Medellin Reports

[DeepXliv]

Just got back into Medellin, is anyone else here?

[Elvis 2008]

You are right, but places like Colombia don't have the luxury of deficit spending and $US printing the way we do. The World bank/IMF and Ratings agencies force the issue. Their choice is basically to do this or to suffer a downgrade, and then a devaluation, inflation, and other such economic consequences.

Who knows how long we (the US) are afforded this privilege. To put this in perspective, this revenue package is around $6B for a country with 1/6th the US population. The US has thrown around $6000B at this problem!

You are right GH, but just because the USA had more wiggle room does not mean Colombia has not been stupid. The international travel ban was totally unnecessary. We know now that shutting people off inside is stupid because the virus is transmitted much more inside than outside, so why are they doing it? And that incessant crap about hand washing and cleaners? Yeesh. Colombia has not been the only country to not learn anything but they are tuning out all the new data.

I posted this in the Bogota forum and it is shocking, a liberal of one party actually speaking the truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp3gy_CLXho.

Right now, Colombia could mandate international travelers pay $200 into a vaccine fund versus getting the pointless PCR testing. One flight into Colombia could fund 10,000 doses of the AZ vaccine. So why not do that versus the expensive and ridiculous PCR testing which has not been shown to do a damned bit of good?

And now you got guys here saying, I think it will get better in 6 weeks, 10 weeks ETC before things get better. Uh no. They do not get the Brazil variant has reached Colombia and it is a whole new ballgame. Every time I look Colombia is doing 17,000 cases per day but worse than that, they keep hitting daily highs with regards to death.

Colombia is following Brazil and instead of the Colombian government getting their heads out of their asses and doing all they can to obtain any and all vaccines they can, they are fucking around by thinking they are going to arrest there way out of the pandemic. They have only vaccinated 5 million people. We are doing that much in 2 or 3 days.

And instead of doing things the UK way, which is to give as many people the first dose of vaccine before giving out the second, Colombia is prioritizing people being "fully vaccinated". Sigh.

It is no surprise to me that the people are rebelling now.

[Osteoknot]

You are right, but places like Colombia don't have the luxury of deficit spending and $US printing the way we do. The World bank/IMF and Ratings agencies force the issue. Their choice is basically to do this or to suffer a downgrade, and then a devaluation, inflation, and other such economic consequences. Right politicians favor the former and leftists the latter. Either path brings tough times. For e.g. How well is Argentina doing?

Who knows how long we (the US) are afforded this privilege. To put this in perspective, this revenue package is around $6B for a country with 1/6th the US population. The US has thrown around $6000B at this problem!

Thanks for putting it in perspective.

[Osteoknot]

Not as of yet, however European Countries are in the process of setting this up for those who have been vaccinated to allow for Summer travel, and hopefully Colombia will follow suit, albeit some form of proof besides the "vaccine card" may be required which is problematic. They are looking at some form of a digital vaccine record in Europe, so it will be interesting to see how they work that out. And interestingly, besides the "vaccine card" that I got, I also have a digital vaccine administration record on file from the organization that organized the shots in California, so I have a record of it besides the "vaccine card" accessible with a QR code, a black square that can be scanned to verify whether someone has been vaccinated.

Time will tell when Colombia will let people in who have been vaccinated without needing to be tested, but I think it's going to be a while.

I am looking at my vaccine card, about the size of a playing card and frankly easily counterfeited by anyone with basic Adobe skills. The only thing official looking about it is a small CDC logo in one corner that is easily copied.

I don't believe my card will ultimately end up being my "vaccine passport" unless there is some kind of centralized registry and cross verification. And I also agree that even though I stilll believe Covid vaccination will become one of the future standards for international travel, it won't be widely accepted until the epidemiological evidence shows that the vaccine is actually working. As I posted the other day, over a billion doses have been given worldwide, but that is across different countries and governments who don't automatically follow the same reporting guidelines. We are still going to be stuck in the trenches for some time with Covid testing required close to the time of crossing international borders, it feels like to me. I hope I am wrong and it gets easier, quicker.

Couple of gratuitous fotos, Sexy Dexy just sent me this selfie showing her purrfekt ass. Gawd, when I think how many weeks I am going to have to wait before I plow her again, it gets depressing. And recent foto of Catgirl and her prima Jewel at my hotel wearing my shirts and nothing else before our little slumber party, the night before we left for Hacienda Napoles, for those of you keeping track. Both of them are an inch south of five feet tall. If you like the ethnic Paisa look, it doesn't get any cuter or better than sleeping between those two. If not, then move along, nothing to see here, jaja.

[GeneHickman]

Your second paragraph is probably the economic question of the our life times. How much longer can the US keep abusing it's "exhorbitant privilege?" (De Gaulle's phrase, not mine).

Don't disagree, and if we are honest about it, since 2008/9 we haven't conducted ourselves like we are worthy of that privilege at all.

[Combo]

You are right, but places like Colombia don't have the luxury of deficit spending and $US printing the way we do. The World bank/IMF and Ratings agencies force the issue. Their choice is basically to do this or to suffer a downgrade, and then a devaluation, inflation, and other such economic consequences. Right politicians favor the former and leftists the latter. Either path brings tough times. For e.g. How well is Argentina doing?

Who knows how long we (the US) are afforded this privilege. To put this in perspective, this revenue package is around $6B for a country with 1/6th the US population. The US has thrown around $6000B at this problem!

Your second paragraph is probably the economic question of the our life times. How much longer can the US keep abusing it's "exhorbitant privilege?" (De Gaulle's phrase, not mine).

[GeneHickman]

Tax revenues are down because people are struggling to get by due to Covid, to which the government has responded by increasing taxes. Kind of like pouring salt in an open wound for the general public.

You are right, but places like Colombia don't have the luxury of deficit spending and $US printing the way we do. The World bank/IMF and Ratings agencies force the issue. Their choice is basically to do this or to suffer a downgrade, and then a devaluation, inflation, and other such economic consequences. Right politicians favor the former and leftists the latter. Either path brings tough times. For e.g. How well is Argentina doing?

Who knows how long we (the US) are afforded this privilege. To put this in perspective, this revenue package is around $6B for a country with 1/6th the US population. The US has thrown around $6000B at this problem!

[TonySoprano]

What happened to Víctor Galarza? I know he was arrested? I wonder if he was ever convicted?

[Osteoknot]

Actually the protests were more about the proposed new tax reform benefiting the rich and taxing more heavily the middle and low income classes, while social leaders are still being assasinated at alarming rates, along with no major investment in public health, education, and social security. The tax reforms also include adding the VAT tax currently at 19% to utility bills among other things. So if somebody has a utilty bill of $ 10 as an example, it will now cost them almost $ 12. Other provisions also include freezing public employees salaries for five years, at least that is what I read which I find hard to believe. So lots of issues to protest which was scheduled over two weeks ago before the first weekend shutdown occured.

Tax revenues are down because people are struggling to get by due to Covid, to which the government has responded by increasing taxes. Kind of like pouring salt in an open wound for the general public.

[JjBee62]

If I'm vaccinated moderna both shots. Can I present my vaccination card and not get the pcr test? Or is this not an acceptable form of proof yet. I can't find info on this.

No. The PCR test is required, regardless of your vaccination status.

[Surfer500]

If I'm vaccinated moderna both shots. Can I present my vaccination card and not get the pcr test? Or is this not an acceptable form of proof yet. I can't find info on this.

Not as of yet, however European Countries are in the process of setting this up for those who have been vaccinated to allow for Summer travel, and hopefully Colombia will follow suit, albeit some form of proof besides the "vaccine card" may be required which is problematic. They are looking at some form of a digital vaccine record in Europe, so it will be interesting to see how they work that out. And interestingly, besides the "vaccine card" that I got, I also have a digital vaccine administration record on file from the organization that organized the shots in California, so I have a record of it besides the "vaccine card" accessible with a QR code, a black square that can be scanned to verify whether someone has been vaccinated.

Time will tell when Colombia will let people in who have been vaccinated without needing to be tested, but I think it's going to be a while.

[JoeRoc]

I got to experience that Chica in the dress. She makes me drool every time I see her.

I know you desperately (thirsty) wanted him to be talking about the chica you are describing. But alas, the one you described is unfortunately not standing in a doorway, lmao.

[MateoCast98]

If I'm vaccinated moderna both shots. Can I present my vaccination card and not get the pcr test? Or is this not an acceptable form of proof yet. I can't find info on this.

[Surfer500]

There were labor protests in Cartagena. I think they are also anti-lockdown protests as well.

Actually the protests were more about the proposed new tax reform benefiting the rich and taxing more heavily the middle and low income classes, while social leaders are still being assasinated at alarming rates, along with no major investment in public health, education, and social security. The tax reforms also include adding the VAT tax currently at 19% to utility bills among other things. So if somebody has a utilty bill of $ 10 as an example, it will now cost them almost $ 12. Other provisions also include freezing public employees salaries for five years, at least that is what I read which I find hard to believe. So lots of issues to protest which was scheduled over two weeks ago before the first weekend shutdown occured.

[SavePros321]

Is she the one with the short dress with pink and blue flowers?

I know you desperately (thirsty) wanted him to be talking about the chica you are describing. But alas, the one you described is unfortunately not standing in a doorway, lmao.