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<channel>
	<title>O Colombia</title>
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	<link>http://www.ocolombia.com</link>
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			<item>
		<title>Flying To and Within Colombia</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/flying-to-and-within-colombia.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/flying-to-and-within-colombia.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:08:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Around]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air fares]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aires]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[avianca]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spirit airways]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=471</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Your options for traveling to Colombia, as well as within Colombia, became vastly more varied and economical recently. Colombia, and South America in general, is a very lucrative market for airlines, with passenger traffic growing dramatically even during the world economic crisis. Discount airlines have also entered this arena, filling a void and actually increasing demand further for a large segment of the population that couldn't afford typically high fares. While Bogota used to be the air travel hub in Colombia, there's more and more flights on offer that will take you to and from other Colombian cities without connecting at El Dorado, the capital's international airport.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/flying-to-and-within-colombia.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Odds of Chavez Invading Colombia Increase</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-odds-of-chavez-invading-colombia-increases.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-odds-of-chavez-invading-colombia-increases.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:48:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hugo chavez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uribe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[venezuela]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=461</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The news just came in that Venezuela's strongman, Hugo Chavez, is preparing for war and has ordered his army to position itself across the length of the border the country shares with Colombia. The pretext for this troop deployment is Chavez's claim that outgoing Colombian president Alvaro Uribe is capable of anything in his final days in office (his term ends August 7), including launching an attack against Venezuela. Earlier this month, Chavez severed diplomatic ties with Colombia when Uribe announced publicly that he had irrefutable evidence that FARC and ELN, the Colombian rebel groups, have bases deep inside Venezuelan territory, and are aided and abetted by Venezuelan authorities.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-odds-of-chavez-invading-colombia-increases.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Envigado Massacre Gunmen Executed</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/envigado-massacre-gunmen-executed.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/envigado-massacre-gunmen-executed.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:19:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alias Sebastian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[el gordo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Envigado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guru bar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medellin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=444</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Three weeks ago, I reported the details of the massacre in the Guru bar in Envigado, a suburb to the south of Medellin. Two gunmen had stood before the crowded venue and opened fire, killing eight patrons and leaving 13 wounded (original reports spoke of 26 injured). According to survivors, both assassins had a gun in each hand, firing them simultaneously as if in a Hollywood film. Police later confirmed that the perpetrators had used high caliber "police killer" ammunition, which can traverse bulletproof jackets. The latest news is that the killers themselves were murdered in the gritty La Sebastiana neighborhood of Envigado, only two days after the Guru shooting.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/envigado-massacre-gunmen-executed.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>RCN’s Brian Andrews Chased Out of Colombia &#8212; NOT!</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/rcn%e2%80%99s-brian-andrews-chased-out-of-colombia-not.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/rcn%e2%80%99s-brian-andrews-chased-out-of-colombia-not.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 17 Jul 2010 23:13:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brian Andrews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Farc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RCN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[William Brownfield]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=442</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was to my greatest shock that I learned from the most respected newspaper in Colombia, El Tiempo,  that the American expatriate, Brian Andrews, affectionately known as El Gringo by his colleagues at RCN News in Bogota, had his life threatened and quietly made his exit from this country, vowing never to return. Then I visited Andrews’ blog, where he claims the story is a fabrication.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/rcn%e2%80%99s-brian-andrews-chased-out-of-colombia-not.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Massacre in Envigado: Return to Bad Old Days?</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/massacre-in-envigado-return-to-bad-old-days.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/massacre-in-envigado-return-to-bad-old-days.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:42:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alias Sebastian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alias Valenciano]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Envigado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guru bar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sicarios]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=430</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last Friday, just before 2 am, heavily armed “sicarios” (assassins), fired into a crowd at a bar in the Guanteros entertainment area of normally peaceful Envigado, a suburb of Medellin. The toll was eight dead and 23 wounded. None of the fatal victims had a criminal record and one was actually a US citizen who had recently moved to the area. Two off duty policemen were in the Guru bar at the time and were injured while returning fire. The perpetrators escaped from the scene on a high cylinder motorcycle, the preferred mode of transportation for killers in Colombia. Witnesses claim that the motorcycle was followed by a car with several male occupants, who may have been the enforcers, those ensuring that the job was done.
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/massacre-in-envigado-return-to-bad-old-days.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Colombia: Uribe&#8217;s Man Wins Runoff Election</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombia-uribes-man-wins-runoff-election.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombia-uribes-man-wins-runoff-election.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jun 2010 22:38:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[antanas mockus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[juan manuel santos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=425</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The polls had been barely closed for 40 minutes when Juan Manuel Santos, candidate for the U (Unity) party was declared the winner in today’s runoff elections. With almost all polls reporting at this hour, Santos leads his rival, Antanas Mockus of the Green Party by a whopping five million votes.

A marked departure from the <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombia-uribes-man-wins-runoff-election.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombia-uribes-man-wins-runoff-election.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Colombia Election Results: No Surprise but Big Surprise</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombia-election-results-no-surprise-but-big-surprise.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombia-election-results-no-surprise-but-big-surprise.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 May 2010 01:29:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[antanas mockus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[german vargas lleras]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gustavo petro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[juan manuel santos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[noemi sanin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=419</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Colombians voted today and as expected, no presidential candidate achieved fifty percent plus one, thereby triggering a second round of voting June 20. What was totally unexpected was the way in which the vote was split: the U candidate, Juan Manuel Santos took the lion’s share with over 46 percent, while the Green party’s Antanas Mockus was a distant second with less than 22 percent, contradicting recent opinion polls that had shown in a dead heat with the Santos. Santos won the vote broadly, leading in every province (departamento) except two where Mockus came out on top.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombia-election-results-no-surprise-but-big-surprise.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Will Colombia Fall for the Mockus Pocus?</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/will-colombia-fall-for-the-mockus-pocus.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/will-colombia-fall-for-the-mockus-pocus.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 May 2010 04:11:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[antanas mocus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[avaro uribe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[democratic security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[juan manuel santos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presidential elections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=412</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Colombian presidential elections just around the corner and voters seem destined to split the vote between the Green party’s Antanas Mockus and outgoing president Alvaro Uribe’s pick, Juan Manuel Santos. As Colombia’s electoral process requires fifty percent plus one to win, it’s almost guaranteed that there will be a second round of voting June 20th with just the two leading candidates on the ballot.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/will-colombia-fall-for-the-mockus-pocus.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Venezuela &#8220;Expert&#8221; Appointed as the Next Ambassador to Colombia</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/venezuela-expert-appointed-as-the-next-ambassador-to-colombia.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/venezuela-expert-appointed-as-the-next-ambassador-to-colombia.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 May 2010 16:27:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hugo chavez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mockus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patrick Duddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peter Michael McKinley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[venezuela]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=410</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In a move seen as a confirmation that Washington is awakening to the threat posed by the Chavez regime in Venezuela, US president Barack Obama recently nominated Peter Michael McKinley as ambassador to Colombia. McKinley, currently ambassador to Peru, was born in Venezuela, and is said to be an expert on matters regarding Colombia's troublesome neighbor. His resume includes a book he wrote on the colonial history of Venezuela.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/venezuela-expert-appointed-as-the-next-ambassador-to-colombia.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The New Face of the Colombian Cocaine Trade</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-new-face-of-the-colombian-cocaine-trade.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-new-face-of-the-colombian-cocaine-trade.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:09:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Narc & Farc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alfonso Cano]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cartels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cocaine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ELN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Farc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oficina de Envigado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pablo escobar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[venezuela]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=400</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Colombia has fought and won an arduous battle spanning decades against the cocaine cartels that had at one time reduced the country to a failed state. However, it did not win the war. It's estimated that more cocaine than ever before is being exported from Colombia than ever before. If the ring leaders are all dead or in jail, how is this possible?]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-new-face-of-the-colombian-cocaine-trade.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hugo Chavez Raises the Stakes, Again</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/hugo-chavez-raises-the-stakes-again.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/hugo-chavez-raises-the-stakes-again.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:15:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[evo morales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hugo chavez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[russia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[venezuela]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vladimir putin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=384</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Immediately after Vladimir Putin's visit to Caracas last week, the Russian prime minister announced that he and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez had an agreement for the sale of over five billion dollars in armament to the South American country. This exceeds the 4.4 billion dollars in Russian military hardware Venezuela has acquired since 2005.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/hugo-chavez-raises-the-stakes-again.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Strange Fruit #5: Lulo</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-5-lulo.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-5-lulo.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 03 Apr 2010 02:45:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strange Fruit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fruit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lulo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=380</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The lulo (Solanum quitoense) is a tangy fruit used almost exclusively to make juice, which is very popular in Colombia. [YQ4F9XYABHS8]
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-5-lulo.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why Doesn&#8217;t The World Condemn Hugo Chavez?</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/why-doesnt-the-world-condemn-hugo-chavez.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/why-doesnt-the-world-condemn-hugo-chavez.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:52:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hugo chavez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[terrorist sponsoring states]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[venezuela]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=347</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez seems to have borrowed a page from the most infamous tyrants in history. Domestically he's emasculated any media critical of him, modified the constitution to allow himself to be perpetually reelected, and effectively neutralized any political opposition, not to mention expropriated and nationalized both foreign and locally owned businesses.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/why-doesnt-the-world-condemn-hugo-chavez.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>James Carville is Santos&#8217; Top Campaign Advisor</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/james-carville-is-santos-top-campaign-advisor.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/james-carville-is-santos-top-campaign-advisor.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:38:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alvaro Uribe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Carville]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Santos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=267</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A little known fact here is that James Carville, the American political consultant and media personality credited with helping Bill Clinton get elected, is the top advisor for the front runner in Colombia&#8217;s ongoing presidential campaign, Juan Manuel Santos. His help does not come cheaply and hints at the seriousness behind Santos&#8217; bid to replace <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/james-carville-is-santos-top-campaign-advisor.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/james-carville-is-santos-top-campaign-advisor.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sergio Fajardo: Is he a Chavista?</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/hugo-chavez-meddling-in-colombian-elections.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/hugo-chavez-meddling-in-colombian-elections.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:43:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hugo chavez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sergio fajardo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[venezuela]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=243</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A high level Venezuelan intelligence document was leaked to the press, and its contents could have a profound effect on how certain candidates perform at the May 30 presidential polls in Colombia.
The memo is titled &#8220;Road map 2010: Bilateral relations Colombia-Venezuela&#8221; and outlines which candidates are sympathetic or opposed to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez&#8217;  Bolivarian <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/hugo-chavez-meddling-in-colombian-elections.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/hugo-chavez-meddling-in-colombian-elections.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Strange Fruit #4: Chirimoya</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-4-chirimoya.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-4-chirimoya.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:16:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strange Fruit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chirimoya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fruit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=233</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[


My favorite! A native fruit which looks like a small guanabana (sour sop). It&#8217;s white flesh is abundant and very sweet, with black seeds here and there. Despite how delicious it is, it&#8217;s not popular here and rather hard to find in supermarkets or sold at exorbitant prices by street merchants.
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-4-chirimoya.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Strange Fruit #3: Mangostino</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-3-mangostino.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-3-mangostino.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:50:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strange Fruit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fruit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mangostino]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=225</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The mangostino (Garcinia mangostana) didn&#8217;t actually originate in Colombia, but it grows well in this tropical climate and can often be bought from street merchants. It&#8217;s sweet flesh, composed of uneven white segments, reminds me a bit of the lychee fruit. Despite its name, it  bears no botanical relationship to the mango.
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-3-mangostino.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>After Uribe&#8217;s Gone, What Then?</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/after-uribes-gone-what-then.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/after-uribes-gone-what-then.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:08:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alvaro Uribe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[consitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reelection]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=212</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As was expected, the Colombian constitutional court ruled against holding a referendum aimed at changing the law forbidding  the incumbent President Alvaro Uribe&#8217;s second reelection bid as a candidate for the Democratic Security party . After all,  Uribe had already amended the constitution to pave the way for his first reelection.
The President&#8217;s effective war against <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/after-uribes-gone-what-then.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hugo Chavez Has Plans to Invade Colombia</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/hugo-chavez-has-plans-to-invade-colombia.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/hugo-chavez-has-plans-to-invade-colombia.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:32:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bolivarian revolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hugo chavez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[venezuela]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=183</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hugo Chavez, president and dictator of Venezuela, claims to be the reincarnation of Simon Bolivar, the liberator of a large swath of  South America in the 19th century. His pseudo-socialist Bolivarian revolution aims to restore the glory of the Gran Colombia, a republic which briefly encompassed present day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama as well <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/hugo-chavez-has-plans-to-invade-colombia.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stange Fruit #2: Guama</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/stange-fruit-2-guama.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/stange-fruit-2-guama.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:58:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strange Fruit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fruit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=176</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Guama (goo-ah-mah) looks like a big ugly curved string bean. Inside its hard but easy to pry open shell, you encounter a bunch of black seeds, each wrapped tight in a spider web like pulp. Not the most appetizing vision,  but the spider webs are actually quite sweet! The indigenous people of Colombia&#8217;s <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/stange-fruit-2-guama.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Strange Fruit #1: Pitahaya</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-1-pitaya.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-1-pitaya.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:23:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strange Fruit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fruit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pitahaya]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=168</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ The pitahaya (pronounce like pee-tie-ah-yah)  looks much like a yellow grenade, and even acts like a grenade! An intestinal grenade, that  is! While its gray-white almost transparent flesh,  full of  circular black seeds,  is quite delicious, most people will spend the next day or two in the posture of Rodin&#8217;s Thinker after eating one <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/strange-fruit-1-pitaya.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is it Safe to Visit Colombia?</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/is-it-safe-to-visit-colombia.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/is-it-safe-to-visit-colombia.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:33:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Around]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kidnapping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[safe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=153</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The answer is yes*. An asterisk because it&#8217;s safe if you come well prepared. If you believe the US State Department&#8217;s warnings about this country, you will be a bit discouraged, as they still warn Americans against traveling to Colombia, the US&#8217; most important ally in South America. Other foreign affairs ministries of several developed <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/is-it-safe-to-visit-colombia.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Narco-Dictionary</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/a-narco-dictionary.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/a-narco-dictionary.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:11:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Narc & Farc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drug dealers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[murderers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=137</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Colombians have an entire language to describe the country&#8217;s criminal groups and their activities. Here&#8217;s a few of the most common&#8230;

Capo: Title given to the boss, same as in the Italan mafia
Cocina: Literally, kitchen, the place where the coca base is prepared.
Combo: A criminal gang, typically operating in a poor barrio, or &#8220;comuna&#8221;.
Lavadero: A business <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/a-narco-dictionary.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Unique Music Genres of Colombia</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-unique-music-genres-of-colombia.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-unique-music-genres-of-colombia.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:52:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carlos vives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[folklore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guasca]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[llanera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vallenato]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=127</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Colombia has several styles of music that originated from its territory long ago and remain popular to this day&#8230;
Vallenato:  Born in the city of Valledupar (Cesar) from which its name is derived, this folkloric style of music is especially popular in the country&#8217;s Caribbean region. It owes much of its rhythms to the slaves brought <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-unique-music-genres-of-colombia.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Coca isn&#8217;t Cocaine</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/coca-isnt-cocaine.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/coca-isnt-cocaine.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:28:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Unexpected]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coca leaf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coca tea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=117</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cocaine comes from the coca leaf, but coca isn&#8217;t cocaine, and  it doesn&#8217;t have the toxic properties associated with the illegal drug. The leaf has always been used for its energy-giving properties by natives from the Andean region. Matter of fact, you can buy coca leaf tea in Colombia, legally, just as I did. <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/coca-isnt-cocaine.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Cost of Giving Yourself a Good Living</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-cost-of-giving-yourself-a-good-living.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-cost-of-giving-yourself-a-good-living.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:30:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Living in Colombia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cost of living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[costs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prices]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=82</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
To give you a rough idea of what things cost for two people living in a large Colombian city, let&#8217;s make a list. To arrive at figures in US dollars, divide by 2000, which has been the median exchange rate of late,. For Euros, divide by 2800. Note that the 16% VAT tax (IVA) is <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/the-cost-of-giving-yourself-a-good-living.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Adventures in Renting</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/adventures-in-renting.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/adventures-in-renting.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:27:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Living in Colombia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[apartment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[renting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[utilities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=62</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The good news is that apartment and house rentals in Colombia are inexpensive in relation to what you would pay in the US, Canada or the UK.  A large 3-4 bedroom  townhouse  in a good area  of  Medellìn, for example, would rent for a bit over a million pesos a <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/adventures-in-renting.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Arepas Everywhere!</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombian-staple-the-arepa.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombian-staple-the-arepa.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:13:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arepa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=49</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Just as the Mexicans have their tortillas, the Colombians have their arepas, corn flour cakes that come in a million different varieties. They eat them for breakfast, lunch, supper, and snacks. They can merely accompany a meal or be the meal. There&#8217;s a whole aisle at the supermarket that&#8217;s dedicated to them. They heat them <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombian-staple-the-arepa.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Taxis, Buses and Subways</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/taxis-buses-and-subways.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/taxis-buses-and-subways.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:01:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Around]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chiva]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taxi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transportation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=33</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Taxi cabs in Colombian cities are dirt cheap and your best and safest way to get from point A to point B. A mere 10,000 pesos (5 USD on this date) will get you across 10 km (6 miles) of bustling city streets. The minimum fare is typically is between three and four thousand pesos.
Of <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/taxis-buses-and-subways.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Road Rage? Naw, Normal Insanity!</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/road-rage-naw-normal-insanity.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/road-rage-naw-normal-insanity.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:43:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Around]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[driving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[roads]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=30</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nowadays, traffic accidents in Colombia kill more people than acts of violence. Board a bus or a taxi, or (shudder) attempt to drive your own vehicle in Colombian roads and you&#8217;ll soon feel as if you&#8217;re watching the action unfurl on a racing video game.
It&#8217;s very simple: People don&#8217;t know how to drive here, so <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/road-rage-naw-normal-insanity.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Colombia, Then and Now</title>
		<link>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombia-then-and-now.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombia-then-and-now.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 Jan 2010 04:51:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tom Germain</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Narc & Farc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cartel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ELN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Farc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uribe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ocolombia.com/?p=16</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Colombia was one of the most dangerous countries on earth. Colombia is still one of the most dangerous places on earth.
Not so long ago, armed rebel groups such as the FARC and the ELN, as well as the paramilitary factions meant to counter them, terrorized the population in most of the rural areas across the <a href="http://www.ocolombia.com/article/colombia-then-and-now.html" class="more-link">More &#62;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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	</channel>
</rss>
