How corrupt is Colombia?

Alarm bells should be sounding in the presidential palace and across the nation's institutions as the evil beast which threatens to undermine growth and our ability to trust in public bodies, corruption, continues to plague Colombia. Sure, Venezuela is the worst country in the region for corruption and Uruguay may be the least corrupt nation in Latin America, but we are here in Colombia where the long tentacles of influence and payments for contracts by the Brazilian firm Odebrecht have brought down two significant political players. How far will this go and how high will these cases reach?

So, tune in to Episode 172 all about corruption in Colombia.

This week we sit down with Pablo and Leslie of the forward-thinking fashion company based in Bogotá and discuss their incredible business plan. This company named Paloma and Angostura (http://palomayangostura.com) has a great deal going for it. Not only does the team design and produce stylish and comfortable clothes from sustainably produced and organic cotton, but they have taken their altruism to another level by actively seeking out and employing former combatants from armed groups involved the Colombian conflict and aided them on their way to a full reintegration into society.

You'll know from this podcast that I speak often about the peace agreement with the FARC rebels signed in 2016 and the up and coming talks to be held with the ELN guerrillas in 2017 and one of the main questions is how to reintegrate former combatants into society in a dignified and useful manner. Paloma y Angostura is a trailblazer in this effect and is the proof that you can design a business plan and bring about positive change in a society as fractured as that in Colombia.

So tune in and find out how Paloma y Angostura came about and learn from their admirable experience.

"In this World nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Benjamin Franklin.

This week we do an executive summary in an informant style episode explaining the changes which have taken place under the new tax reforms and how they might affect you.

Whether you are Colombian living in Colombia, a Colombian living overseas or an expat in Colombia you'll want to tune in to learn more about what the government has done.

Did you know that if you are caught evading taxes you could receive jail time?

How much tax can a foreign teacher expect to pay?

Why has the price my bottle of whisky increased by so much?

Tune in to Colombia Calling to find out the answers to these questions and more...

We open 2017 with a brief informant style episode giving my breakdown to the year as a "Morrongo" experience. What is a Morrongo? Well you'll have to tune in to find out, but suffice it to say that we are looking at a "two-faced" 2017 here in Colombia as the peace agreements and demobilization of the FARC trundle on against the backdrop of politicians gearing up for a savage presidential campaign period. Who will throw their hat into the ring? What is likely to happen, and how will the Morrongo throng keep the real issues buried beneath gossip and political intrigue?