Global crisis? A Couple of weeks ago I was talking with my sister in law, who lives in Canada and was spending some days here in Colombia with my brother, and she was telling me that she felt as if there were no crisis in Colombia, watching the positivism of people in the streets, contrary to the general atmosphere that is breathed in Canada and USA.

We are not going to block the sun with a finger, but that's not just one person perception.

The World Bank has described Colombia's reaction to the global economic crisis as "impressive".

Lauded as an "example" for the rest of Latin America, the government of the Spanish-speaking state has been praised by the international financial institution for the manner in which it has achieved economic and employment stability throughout the turbulent financial climate.

Indicating that it would continue to offer funding to South America's second largest country, the bank also praised Colombia's private sector for its creation of employment.

Juan Jose Daboub, managing director of the World Bank, said: "I am very impressed with the government's program, with economic stability and the measures implemented to face the crisis, as well as the effort made to achieve peace and development."

Colombia's present urban unemployment rate stands at 13.5 per cent of the workforce, according to the national statistics department DANE, while general unemployment is at 12 per cent.