As part of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, President Iván Duque met Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft. They spoke about the country’s achievements in energy transition, the environmental agenda, the expansion of protected areas and Path to Zero, a strategy to achieve carbon neutrality. Gates surprised his interlocutor by giving him his book How to prevent the next pandemic. He signed it and, according to Duque, he thanked and praised him for his leadership.

President Iván Duque and Minister Carlos Correa received the waiver signed by Bill Gates.

The Microsoft co-founder touted Colombia’s leadership in protecting 30% of its marine and land areas by 2022.

They didn’t let him go

Last Wednesday, Luis Felipe Henao, Federico Gutiérrez’s debate leader, was ready to fly to Arauca, when the security team asked him to cancel the trip. In this capital, there were even fences to welcome him. They told him that there were threats from the ELN. And the campaign even revealed that some of the organizers of the day were threatened the next day in this department.

the environmental issue

The Minister of the Environment, Carlos Eduardo Correa, had a busy day at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. He exposes the model of Biodiversity. To strengthen this initiative, the official met with the founder of the Isha Foundation, Sadhguru, with whom he focused on strategies for safeguarding arable land. With Bezos Earth Fund CEO Andrew Steer, they discussed marine and terrestrial conservation efforts. And with Bill Gates, they discussed the low-carbon economy and creating public policy.

(You might be interested: Here’s how the World Economic Forum meeting ended)

tax framework

A key day for the country’s finances was scheduled for yesterday afternoon. It turns out that Confis was going to study the medium-term budgetary framework 2022-2032. Within the national government, there is a lot of optimism that there will be very good news both in terms of the budget and in terms of growth. You will know if there will be debt relief and income they have planned.

new director

After a selection process for the position of director of the Augusto Ramírez Ocampo Diplomatic Academy, Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez appointed Ambassador Martha I. Alarcón López as head of the academy.

union visit

The Trade Union Confederation of the Americas—a regional expression of the International Trade Union Confederation—responding to the call of the CUT and the CTC, sent a delegation to observe the presidential elections with representatives of the labor movement from Brazil, Argentina, of Canada, the United States and Chile. They will have contacts with the diplomatic sectors, with the electoral authorities, trade unions and human rights organizations, to exchange perceptions and observations on the electoral process.

Vargas Lleras apologizes

Former Vice President Germán Vargas Lleras was fired from the Boyacá Clinic after an accident he had while riding a bicycle. He confirmed that he suffered from a fractured femur and hip and that although he had “been through it all, he had never felt anything like it”. Although he was already at home, he said he was unable to send his Sunday note from EL TIEMPO. “In 4 years, I haven’t missed the commitment to send in my Sunday note. I apologize to my readers, this time I was unable,” wrote the natural leader of Cambio Radical.

(Read his columns here.)

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