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Hippos introduced by Pablo Escobar in Colombia have become an invasive species that now poses ecological and social risks in the Magdalena region. (Photo: monikawl999, Pixabay) 
Colombia |
COLOMBIA -------------------------------2744NEWS STORY | |||
Pablo Escobar’s Hippos: From Private Luxury to Environmental CrisisThe Country Faces a Controversial Decision as One of the World’s Most Unusual Invasive Populations Grows Out of ControlWhat began as a symbol of excess during a period marked by illicit economies has, decades later, become one of the most unusual environmental challenges in Latin America. The hippos introduced by Pablo Escobar in the 1980s now exceed 200 individuals in Colombia and continue to expand unchecked. |
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References: CNN. (2026, April 13). Pablo Escobar hippos Colombia environmental impact. Reuters. (2026). Colombia to control hippo population through euthanasia. The Guardian. (2026). Colombia to cull Escobar hippos. IUCN / ecological studies on invasive species. Wikipedia. (2026). Hippopotamuses in Colombia. |
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TravelDesk Finder (Find past news, advisories and travel trends here.) |
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Ruta Pantera's PanAmerica Investor Club
|
RuPa's PanAmerica Investor Club is an investment group designed to acquaint our
members with investor opportunities available in the hemisphere — North, Central and South America.
We have capitalized our fund with $282,000 US and will publish our
results here, updated on a weekly basis.
Please see our livecast, Rupa 2.0 ~ Make Your Connection, for episodes discussing club investments. |
| SYMBOL | NAME | CAP. | %ROI | Earned |
| NA | RuPa Stocks | $7.8K | 3.5% | $222 |
| NA | Real estate 1 | $50K | 19% | $15K |
| NA | Real estate 2 | $26K | 1% | $260 |
| OZK | CD #1 / 7-mo. | $100K | 4.2% | $500 |
| OZK | CD #2 / 7-mo. | $100K | 4.2% | $500 |
| --- | --- | $283.8K | 5.2% | $15K |
RuPa's Latin American Holdings: A Basket of ETFs and Other Funds
Summary: Surprising to us, our basket of Latin American ETFs and Closed-end funds
has performed well in a rather rocky market since November 1. Since the end of January, 2026 we
have twice pulled out of these funds and reinvested roughly $23,000 due to abrupt movements in the
market. We increased our profits on both occasions, for a total of about 6% ROI in past three months.
This performance has proved a lot better -- but with more risk -- than our CDs! We believe these funds represent a strong long-term hold,
but only for those with steel nerves; they have jumped around 2-5% almost weekly so far this year. Frankly,
we've been lucky and do not plan on increasing our minimal holding in them until the geopolitics of
the region settles down. One potential negative impact is the Trump Administration's predicted threats against
China's growing physical and financial presence in South America.
On the other hand, Real estate investing is proving to be a sound strategy, especially in Medellin, Colombia,
where we are considering the purchase a second apartment this month for $53,000, to be used as a shooting studio
for the company. The problem is the instability of the dollar...and the strength of the Colombian
peso! The owner wants to be paid over the course of two months, which puts us a risk if the dollar
continues to fall in value.
Lastly, our CDs are providing safe place to park capital while we're deciding what to do next, each earning about $500 per month.
Our investment club is created and maintained for entertainment and educational purposes only. We do not offer investment advice or recommend particular stocks, bonds, ETFs or any other investment product. Please refrain from asking Ruta Pantera staff to provide investment advice. Thank you.
COLOMBIA
VENEZUELA
BRASIL
ARGENTINA
COSTA RICA
NICARAGUA
MEXICO
PERU
BOLIVIA
URUGUAY
