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Colombia, the Magdalena river and the new hope | VPRO Documentary

3,135 views · Published 22 November 2018 · 43:00 · Indexed 19 October 2026

Channel: vpro world stories · 2018 · Travel & Events

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Colombia is finally facing peaceful times, where progress and an economical growth are playing a major role. The Magdalena river, also known as the Mother of Colombia, has been a major routeway for transport in the past, before the Colombia faced years of political conflicts. Now new investors come to Colombia and the Magdalena river to study the potential of the area. 

Dutch presenter and film maker Stef Biemans travels across the back of the Andes and wonders how people are doing in South America. In the last episode of this series he makes a trip on the main waterway of Colombia: the Magdalena river, which rises in the Andes and flows into the Caribbean Sea.

The Magdalena river has become more attractive. Not only tourists are coming but also investors from China that are studying the streams that are flowing into the river. If bigger ships are coming, that means progress and a growing economy. That is positive, but who does in the end profit from the progress? 

This is the most hopeful period in Colombia's history: peace has been signed and the country wants to look ahead. The Colombians are looking forward to the construction of new roads and bridges. At the same time, the Magdalena River, also called the mother of the country, still means a lot to the inhabitants. Will progress also bring side effects for the beloved river? 

Original title: De moeder van Colombia (6/6) – Over de rug van de Andes
Presented by Stef Biemans

© VPRO April 2018

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