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MedellΓn, Colombiaβs second-largest city, is often cited globally as a textbook example of urban transformation. Central to this evolution is ACI MedellΓn, the cityβs specialized Agency for Cooperation and Investment. By fostering a unique βtriple helixβ collaboration between the public sector, private enterprise, and academia, the agency has managed to maintain a stable environment for capital even during periods of national political volatility.
In this exclusive interview, Loren Moss, Executive Editor of Finance Colombia, speaks with Cristina Zambrano Restrepo, the Executive Director of ACI MedellΓn. They discuss how the city nearly tripled its investment attraction over the past year, reaching over $400 million USD, and the strategies used to reassure international investors during a complex electoral landscape in Colombia.
Finance Colombia: Iβm here with Cristina Zambrano Restrepo, the Executive Director of ACI MedellΓn. Itβs always a pleasure to be with you. Thank you for the invitation. I know youβre extremely busy, so thank you for making the time to speak with Finance Colombia. How have you been?
Cristina Zambrano Restrepo: Very well, thank you very much. Truly happy to be here with you. Thank you for accepting this invitation. Without a doubt, we work to bring good and positive news to this city, and thank you for being here and for sharing and conveying all of these good things.
Finance Colombia: Yes, today you talked about the successes that ACI MedellΓn and the city have had this year in attracting investment. Tell us a bit about some of those successes. I think itβs going to be another large business hotel, and tell us a little about how youβve kept busy.
Cristina Zambrano Restrepo: Of course. A major focus for us is job creation through investment attraction. So, what did we achieve this year? We went from USD 150 million generated last year to more than USD 400 million this year. As Iβve mentioned, this is reflected in the creation of more than 11,500 formal, high-quality jobs generated by this investment attraction. We have major allies and players here, such as Renault-Sofasa, Rivana Business Park, SoftServe, and POMA. A great deal of companies, some already established, others newly arriving in the region. TaskUs too, which is also extremely important and has made major commitments to us. These are the companies that manage to generate that employment.
Finance Colombia: Excellent, thatβs fascinating. I have a history with Colombia of about 20 years, and here in MedellΓn of about 11 years, and itβs truly wonderful to see how the city has grownβnot only in population, but in investment and innovation. However, weβre living in a time of high uncertainty around the worldβnot just in Colombia, not just in the United States, but globally. Especially when we talk about the sector, not in general terms, but politically and economically. Has this made attracting investment more difficult or more challenging over the past year? How has this affected efforts to attract FDI, like, foreign investment, and what strategies have you used to overcome this challenge?
Cristina Zambrano Restrepo: Here, clearly, the political landscape affects and directly impacts confidence, right? The stability of a region, how we present ourselves to the world and to those very large capital investments, showing that we are a stable region, that we believe in them, and that we will support them. So, what strategies do we have? Without a doubt, it has been very challenging. We would like, for example, to be able to offer a range of benefits, extensions, fast-track processes in permitting and such, but in that sense we depend heavily on the national government. But we donβt stop there. We work from the regional level and have a firm commitment locally, focusing on what we ourselves can support, contribute, and manage from this area, the private sector. Which also helped sustain the region during the previous administration, and the academic sector, all the universities, and that ecosystem, which have been fundamental. And now the public sector as well, we are all working together specifically from this region to demonstrate that we are a region that inspires confidence, offers stability, and has all the right conditions for investment to continue to arrive.
Finance Colombia: One thing youβve mentioned thatβs very important, and something MedellΓn is known for, is the collaboration between the private and public sectors. In many other places, without naming names, itβs an endless war. But in MedellΓn it has always felt like itβs everybody. Thatβs why MedellΓn has always had the Metro and continues to have major projects here, because the private sector has a strong sense of civic ownership. People talk about the GEA, but from a foreign perspective, what Iβve seen is that companies like Grupo Argos, SURA, Bancolombia, and more recently Nutresa, and many smaller ones that arenβt international names, have a sense of belonging and work hand in hand with the government. Speaking of that, for example, Mayor Federico GutiΓ©rrez has traveled to the United States and other places to maintain those good relationships, despite what may be happening in BogotΓ‘ or at the Casa de NariΓ±o. What is the importance of the efforts made by the metropolitan government and the city government of MedellΓn, not only at the ACI level, but also at the level of Alpujarra? How important is this in maintaining a long-term course so that foreign investors continue to see MedellΓn as a destination, no matter how much may be happening 400 kilometers away?
βWe went from USD 150 million generated last year to more than USD 400 million this yearβ¦ reflected in the creation of more than 11,500 formal, high-quality jobs.β β Cristina Zambrano Restrepo
Cristina Zambrano Restrepo: I think what youβre pointing out is fundamental, and itβs specifically how weβve achieved this model in MedellΓn. In a way, when we go out into the world and explain how we work hand in hand, as you said, there are cities and countries that react like, βWhy do we need to sit at the same table? Iβm very clear about my purpose, and youβre very clear about yours.β Here, the real history of what this city lived through 40 years ago made all of us sit at the same table, and we realized that the efforts of the three actors are always aligned toward the same goals. What always matters to us is citizensβ well-being, quality of life, economic and social development, many things. So when we were going through our hardest moments, we managed to set aside egos, agendas, and competing visions. We sat down, we talked, and weβve continued to work under that model ever since.
As for whatβs happening and what lies ahead in the future: clearly, having a political leader like Federico GutiΓ©rrez, with those strategies and international connections, matters greatly. Countries trust leaders who have demonstrated stability and very clear commitments throughout their governing trajectory, and thatβs what our mayor has done. Because of that, they continue to seek us out as a region and want to work with us as a region. As we were just discussing, the investment world is very accustomed to government cycles, more than people might think. They know how to manage political and public-sector issues and how to make bold bets at certain moments. We work on this, and together with the mayor we focus on those countries where we need them to keep believing in us and trusting us. The United States is Colombiaβs partner par excellence, that is not going to change. It is the largest market in the world. So the mayorβs strategy of being very close to that government, of working with a binational chamber like AmCham Colombia, which always helps us continue attracting investment and fostering exchanges, is exactly how we work hand in hand.
Finance Colombia: Well, youβve been very generous with your time. Just two more questions. One is that in the United States, we have a saying: βNothing happens before the elections.β That big companies are always waiting to see whatβs going to happen, whatβs going to unfold. Is it the same here in Colombia? I know in Colombia, even more than in the U.S., thereβs a lawβwell, speaking of public contracting, where nothing can really happen. But aside from that, not talking about selling food to a school or something like thatβdo investors or multinational companies see this as a challenge? Are they ready to sign contracts, or are they waiting to see what happens?
Cristina Zambrano Restrepo: Of course, without a doubt itβs a challenge. And itβs not a minor one. Itβs a challenge that forces us to work even harder to demonstrate, from the regional level, just how stable we can continue to be so that investment keeps coming. There are many companies that make their decisions regardless of the electoral period weβre in, largely because, as I mentioned, they know how to manage political risk. But there are certainly many others that are on pause, waiting to see what happens in the upcoming elections. So yes, in that sense, it does present significant challenges. Even so, we are still projecting USD 400 million for next year despite the elections, and we continue to work toward and commit to that goal. And regarding what you mentioned about contracting, specifically public-sector contracting; a city cannot come to a halt just because there is a law on guarantees, right? All of that is already anticipated. Contracts need to be signed and put in motion ahead of time. Everyone here knows how to operate during a six-month guarantees-law period, so everything has to keep moving and functioning.
Finance Colombia: The last question, Iβve known ACI, even from before I was living in Colombia. Iβve now been in Colombia for 12 years, and Iβve known Juan since I was living in Miami. They were always calling me, saying, βLook, come see what we have in MedellΓn. Come, let us show you something beautiful we have, or an investment opportunity here.β And that was truly a big part of why, when I was living in BogotΓ‘, I decided to move to MedellΓn. It was exactly like that, maybe not as a major investor, but that attitude, that paisa pride.
Cristina Zambrano Restrepo: Paisa pride, yes, I was just going to say.
Finance Colombia: Exactly, exactly. Like my wife, whoβs paisa, when weβre abroad and someone asks her, βAre you Colombian?β she says, βIβm paisa.β
Cristina Zambrano Restrepo: More than Colombian, Iβm paisa.
Finance Colombia: What is the βsecret hogaoβ of ACI MedellΓn? Because regardless of the government in power, regardless of what happens under your leadership, and even looking at the long term, what is the secret sauce behind the success ACI has had as an investment promotion agency? You have a strong global reputation in the FDI space, Foreign Direct Investment. You, as director, as someone who knows how the internal plumbing works, what is the key to the success ACI has achieved?
Cristina Zambrano Restrepo: Well, I think without a doubt itβs our long-term planning. Itβs a vision we have for the city, a vision for the territoryβa clearly defined commitment. Every time we come in, thereβs no need to reinvent things; we need to keep working on what already works. We have a technical team, and this is something I really want to highlight: this is a highly technical organization. While it does, of course, depend on electoral and government cycles, it has a well-trained staff that has been working in these areas for many years, and thanks to them weβve been able to maintain the stability this institution has. So I would emphasize that, in addition to what you mentioned about paisa prideβwhich is an identity that characterizes all of us from MedellΓn. We truly like to see our city doing well; we fight for it, we defend it, we work for it. That paisa pride ensures that everyone who passes through this institution clearly understands the vision and works toward it, regardless of how long they remain here.
Finance Colombia: Yes, itβs trueβyou have a world-class team, so I know they make your job much easier. Thank you very much for your time; itβs always an honor to see you and to speak with you, and know you can always count on Finance Colombia for anything.
Cristina Zambrano Restrepo: Thank you as well, truly, for being here and for always supporting ACI MedellΓn. Indeed, you and Finance Colombia have been great partners for us in continuing to share and convey all the news thatβs happening.
Finance Colombia: We will, thank you.
A total of 3,231 candidates will compete for seats in Colombiaβs congress in the legislative elections scheduled for March 8, according to the RegistradurΓa Nacional del Estado Civil (RNEC), the authority responsible for organizing the countryβs electoral processes. In total, 102 senators and 182 members of the House of Representatives will be elected.
According to the electoral authority, 1,124 candidates registered for the Senate and 2,107 for the House of Representatives, the two chambers that make up Colombiaβs congress.
As the political analysis website RazΓ³n PΓΊblica explains, Colombiaβs electoral system is based on proportional representation, which seeks to reflect the diversity of political opinions within society in the composition of Congress. For the Senate, or upper chamber, voters may cast their ballots for candidates anywhere in the country, as it operates under a national constituency. In contrast, the House of Representatives, or lower chamber, is elected through territorial constituencies by departments, including BogotΓ‘ as the Capital District.
According to the RNEC, 41,287,084 citizens are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections, a key figure because it influences how seats are allocated.
In this election, 102 senators will be chosen by popular vote. According to the Senateβs official website, 100 will be elected through a nationwide constituency and the remaining two seats are reserved for indigenous communities, a special constituency established by the 1991 Constitution to guarantee political representation for these groups.
Voters must choose between receiving the national ballot or the Indigenous constituency ballot, but they cannot vote in both.
For the House of Representatives, 182 members will be elected, distributed as follows:
Unlike the Senate, each department receives a specific number of seats based on its population, creating regional electoral dynamics in which local political leadership often plays a key role. In practice, more populous departments hold greater representation than smaller ones.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives receive one additional seat after the presidential election, allocated to the candidate who obtains the second-highest number of votes.
Colombiaβs electoral system is regulated by the Acto Legislativo 001 of 2003 and the Electoral Law, and operates under principles of proportional representation.
First, the valid votes obtained by each party list are counted. Only those lists that surpass a 3% threshold of total valid votes are eligible to participate in the distribution of seats. In the 2022 legislative elections, this threshold exceeded 509,000 votes.
According to projections by the MisiΓ³n de ObservaciΓ³n Electoral (MOE), the threshold for the Senate in the upcoming elections could reach around 600,000 votes.
This threshold is crucial because if, for example, a candidate obtains 450,000 votes but their party fails to pass the threshold, neither the candidate nor the party will secure a seat in Congress.
Among the lists that surpass the threshold, seats are distributed using the DβHondt method, known in Colombia as the cifra repartidora, which allocates seats proportionally according to the number of votes obtained. In 2022, the seat-allocation quotient was 144,013 votes.
For the House of Representatives, the process is more complex because the threshold and DβHondt method are applied separately within each department, producing different results across regions.
With closed lists, voters select only the political party or list as a whole, without choosing an individual candidate.
Under the Acto Legislativo 1 of 2003, political parties may register open lists or closed lists. With open lists, voters select a specific candidate within a partyβs list. The vote counts both for the political party and for the individual candidate. Seats obtained by the party are then assigned to the candidates who received the highest number of votes, regardless of their initial position on the list.
With closed lists, voters select only the political party or list as a whole, without choosing an individual candidate. Seats are then allocated according to the order predetermined and registered at the start of the campaign by the party.
In the upcoming elections, two of Colombiaβs most prominent political forces will present closed lists: the Pacto HistΓ³rico, the coalition led by current President Gustavo Petro, and the Centro DemocrΓ‘tico, the right-wing party founded by former President Γlvaro Uribe VΓ©lez.
Photo courtesy of the National Civil Registry of Colombia,
Freight forwarders and logistics companies serving the Americas no longer think of the regionβs air network as a peripheral add-on to ocean freight. Latin American airports now handle everything from export flowers and pharmaceuticals to e-commerce parcels on overnight schedules. With volumes showing a steady growth pathβand with governments racing to upgrade runways, cold-chain rooms, and free-trade zonesβthese gateways are transforming how independent forwarders plan routings, price capacity, and promise lead-times to customers.
The Latin American air freight market, valued at $1.04 billion USD in 2025, is projected to experience sustained growth, driven by expanding e-commerce, increasing cross-border trade, including inter-Latin American trade. Key growth drivers include the rising demand for more reliable and quick turnaround delivery services, particularly for perishable goods and high-value products.
Global air cargo demand rose by 3.4% in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
At the same time, total capacity, measured in available cargo ton-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 3.7% year on year. For international operations, demand rose by 4.2%, while capacity increased by 5.1%.
The Latin American air freight industry has been defined by a moderate level of concentration, with a few large global players dominating but now also including several significant regional carriers. While FedEx, UPS, and DHL hold substantial market share, particularly in international freight, regional players like LATAM Cargo, Avianca Cargo (Tampa Air), and Aeromexico maintain strong positions in domestic and regional routes.
Other leading players in the Latin American airfreight industry include IAG Cargo (UK), Copa Airlines (Panama), American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Azul Cargo Express (Brazil) and Emirates Skycargo.
Nicholas Sutherlandβs opinions and claims are his own, and not necessarily those of Finance Colombia.
Electronics, jewelry, auto parts, specialized machine parts, and high-value textiles are also driving increased traffic.
For years, Latin America has been spoken of primarily as a supplier, a hub for perishables, electronics, and auto parts feeding the U.S. and Europe. Fast forward to 2025 and something is unmistakably clear: the region is no longer merely sourcing for the world. It is becoming one of the most strategically viable air cargo growth engines, driven by nearshoring, rising consumer markets, and accelerated infrastructure investment.
Β Since 2023 the Felipe Γngeles International Airport, also within the Greater Metropolitan Area of Mexico City, has now surpassed the Benito Juarez airport for air cargo with 2025 figures showing 413,224 metric tons in air cargo traffic.
The International Airport of Mexico City, known officially as Benito JuΓ‘rez International Airport, stands out as the largest airport in the country and is now the second busiest air cargo hub in Mexico and number three in the LATAM region. The figures underline the importance of this hub. In January 2022, the air terminal managed a total of 41,650 tons. In 2023, this number rose to 47,206.8 tons, reflecting an important increase of 5,556.8 tons. It is important to mention that this airport also acts as a center of operations and connections (HUB) for the Mexican airline AeromΓ©xico, further strengthening its strategic position in the airport and logistics scenario in the region.
The International Airport of Cancun (CUN), located in the Mexican Caribbean, is a major hub in cargo handling in Latin America. With leading-edge facilities and advanced systems for the processing of goods, the airport handles a diversity of products, including consumer goods, textiles, electronic parts and pharmaceutical products. Its strategic location makes it crucial for trade routes between North America, Latin America and Europe and it has undergone constant growth in its volume of cargo.
El Dorado International Airport is in Colombiaβs capital city, BogotΓ‘, and stands out as the third most important airport in Latin America in terms of freight volume. It registered a 2024 throughput of 809,00 tons, with flowers, perishables and pharma being the main categories.
Colombia has consolidated its position as a world leader in the export of a wide range of products, including products derived from agriculture, foodstuffs and chemical products. The airport has also been consolidated as the center of strategic operations (HUB) for international airline, Avianca.
Two 3,800 m runways at 8,360 ft elevation make BOG a purpose-built wide-body freighter hub. Cargo airlines position here to bridge east-west schedules across the Caribbean, giving forwarders same-night connections into MIA, AMS, and DOH.
Tocumen International Airport (PTY), PanamΓ‘ City handled 216,653 tons in 2024 (a 4% increase over 2023). PTY sits astride the ColΓ³n Free Zone and the PanamΓ‘ Canal rail link; a third runway is budgeted for development in 2027 to future-proof capacity.
A new development project called βTocumen Cargo Cityβ, with an area of 124 hectares, which includes the concession for the development of the cargo terminal and logistics zone, was announced in 2024. This project will take advantage of Tocumenβs competitive advantages as the regionβs main air hub that connects daily more than 80 commercial destinations, and more than 50 air cargo destinations integrating a multimodal axis with the countryβs maritime and land transport operations,
Jorge ChΓ‘vez International Airport is in the region of Callao, outside of the metropolitan area of Lima (Peru). It stands out as the center of operations and connections for LATAM Airlines.
In 2023 the airport handled 230,993 tons of air freight. The largest quantities of air export products were fresh asparagus, blueberries, salmon and other seafood. In 2024, the airport also added another runway and a new passenger terminal with an adjoining logistics park.
SΓ£o Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) had a throughput of 235,600 tons in 2024. Air-sea multimodality is boosted by a 90-minute drive to the Port of Santos. Automotive, machinery, pharma cold-chain (largest airport cool-store in Brazil) are the highest categories of products.
Campinas Viracopos (VCP) airport, in Sao Paulo state (not the city) handles roughly one-third of Brazilβs imported air freight and was voted 2024 Cargo Airport of the Year by routesonline.com . It boasts a 90,000 mΒ² cargo terminal with 11 dedicated cold rooms and a live-animal zone.
Governments are aware that there is now fierce rivalry to attract air cargo logistics operations and several have identified the sector as a key segment which would improve the competitiveness of their economies and stimulate economic growth and create skilled employment opportunities. Integration of air cargo, ports, incentives and free zones have become a cornerstone for attracting logistics and manufacturing companies.
Cargo airports in Latin America are writing the next chapter in hemispheric logistics. For independent freight forwarders, and other investors, these hubs are not just transit points, they are strategic pivot points to shorten lead times, diversify modal risk, and command premium margins in niche verticals. Airports are emerging as focal points in this new logistics landscape. Policy support, geography, and international partnerships are essential to attracting international operators and service providers.
Several countries have made successful initiatives to increase investment in the multimodal logistics space including the Dominican Republic, El Salvador (with a focus on increasing Maintenance Repair and Overhaul operations) Ecuador and La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala becoming a major hub, with LAATS, a Guatemalan logistics and freight company, managing all regular cargo flights there.
For countries in the Caribbean to consider becoming air cargo logistics locations, they require international operators to view them as viable long-term locations, therefore several factors need to be considered.
Cold-Chain certification is a cornerstone for diversified airfreight operations. Pharma shippers demand IATA CEIV or WHO GDP accreditation. GRU, VCP, and LIM all hold multiple certifications, allowing forwarders to move temperature-controlled cargo without auxiliary containers significant cost saving.
Customs & Free-Zone Synergy have been the defining characteristics of a countryβs success. Many airports interface directly with bonded zones or inland ports. Panamaβs Tocumen International Airportβs on-airport logistics park and Panama Pacifico free zone cut transfer times by 24 hours compared with off-site warehousing.
Caribbean countries must consider integration of the electronic DUCA-F, a fundamental document for the export of products originating in a Central American country to other countries in the region, within the framework of current trade agreements. It integrates and connects the customs systems of the six countries that make up the Central American region. This interconnection significantly improves customs controls, allowing for the automatic validation of declared data and real-time verification of approvals issued by the single windows and customs authorities of each country.
Airports may waive or discount landing fees for 1β2 years to attract new carriers or new routes. Sao Pauloβs Viracopos International Airport in Brazil runs an incentive program for cargo carriers as it looks to strengthen international hubβs cargo activities. The program aims to develop Viracopos as an international cargo hub, and the gatewayβs operator β Aeroportos Brasil Viracopos β wants to increase the number of international flight routes and cargo frequencies. Some of these incentives include 100% exemption of landing fees for operations at the airportβs cargo terminal for the first 24 months of a carrierβs cargo operation.
Like landing fees, building rents can be discounted for air cargo carriers. For example, St. Louis International Airport offers 18 months of waived terminal building rents and landing fees for new transoceanic service and related logistics. Income tax exemptions for the first four (4) years of operation and reduced tax rates (sub 10%) for air cargo-related logistics operations are other ways to compete with nearshore rival locations. Income tax exemptions on rental for developers are essential for infrastructure development. These exemptions can be for twenty years, combined with a reduced tax rate for the following years.
Several Caribbean countries have declared intentions to compete for investment in air logistics, however very few (except for the Dominican Republic) have made it a priority with an accompanying tactical and focused execution plan. Caribbean countries who wish to position themselves as an air cargo hub need to have feasibility studies done by internationally recognized logistics companies along with a well-defined plan for what reasonable short-term and long-term success looks like. Itβs also essential to have a realistic outlook of what each country can offer, rival strengths and incentives and a clear understanding of any deficiencies which may pose headwinds to their stated goals.