nearly 20,000 km using the SSI Mantra system. Climate & Environment: NASA reports a Pacific warm-water swell that could signal a Super El Niño later this year, raising concerns for extreme heat and rainfall disruption. Circular Packaging: A Bogotá-based design team helped launch a new global reuse symbol (PR3) meant to work alongside reuse systems, not just recycling. Agri-Health Risk: USDA confirms New World screwworm in Texas, a threat to cattle and potentially costly for the food supply chain. Colombia Spotlight: Goldman prizewinner Yuvelis Morales Blanco highlights Colombia’s anti-fracking fight to protect the Magdalena River.

Agriculture Biosecurity: The U.S. USDA confirmed New World screwworm in a 3-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas, triggering quarantine and a sterile-fly response—an economic risk for the cattle industry and a reminder that the parasite can return after decades. Circular Food Tech: Colombia’s University of Antioquia highlights black soldier fly larvae as a scalable way to turn organic waste into animal feed, fertilizers, biofuels, and other bio-based products. Electoral Tech Governance: Colombia’s Constitutional Court struck down key parts of the new Survey Law, including rules that limited when polls could be published and demands for certain technical details. Public Health & Care: Colombia’s ENUT 2024–2025 survey finds 9 in 10 women do unpaid domestic and care work daily, averaging 7h 35m—time that can’t go to paid work or rest. Media & IP: A Chilean court ordered Amazon Prime Video to pay Chilean performers royalties, a signal that streaming platforms face growing digital copyright obligations. Global Tech Policy: Google’s “Debug” plan to release millions of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes faces public backlash as approvals are pending.

Healthcare Innovation & Partnerships: Curaçao’s Health Minister Tyron Boekhoudt visited Bogotá’s Fundación Santa Fe and CTIC to study cardiology, burn care, and advanced cancer treatment models, signaling new specialized-care cooperation. AI in Pharma Distribution: Farmagenericos Colombia says its AI procurement engine now serves 6,000+ pharmacies, cutting purchasing costs ~50% and speeding deliveries to as fast as 24 hours. Medical Tech Milestone: SS Innovations reported the world’s longest-distance robot-assisted heart telesurgery, linking Guyana and India via its SSi Mantra system. Climate Monitoring: NASA’s Sentinel-6 satellite detected a warm Kelvin wave in the Pacific pointing to likely El Niño impacts for Colombia’s coast. Fintech/Payments: PaidBy® and Mastercard announced a cross-border open-banking A2A payments partnership aimed at faster, simpler international settlement. Public Trust & Elections: Colombia’s electoral system is in crisis after Petro rejected preliminary results, with renewed scrutiny on the digital infrastructure behind voting.

Colombia’s Economy Watch: Bancolombia’s NowCast (Grupo Cibest) says growth is picking up in 2Q26, with its activity index up 2.9% year-over-year for Mar–May 2026 (from 2.2% a year earlier), and a 2Q26 GDP growth projection of 2.6%. Retail & Digital Transformation: Grupo Éxito names Paula Sanabria as Chief Commercial Officer and Juan Camilo Suárez as Chief Digital and Technology Officer to push digital transformation across its banners. Tech & Telecom Infrastructure: DIDWW expands SIP trunking to Colombia (plus Iceland, Netherlands, Belgium, Nicaragua), bringing local call termination coverage to 57 countries. Space & Climate Signals: A Sentinel-6 satellite read shows a warm Kelvin wave near Colombia/Ecuador/Peru, a sign El Niño may follow. Health Systems Risk: A new look at central line infections (CLABSIs) argues the problem isn’t knowing prevention steps—it’s getting systems and execution right. Global Science Spotlight: A study reports daddy longlegs (harvestmen) capturing live frogs in South America, suggesting this predation may be more common than expected. Aerospace Collaboration: Saab unveils the first Gripen F with Brazil, highlighting long-running tech transfer and a new innovation center plan.

Colombia Election Watch: The Carter Center urged Colombians to respect the first-round presidential results, pushing back on Petro-linked fraud claims and stressing the vote was conducted with proper guarantees. Science Spotlight: Bogota’s Faber Burgos keeps turning space and physics into mass education, from stratosphere experiments to microgravity-style storytelling. Climate & Nature: A new study with partners in Colombia and the U.S. finds sea-level rise may boost carbon in some mangrove spots at first, but likely weakens long-term carbon storage across whole forests. Connectivity for Remote Colombia: SES and TV ISLA will expand hybrid satellite broadband on Providencia Island, supporting a faster fiber-to-home rollout for about 1,500 homes. AI + Business Tech: Artefact acquired process automation firm OFI Services, adding a ~130-person team across Colombia and other markets. Global Economy: The OECD cut its 2026 growth forecast and warned recession risk if geopolitical disruptions persist.

Public Transit Reform: A new editorial argues Colombia’s mass transit has been treated with “laissez-faire” neglect, pushing commuters into reactive traffic fixes instead of a dependable, state-led system. Labor & Energy: Ecopetrol’s main union, USO, has started a 24-hour strike at production fields and refineries, citing stalled talks over the collective labor agreement and labor-rights protections amid the energy transition. Biotech Access: A Science Advances study spotlights low-cost, portable biotech tools and freeze-dried reagents that could help labs in lower-resource settings run diagnostics and local biomanufacturing. Agrosecurity: Colombia’s banana sector launches a public-private alliance to fight Fusarium TR4 with prevention, diagnostics, applied research, and solutions to protect jobs and exports. Finance & Stablecoins: MoneyGram rolls out MGUSD, a U.S. dollar stablecoin on Stellar, aiming for 24/7 digital USD access for its 60M+ customers. Space/Tech (Colombia-linked): Colombia’s UN Security Council leadership highlights how the country’s peace experience can inform global security efforts. Sports Tech: Roku launches a World Cup “Soccer Zone” to centralize match info and links across streaming partners, including availability in Colombia. Archaeology: Emeralds found in Panama’s ritual tombs are confirmed as Colombian, reshaping views of pre-colonial luxury trade networks.

Agro-Tech & Biosecurity: Colombia’s banana industry launched a public-private alliance to fight Fusarium TR4, bringing AUGURA, ASBAMA, CAF, and AGROSAVIA together on prevention, diagnostics, and applied research to protect exports and rural jobs. Connectivity for Remote Colombia: SES and TV ISLA will expand broadband on Providencia Island using a hybrid MEO+LEO satellite setup, aiming for 500 Mbps low-latency trunk capacity and fiber-to-the-home rollout for about 1,500 homes. Health Tech: C2N Diagnostics and SouthGenetics partnered to expand access to Precivity® blood tests for Alzheimer’s amyloid pathology across Latin America, including Colombia. Digital Payments: MoneyGram launched MGUSD, a self-custodial dollar stablecoin on Stellar, giving its 60M users 24/7 access to USD balances via the MoneyGram app. AI & Public Health Research: Google is seeking U.S. approval to release 32M mosquitoes in California and Florida as part of a Wolbachia-based dengue control effort. Agri-Exports & Jobs: TR4 isn’t the only bio story—banana and other horticulture sectors remain export engines, with Colombia’s banana push focused on keeping that advantage.

Colombia Election Tech & Security: Colombia’s presidential runoff is set for June 21 after hard-right outsider Abelardo de la Espriella beat leftist Sen. Iván Cepeda in the first round, with the campaign framing around tougher crime policy, ending talks with cocaine-trafficking rebels, and expanding social programs—setting up a high-stakes contest amid ongoing violence. Public Health Tech: Google is seeking U.S. federal approval for “Debug,” a plan to release up to 32 million sterile mosquitoes in California and Florida to curb disease-carrying Aedes aegypti. Rare Earths & Supply Chains: A new look at rare earths highlights that Colombia has deposits but still lags in scaling extraction for major buyers as China’s rare-earth leverage remains a global concern. Digital Infrastructure: Yuno named Edwin Poot as Chief Technology Officer, signaling continued expansion of its fintech platform and engineering push. Education & Language Tech: Korean language classes are set to enter Colombian public secondary schools for the first time this August, following a Korea-Bogotá agreement. AI in Sports: AI scouting apps are helping unlock football talent beyond traditional networks, with a Brazilian teen’s path into an Italian academy tied to such tools.

Education & Culture: Colombia will add Korean language classes to public secondary schools for the first time this summer, starting in August via a partnership between the Korean Embassy in Bogotá, the National University-linked Institute for Pedagogical Research and Action, and two local schools. Health & Environment: Colombia’s Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary renewed its IUCN Green List status, while Farasan Islands Reserve joined the program—highlighting a push for marine protected areas that are actually managed and monitored, not just protected on paper. Finance & Business: Grupo Aval shares jumped 13% to $5.22 as investors pointed to signs of economic stabilization and improving sentiment toward Colombia’s banking sector. Tech & Industry: Colombia tests satellite direct-to-device SOS messaging in rural areas, aiming to improve emergency response where connectivity is limited. Policy & Society: President Gustavo Petro rejected Colombia’s election pre-count, arguing software and voter lists were altered, and said only official scrutiny results should count. Sports Tech & Media: OPPO showcased football tech at the UEFA Champions League final, using telephoto camera hardware and AI imaging to capture match moments.

Election Tech & Trust: Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro says he doesn’t recognize the presidential election pre-count, alleging the counting software was changed and that extra IDs were added, and says he’ll accept results from scrutiny commissions. Security & Policy Stakes: Colombians vote on whether to continue Petro’s “total peace” approach or shift to a hardline stance as Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda head toward a June 21 runoff. Aviation & Logistics: Aerosucre retires its last Boeing 737-200 after 45 years, ending an iconic cargo role for border-region supply chains. Emergency Comms: Colombia tests satellite direct-to-device SOS messaging in remote areas of Bogotá. Health & Climate Signals: NASA reports warm-water swell in the Pacific that points to El Niño conditions later this year, while health agencies flag Ebola risks in Congo amid ongoing spread. Fintech Partnerships: XS.com wins “Best IB Program” at Wealth Expo Colombia 2026, highlighting broker ecosystem tooling and partner onboarding.

Colombia Election Tech & Security: Colombians vote Sunday in a presidential race that could pivot the country between Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” approach and a hard-right, law-and-order reset. The campaign is centered on Petro’s successor Ivan Cepeda versus Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia, amid car bombs, explosive drones, and the assassination of a candidate—while voters weigh how to respond to drug trafficking, illegal mining, and armed group violence. Aviation Logistics: Aerosucre retired its last Boeing 737-200 after 45 years, a reminder of how air cargo still underpins medical and heavy-goods delivery to remote border regions. Pensions Debate: Candidates are again clashing over Colombia’s pension retirement age (57 women, 62 men), now urgent after the 2024 reform left the age unchanged. Public Safety & Health Signals: A NASA-led satellite detected early El Niño conditions, with warm Pacific swell linked to Colombia-area weather extremes later this year. Research Methods for Earth: A Colombia-linked “soilsmology” idea uses simple seismic sampling to map soil properties, aiming to help farming and climate measurement. Media Freedom: UNESCO and press groups condemned the killing of journalist Mateo Pérez Rueda in Antioquia, calling for protection of reporters covering armed conflict.

LGBTQ+ Tourism Spotlight: A new look at Colombia’s travel scene highlights how Bogota and Cartagena have become more welcoming for LGBTQ+ visitors, pointing to legal protections and Pride events that signal growing social openness. Demographics & Tech Workforce: A global median-age ranking puts Colombia at 33.0, underscoring how younger populations can reshape labor markets and technology adoption over time. Coffee Education in Huila: Colombia’s first University School of Coffee launches in Huila under Surcolombiana University, with Coffee Engineering programs starting next semester—an effort to professionalize a key agricultural sector. Election Tech & Security: With Colombia’s May 31 presidential vote under heavy security, reporting also flags drone-based military upgrades and election transparency steps, including 1,200+ international observers in Bogota. Public Safety & Media: UNESCO and the IPI condemn the killing of journalist Mateo Pérez Rueda, calling for protection of reporters covering armed conflict. Gender Gap in STEM: Women-in-tech groups deliver a policy agenda urging better data and leadership pipelines, citing low representation of women across STEM study and tech management.

Colombia Election Tech & Security: Colombia’s presidential vote is drawing unprecedented scrutiny and tech support, with 1,207 international observers welcomed in Bogotá and a massive security posture reported ahead of Sunday’s balloting. Emergency Connectivity: The government also tested direct-to-device satellite SOS messaging in remote areas of Bogotá, routing alerts via Skylo and Viasat to an emergency center. Women in Tech Agenda: Women’s technology groups presented candidates with a policy proposal to close the gender gap in STEM education and leadership, citing major leakage from school to tech jobs. Military Drone Shift: The army showcased an explosive-drone system aimed at matching guerrilla tactics as election-day violence escalates. Election Day Logistics: El Dorado Airport invested about US$5.6M to modernize immigration processing for the 2026 World Cup, adding more checkpoints and faster biometric self-service. Drug War Reality Check: Experts argue U.S. boat strikes haven’t reduced cocaine availability, raising questions about the strategy’s impact.

Colombia Tech & Public Safety: Colombia just ran its first satellite direct-to-device emergency pilot, sending an SOS from rural Sumapaz to a Viasat satellite via Skylo and routing it to Bogotá’s C4—aimed at areas with no mobile coverage. Airport Modernization: Bogotá’s El Dorado upgraded immigration tech and space for the 2026 World Cup, adding 33% more capacity (62 checkpoints) and expanding Biomig self-service kiosks with iris verification. Health & Data: A Colombia study links cardiometabolic risk like hypertension and diabetes to social and emotional conditions starting in childhood, adding more context to the country’s growing chronic-disease burden. Energy & Deals: Zelestra sold a 3.5GW solar-plus-storage portfolio across Latin America to Promigas, while keeping EPC operations active in Peru and Chile. Biodiversity in Cities: Scientists described a tiny “Pink Floyd” spider species from Colombia’s urban walls, highlighting how city lighting can shape local ecosystems. Tech Ecosystem: Medellín was named the top Latin American destination for tech business development, citing strong startup concentration and investment growth.