After reading about Barranquilla being the Cultural Capital of 2013 (http://www.elheraldo.co/tendencias/barranquilla-elegida-capital-de-la-cultura-2013-70019), here are my answers:

1.  Why was Barranquilla chosen?

Barranquilla was chosen by the International Bureau Cultural Capitals as American Capital of Culture 2013, because of the big effort that the local government did to transform Barranquilla into a cultural place, making it look impressive because of the big cohesion around this cultural topic and because of the positivism that took them to a highest place in the international view.

2. Will Barranquilla receive any of the economic benefits Liverpool hoped to from being named a cultural capital?

Hopefully, Barranquilla will receive a lot of economics benefits from being named a cultural capital, because with this recognition the city is going to be promoted to a highest international level with the help of some international channels. Also this prize coincides with the celebration of the 200 years of the city of Barranquilla, so this is a big opportunity to promote Barranquilla to the whole world.