Medellín is currently hosting the Non-Violence Summit at the Museum of Modern Art, an event in which experts from all over the world will share ideas and experiences aimed at finding peaceful conflict resolution.

Mayor Aníbal Gaviria opened the event alongside the director of the Martin Luther King Institute in the United States, Bernard Lafayette. To a crowd of about 300 people, Gaviria said, “Violence is the negation of intelligence, while non-violence is a form of reconciliation.”

The forum is one of many activities planned for May, which the administration declared the month of life, a time to engage society as a whole in the quest for peace.

The most recent chapter in the troubled relationship between the Venezuelan Government and former President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, began last Friday when the neighbor country’s new President, Nicolás Maduro, referred to Mr. Uribe as an “assassin”.

The former President was quick to respond, via his attorney, as did former President Andrés Pastrana; some Government officials are asking President Santos to get involved and take a stand in defense of “presidential dignity”. However, there are also those who feel that this is practically a “personal fight between Maduro and Uribe” and that, in the long run, getting involved as a third party would prove destructive for Colombia, specifically for those living close to the border.

The latest Invamer Gallup poll revealed further decline in former President Alvaro Uribe’s popularity while President Santos’ remained relatively unchanged. It also showed an increase in support for the peace process but made it obvious that polarization between ‘santistas’ and ‘uribistas’ in Colombia is growing.

For the first time since the end of his presidency, former President Alvaro Uribe saw his image fall by nine points and also hit the highest level of unpopularity with 41 percent.

Today people show more support for the peace process. 64 percent of Colombians feel the best way to resolve problems with the guerrilla is to insist on dialogue until an agreement is reached, in February that percentage was 54. Citizens are also increasingly supportive of the possibility of engaging in peace talks with the Eln guerrilla, jumping from 60 to 68 percent in just two months.

President Juan Manuel Santos’ image, meanwhile, remained relatively unchanged, increasing only slightly and still below 50 percent. Today, 47 out of every 100 Colombians have a positive image of the President, three percent more than in February.

As far as regional leaders, Mayor of Medellín Aníbal Gaviria’s image went from 54 to 55 percent, which is a positive considering it plummeted from 72 to 54 percent last time. Governor Sergio Fajardo’s image also went up a point to 72 percent.

The Colombian National Armada handed over 81 fisherman who were caught fishing illegally on the Nicaraguan fishing boat, Papa D, in the joint/regime area between Colombia and Jamaica.

Once all the paperwork was completed, Colombian authorities completed the handover in international waters. The Family Welfare Institute was present during the operation because two 17-year-olds were among the crew.

The captain of the vessel remains in the island of San Andrés and is awaiting arraignment; four other crewmembers also remain in custody.

The Armada stressed it will continue to protect sovereignty and carry out naval operations aimed at protecting natural resources, guaranteeing the rights of the State, and the integrity of the lines of maritime communication; it will also continue to develop search and rescue activities and take action against transnational crimes.

This Sunday’s soccer game between Nacional and Medellín is the first time coach Oscar Pérez goes up against Juan Carlos Osorio, a meeting that’s bound to be Experience vs. Youth.

“I don’t know the Medellín coach well. I understand he has been successful and that he is getting a well-deserved opportunity, but I don’t know the type of soccer he gives priority to,” Osorio said when asked about what he expects from his rival.

It will all come down to the players, who know perfectly well what to expect. Nacional forward, Jefferson Duque, for instance, said,  “We know they are coming out ready to give their lives for the institution. We will have to give our maximum effort if we want to win.”

Colombia’s Senate decided that, for now, same-sex marriage will not be possible in the country. 51 senators voted against it while only 17 viewed it favorably; 12 abstained.

The result came as no surprise after majorities like the U Party, the Conservative Party and Cambio Radical announced they would not back the bill.

Fully aware of the fact that the road to recovery for Spain is still long, the government presented a new set of reforms and adjusted economic growth predictions for the next few years.

The government of Mariano Rajoy forecasted the public deficit for this year at 6.3 percent of the GDP, a much higher target than the previous 4,5 percent, and it’s now expected that the country’s GDP will contract by 1.3 percent for 2013. But the most serious situation is unemployment, at an alarming 27,1 percent, a rate the government admits is likely to stay the same for the remainder of this year and will probably only decline slightly to 26,7 percent in 2014.

The Distinguished Services Medal was awarded to auxiliary police officer, Luis Alfonso Ramírez, in Bogotá for saving the life of a man attempting to commit suicide at the Hospital Metro station in Medellín.

The director of the National Police, General Jose Roberto León, called Ramírez a “hero” and said these are the attitudes that distinguish the men and women who choose to honor their commitment to “serve society and protect lives.”

Officer Ramírez, General León said, has “written a new page of glory in the history of the Colombian police.”

By the end of 2015, 24 out of 25 projects aimed at adding value to El Poblado will be completed. Only one, the expansion of 34th Avenue from Las Palmas to La Aguacatala, might not be finished until 2016 because of its complexity.

Property owners will absorb the cost of all 25 projects, estimated to be around 380,000 million pesos. Fonvalmed believes that 80 percent of them will end up paying less than five million pesos, and 46,5 percent will pay less than two million. Fortunately for tax payers concerned about having to pay property taxes and appreciation taxes at the same time, Mayor Anibal Gaviria announced that invoices won’t go out until April of 2014, which authorities said will not affect timelines.

Since August of 2009, when the appreciation plan was introduced, invoicing has been delayed six times.

When it comes to organ donation any number is significant, and a five percent decline in donors is certainly cause for concern. There was an increase, however, in the number of patients who received transplants in Colombia, especially liver and heart.

“In 2012 there were 207 liver transplants, an increase of 11,9 percent compared to 2011. There were also 99 heart transplants, a significant 20,7 percent increase.” But the story is different for kidney patients, as waiting lists are extremely long and the average wait increases each year.

Experts feel that increasing educational campaigns may help alleviate the situation and debunk some of the myths surrounding donation that exist.