tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36556831356286927252024-03-15T02:07:17.544-07:00Mike's Bogota BlogUnas escenas y comentarios desde Bogota, Colombia.
Scenes and commentaries from Bogota, Colombia.Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.comBlogger2011125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-63487705809546563132018-12-13T18:57:00.000-08:002018-12-13T18:57:28.588-08:00Doris Salcedo's Empty Rooms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During the exhibition's inauguration, the artsy wait in line to visit empty rooms.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAPGKjv3woCctgnNjV1n24pna9l7yGW_5uSu80IEUKMN2-pdmnD-En-zpgAtRKJVNHtiLq4tzmH3f1kX38aGaKM5ptB0oWLsUTSusnsaGDpkZOe2pS84z02dMC-Zthtcm8-pUzgipTkk/s1600/memorial+victims+weapons+doris+salcedo+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAPGKjv3woCctgnNjV1n24pna9l7yGW_5uSu80IEUKMN2-pdmnD-En-zpgAtRKJVNHtiLq4tzmH3f1kX38aGaKM5ptB0oWLsUTSusnsaGDpkZOe2pS84z02dMC-Zthtcm8-pUzgipTkk/s200/memorial+victims+weapons+doris+salcedo+%25284%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The floor is the work of art. <br />Appreciate it!</td></tr>
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When I visited Doris Salcedo's memorial to victims of Colombia's conflict, I walked eagerly onto the property on Carrera 5 a block south of the Casa de Nariño. Salcedo created her tribute to the victims, particularly women who suffered sexual violence, out of tons of weapons the FARC guerrillas turned over as part of their peace agreement with the government, and which were melted down into brute metal.<br />
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For the memorial site, organizers found a centuries-old house whose adobe walls and columns have <br />
slowly crumbled away in the rain and wind. Interestingly, they preserved the ancient house's remains, which itself seems like a haunting reflection on Colombia's long tragedy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidO2MjcKqsPc9Zykl5JV5-77IWJXQs4Hk-Oh90QcoHlO7IOcVEcn9LKCo9DxivqRUCUxU6qI70uPJx2q3syUl2F1fZGeUkTCai6KST9NFWeGiLjw6vt2vJRW4hwp874P3QKen1dvd32OI/s1600/memorial+victims+weapons+doris+salcedo+melting+FARC+weapons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidO2MjcKqsPc9Zykl5JV5-77IWJXQs4Hk-Oh90QcoHlO7IOcVEcn9LKCo9DxivqRUCUxU6qI70uPJx2q3syUl2F1fZGeUkTCai6KST9NFWeGiLjw6vt2vJRW4hwp874P3QKen1dvd32OI/s320/memorial+victims+weapons+doris+salcedo+melting+FARC+weapons.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melting down FARC weapons.</td></tr>
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I walked into the building's hall, which led to what seemed to be an exhibition room. But the room was completely empty, except for a few other visitors standing around chatting. Confused, I headed up to the second floor, only to find that except for some first aid supplies, this room was empty too.<br />
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Feeling cheated - even tho entrance is free - I asked other visitors why Salcedo's promised artwork memorializing the victims was not to be found. They looked down: "The artwork is the floor," one told me.<br />
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In fact, Salcedo had used the tons of metal from the melted guns and other weapons to make the exhibition hall's floor. Her idea was to create a 'counter-monument,' an exhibition guide told me. A 'counter-monument' does not project the sorts of preconceptions which a regular monument would, she explained.<br />
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That's all well and good. And it's also true that making the weapons into a floor carries symbolisms -<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHGrAh1kXK2erFUb_ZhxrBhW-SL5qgkdB9I0N-WvdJowzYhcyDxeSxIdog8d_iwFr1agUXAWxRH6NoKkwGDbffImnJBRY4dbz-fApfSZK5ixH_q7W_t4gbs9j2WpihzR-Ghe6MU8dKx8/s1600/memorial+victims+weapons+doris+salcedo+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHGrAh1kXK2erFUb_ZhxrBhW-SL5qgkdB9I0N-WvdJowzYhcyDxeSxIdog8d_iwFr1agUXAWxRH6NoKkwGDbffImnJBRY4dbz-fApfSZK5ixH_q7W_t4gbs9j2WpihzR-Ghe6MU8dKx8/s320/memorial+victims+weapons+doris+salcedo+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old building's eroding adobe <br />makes an interesting backdrop.</td></tr>
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the emptiness of the rooms could represent the losses from violence; with each step in the exhibition, we're trampling on those weapons. Even the old adobe building's decaying state might symbolize the peace agreement's only partial success. Etc.<br />
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But I suspect that an unsophisticated peasant from Santander, El Chocó or Putumayo whose relatives had been tortured, disappeared and driven from their homes by armed groups, and who herself had been violated, might not appreciate these lofty, abstract artistic sentiments. She'd look for a concrete representation of Colombia's tragedy.<br />
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Colombia, it seems to me, needs something like Washington D.C.'s low, haunting, Vietnam Memorial, or Berlin's headstones commemorating the victims of the Nazi Holocaust.<br />
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But maybe not yet. After all, Colombia's conflict is still unresolved. A substantial proportion of the FARC's fighters refused to demobilize and are considered 'dissidents.' And the ELN and myriad narco-gangs and other groups remain out there causing havoc and violence.<br />
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Colombia's violence, sadly, is far from over.<br />
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<u><b>The FARC's weapons and the United States:</b></u><br />
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Notably, some of the FARC's newest and most potent weapons had been purchased in the United States - the same nation which has spent billions of dollars trying to defeat Colombia's leftist insurgencies. Similar to Colombia's illegal drug industry, which the U.S. both combats and finances, the U.S. is on both sides of the guerrillas weapons-wise: it pays the Colombian government to battle the guerrillas, while supplying those same guerrillas with weapons to fight the government and terrorize civilians.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b></div>
Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com24Bogotá, Colombia4.5893229999999994 -74.081577900000013-20.9327115 -115.39017190000001 30.1113575 -32.772983900000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-25967037937025148852018-12-13T18:27:00.000-08:002018-12-13T18:27:19.023-08:00Don't Hold Your Breath<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'<i>By 2040, only electric and zero-emission cars will operate in Bogotá</i>.' (El Tiempo)</td></tr>
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The story never changes: Just wait, and Bogotá will have clean air (and a clean river). But whether <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does anybody care? A SITP bus belches <br />away in central Bogotá.</td></tr>
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it's five, ten or fifteen years away, that dream never feels any closer.<br />
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The city's latest plan is that after 2025 all new TransMilenio buses must be zero emission, and after 2036 (only 18 years away) all new SITP buses must be zero emission. (A portion of the new TransMilenio buses which Bogotá will buy next year are to be low or zero emission, which is progress.)<br />
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But, even assuming that the politicians actually stick to the plan, the dirty old buses we have now will stay on the road. And, meanwhile, the city will fill up with many thousands of additional cars and other vehicles, whose pollution will add their poison to the air.<br />
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Don't expect relief soon.<br />
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Why don't authorities try something novel and different? Penalize those rolling chimneys we see belching away unmolested every day?<br />
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That would bring our throats and lungs some relief, not in 2036 or 2025, but tomorrow!<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b></div>
Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com12Bogotá, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.0720924.204548599999999 -74.717539 5.2174286 -73.426645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-6624756134939048822018-12-10T12:07:00.000-08:002018-12-10T12:28:47.149-08:00Scenes From The Armed Conflict <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A girl and her father, driven from their <br />
homes by violence, carry away <br />
their few belongings.</td></tr>
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Jesús Abad Colorado is Colombia's most distinguished documentary photographer, particularly of the country's armed conflict. And it seems to me that his work lives up to the term 'documentation,' because he documents all parts of the conflict's tragedy and anguish.<br />
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Leftist guerrillas; right-wing paramilitaries; the regular military - all have committed terrible crimes, which Colorado documents impartially. Perhaps this characteristic is in his blood, as his family story carries scars dealt from all sides.<br />
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During Colombia's <i>La Violencia</i> period paramilitaries murdered his grandfather and a child. Colorado's grandmother stopped eating out of sadness and died a few months afterwards. In more recent times, one of his cousins was disappeared by the military, another cousin was kidnapped and murdered by the FARC guerrillas, and the guerrillas have kidnapped Colorado himself - twice.<br />
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An exhibition of Colorado's work, called <b><i>Testigos</i></b>, is on now in the <b><i>Claustro de San Agustin</i></b> in La Candelaria.<br />
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If you go by bike, however, be forewarned: Even tho the Claustro is part of the Universidad Nacional, whose campus is full of bicycles, the Claustro has no bike parking. You'll have to leave it in one of the commercial lots on Carrera 9.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comedian and journalist Jaime Garzon, who was assassinated by right-wing groups working with the government.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Convivir were legal organizations of rural residents which often turned into paramilitary organizations.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A crematorium with which the paramilitaries burned their victims.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A woman cries in her devastated town.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9hKaQ1dqNDzrPTgjEolimMBlTC6xmw28w5xLvS_21D5Ri67gRMKyknN-CblwIQLxQnJmgIY9w-VY6lieG5_RMhr0R0OLDDSOwydvteZzrN3Q7MBxGVjpWRghiqkPOn8M69a8y-iDzGo/s1600/digging+up+remains+victims+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252816%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1600" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9hKaQ1dqNDzrPTgjEolimMBlTC6xmw28w5xLvS_21D5Ri67gRMKyknN-CblwIQLxQnJmgIY9w-VY6lieG5_RMhr0R0OLDDSOwydvteZzrN3Q7MBxGVjpWRghiqkPOn8M69a8y-iDzGo/s320/digging+up+remains+victims+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252816%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Investigators retrieve the remains of conflict victims.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx53wwI67NSbinve3SJunSecuE8xAWV41CkbC2wkxXFh4YuAQihQHMPTgxoIiiI-XpUWqjHqUMxMswpg-JYROYcrDyCCm9i0USyDtkBaq7JOCo5EAXGjxDB3sqpW4FlVQS-pgedyisjvw/s1600/dispaced+indigenous+people+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252824%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1186" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx53wwI67NSbinve3SJunSecuE8xAWV41CkbC2wkxXFh4YuAQihQHMPTgxoIiiI-XpUWqjHqUMxMswpg-JYROYcrDyCCm9i0USyDtkBaq7JOCo5EAXGjxDB3sqpW4FlVQS-pgedyisjvw/s320/dispaced+indigenous+people+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252824%2529.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indigenous people displaced by violence.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddv20jFJl1KBmd0OS7a-jFWPvKg5PYsm0uiKe1qOTK6DovrPEy5hdeQOXUT6-wlyYk4zgHGgCiBcAIdQ0naoGMa_MmB26OtmrWxpp56Rlo7bhebwmGpforQg2Ycl7-1DOMSCGR_nnals/s1600/girl+shows+photo+of+disappeared+father+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252814%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1025" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddv20jFJl1KBmd0OS7a-jFWPvKg5PYsm0uiKe1qOTK6DovrPEy5hdeQOXUT6-wlyYk4zgHGgCiBcAIdQ0naoGMa_MmB26OtmrWxpp56Rlo7bhebwmGpforQg2Ycl7-1DOMSCGR_nnals/s320/girl+shows+photo+of+disappeared+father+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252814%2529.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A girl holds a photo of her murdered father.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDhlR-7ynS54fTq0tRZQ7wEi0SUWyeIsNnfn40QnPOXKpJDNMnpoLAp0BIsE85n5tff4-WKwH31htYxYKCWzQukCF0lAkR17CEtlWdtQy5QzJc-9LVFT5Umh1sXgnaVfLIqH-ceQIwio/s1600/girl+with+chicken+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252811%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1083" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDhlR-7ynS54fTq0tRZQ7wEi0SUWyeIsNnfn40QnPOXKpJDNMnpoLAp0BIsE85n5tff4-WKwH31htYxYKCWzQukCF0lAkR17CEtlWdtQy5QzJc-9LVFT5Umh1sXgnaVfLIqH-ceQIwio/s320/girl+with+chicken+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252811%2529.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A girl and her mother flee with the girl's beloved chicken.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7Y9rBVu3syc3EjR-H-fGO33x1p6q8MrCQ5PryRVYKiSEUP0bssbKY_900LzuUCanB9acVBrDnGuyJPyB_h4N04Y6taog8gYPaEsZBChobdplUn1KXoHY3QhvjP5miX1sHEzagWOni7k/s1600/happy+fighter+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252812%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1050" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7Y9rBVu3syc3EjR-H-fGO33x1p6q8MrCQ5PryRVYKiSEUP0bssbKY_900LzuUCanB9acVBrDnGuyJPyB_h4N04Y6taog8gYPaEsZBChobdplUn1KXoHY3QhvjP5miX1sHEzagWOni7k/s320/happy+fighter+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252812%2529.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A happy fighter. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUrAF9VlBiy0OhReJi0UopvTs_ZyP-D_k7wDcQtPAE3eiooaO2EODjpUBxGi7gIDpplv0b-hsrxuHZpE-2JjJ3q93w8H0MvjMhANItnDV9J93QfWUzb54V8kqg6RpStHjXqZUJFmMZlc/s1600/interior+claustro+san+augustin+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUrAF9VlBiy0OhReJi0UopvTs_ZyP-D_k7wDcQtPAE3eiooaO2EODjpUBxGi7gIDpplv0b-hsrxuHZpE-2JjJ3q93w8H0MvjMhANItnDV9J93QfWUzb54V8kqg6RpStHjXqZUJFmMZlc/s320/interior+claustro+san+augustin+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The interior of the San Augustin cloister.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6i8PcGR4EWO1b1FXqvsImDeFPr8t548tjT6tUeKzNOn9zgqbxl5HpDfnXbTz5GAd_ojEKRm1xxAvYpzw9HCaK-fQtAYTZUtpozrOAQ7KSuqMeY404-ExLfD-nPRzyQyol56Qytk9wY3c/s1600/murning+for+lost+relative+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252823%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1293" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6i8PcGR4EWO1b1FXqvsImDeFPr8t548tjT6tUeKzNOn9zgqbxl5HpDfnXbTz5GAd_ojEKRm1xxAvYpzw9HCaK-fQtAYTZUtpozrOAQ7KSuqMeY404-ExLfD-nPRzyQyol56Qytk9wY3c/s320/murning+for+lost+relative+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252823%2529.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mourning a murdered relative.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHMLBIuNR9qoxQO5YesXfgMILJiRj_Et8VZI7ofxVIHpyckljVm1vp0Ep7Zey-fxfk9jRsgMHnQVVZqYc_xokdIwvJnW4AAqS2XqweZL7rIgLalyhAA4cdC81R9nKQ0QvUd25UNav8xY/s1600/photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHMLBIuNR9qoxQO5YesXfgMILJiRj_Et8VZI7ofxVIHpyckljVm1vp0Ep7Zey-fxfk9jRsgMHnQVVZqYc_xokdIwvJnW4AAqS2XqweZL7rIgLalyhAA4cdC81R9nKQ0QvUd25UNav8xY/s320/photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visitors in the Claustro San Augustin.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv4D5OXu-It2OX8wdVCX-47MNmmuWsxEfjkQh4qzAP_-zLWG88D6AXq87slnlSmvtmL2USXjoJ8lp6lwHLcX89z6V_YS9OvBeyOzCi3J8pU2BEKzdDndOhFn-2rEn0ttnUI6RyvqniVo/s1600/photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv4D5OXu-It2OX8wdVCX-47MNmmuWsxEfjkQh4qzAP_-zLWG88D6AXq87slnlSmvtmL2USXjoJ8lp6lwHLcX89z6V_YS9OvBeyOzCi3J8pU2BEKzdDndOhFn-2rEn0ttnUI6RyvqniVo/s320/photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%25287%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLaCo6hc9koDJ48I9es3V-Ly1esJiKIjPEb03I5TyQmt0xoi2kFKUDnL75d25GV6CbR6pcyFWO3QA_WbMgq3r0iSP5Z2Jkb06FGxSALBYnJxU_A8Fk4MKmBHf8CkT7Yhn63APa5eoz6k/s1600/photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252815%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1082" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLaCo6hc9koDJ48I9es3V-Ly1esJiKIjPEb03I5TyQmt0xoi2kFKUDnL75d25GV6CbR6pcyFWO3QA_WbMgq3r0iSP5Z2Jkb06FGxSALBYnJxU_A8Fk4MKmBHf8CkT7Yhn63APa5eoz6k/s320/photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252815%2529.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excavating a mass grave.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmetdsLbbhe1YGSvs6fyAkhxmVLAjCovYZDXUyubbkiRb7MYoBPugqoE_24TTY4soxFcBbr3pFASEu_TGxZ1REhvKaMYK-QuMhwxfvPdbiOABQDJifaX6FhVjCtf8ZIF40di5_GuV76Mw/s1600/river+polluted+with+oil+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="999" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmetdsLbbhe1YGSvs6fyAkhxmVLAjCovYZDXUyubbkiRb7MYoBPugqoE_24TTY4soxFcBbr3pFASEu_TGxZ1REhvKaMYK-QuMhwxfvPdbiOABQDJifaX6FhVjCtf8ZIF40di5_GuV76Mw/s320/river+polluted+with+oil+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%25289%2529.jpg" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A river polluted with oil from a pipeline bombed by guerrillas.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8T__1IkXTFHe1Q-h3hdLAV5Mc4AXDNUqwyyXWgviRaEdIRpjniq-yZF9y2xK2TzwuoXvkFkmPQcOPRM6M1CzsUlWHqLGaiXYWDQ0Wk76PwQqWoTPfDLBprd18qnW_RmeY718meIMuDU/s1600/soldier+and+displaced+girl+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252820%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="922" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8T__1IkXTFHe1Q-h3hdLAV5Mc4AXDNUqwyyXWgviRaEdIRpjniq-yZF9y2xK2TzwuoXvkFkmPQcOPRM6M1CzsUlWHqLGaiXYWDQ0Wk76PwQqWoTPfDLBprd18qnW_RmeY718meIMuDU/s320/soldier+and+displaced+girl+photos+armed+conflict+jesus+abad+colorado+%252820%2529.jpg" width="184" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A displaced girl and a soldier.</td></tr>
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b></div>
Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com6Carrera 8 #7-21, Bogotá, Colombia4.5952655999999994 -74.078558199999975-20.9267689 -115.38715219999997 30.1173001 -32.769964199999976tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-9568243269854715872018-12-10T09:40:00.000-08:002018-12-10T09:40:55.211-08:00A Radical Makeover for the Trash Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Teusaquillo neighborhood's Museo de la Basura, or Trash Museum, used to look like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlJgmBovLYycoVJCUASbtbpqMtZZbA6hY7r9Zg_dc2lr3fEEt8sNl8LlUdNIwidJgiHYjJIPTspSTYIh3SLPb6ds5gXV-_Q9SqtwH2Ex92FfwV7Vj9SgxHkKwGxbOf_ib79r0nrqBkl4/s1600/old+trash+museum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlJgmBovLYycoVJCUASbtbpqMtZZbA6hY7r9Zg_dc2lr3fEEt8sNl8LlUdNIwidJgiHYjJIPTspSTYIh3SLPb6ds5gXV-_Q9SqtwH2Ex92FfwV7Vj9SgxHkKwGxbOf_ib79r0nrqBkl4/s320/old+trash+museum.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IZQwYixbcT2FO0Og48i3FGjICoL3apIK01n7V0xKnrJ7AXMHsaD2-zseD3PQ2MKv_M3RcJ_nz6DeMgtJFms0mLXt4kPlafOnuqhY-KMMx0JHgLhIoRIenx-aswSW2bDod2PITOmWGhU/s1600/trash+museum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IZQwYixbcT2FO0Og48i3FGjICoL3apIK01n7V0xKnrJ7AXMHsaD2-zseD3PQ2MKv_M3RcJ_nz6DeMgtJFms0mLXt4kPlafOnuqhY-KMMx0JHgLhIoRIenx-aswSW2bDod2PITOmWGhU/s320/trash+museum.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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With its constant denunciations of our human mistreatment of the planet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVwJPIqyatVMdrGJEnLqkCuFwrP8Drg0b075z5XaG-RTDaAroiySj3MXMYTxdqzCLbPtHpPNvc0BlI5BXiAcK4xg0XkcZD8OwjGG7CWA5o3UYo51wUggpE-ZUpcFDbEx5awfmwgvxyQM/s1600/trash+museum+cosmic+suicide.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVwJPIqyatVMdrGJEnLqkCuFwrP8Drg0b075z5XaG-RTDaAroiySj3MXMYTxdqzCLbPtHpPNvc0BlI5BXiAcK4xg0XkcZD8OwjGG7CWA5o3UYo51wUggpE-ZUpcFDbEx5awfmwgvxyQM/s320/trash+museum+cosmic+suicide.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Cosmic suicide will awaken us from our lethargy.'</td></tr>
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Of course, the house's owner, Antonio, was correct. Today's headlines about how we're charging down the road to permanently destabilizing the planet's climate, and the accelerating pace of things like deforestation and coral reef destruction prove it.<br />
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But few people care enough to do anything about our planet. Except for Antonio, who filled his house and yard with garbage while he stayed inside drinking. Perhaps his 'environmental' campaign was no more than a justification for never cleaning up, but at least it served as a reminder that the evidence is that we're heading towards calamity.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMque1Dam5NN7HF6lDHhhp6jl8hTvDrblp3x8KPZ3FPXIvG1zr9u_2pDjFvvHudn3iGTPmRuDWxezouAEiCq3PTsJU_8IAKCLRw12qn2YAM1PqATuT4S8OBer6ezZu5aOzHpDFU1L1bU/s1600/trash+museum+today.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMque1Dam5NN7HF6lDHhhp6jl8hTvDrblp3x8KPZ3FPXIvG1zr9u_2pDjFvvHudn3iGTPmRuDWxezouAEiCq3PTsJU_8IAKCLRw12qn2YAM1PqATuT4S8OBer6ezZu5aOzHpDFU1L1bU/s320/trash+museum+today.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trash museum today.</td></tr>
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But after Antonio died some months ago his brother, who evidently does not share the same environmenal commitment, cleaned the house up. The change was undoubtedly a relief for the neighbors.Their property values rose and they can more easily ignore the fact that the planet is careening towards disaster.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b></div>
Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com5Teusaquillo, Bogotá, Colombia4.635807 -74.0794500000000084.5725004999999994 -74.160131 4.6991135 -73.99876900000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-43354573746641940852018-12-08T19:49:00.000-08:002018-12-08T19:49:14.639-08:00Bogotá's New Megamurals<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNf6kmmU0kp0p55X36thtsBZYGKCNpstaRe6aQQiyuFx1dFctQklZRSXdt-AZNHZS80M3OxTprp2U-KBk_G3ss49YW_7fFdFgGZYjIUWYSHjH9__-6W8Wj-DyWDlPyf2bdewmJQiMsmW4/s1600/bogota+megamurals+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNf6kmmU0kp0p55X36thtsBZYGKCNpstaRe6aQQiyuFx1dFctQklZRSXdt-AZNHZS80M3OxTprp2U-KBk_G3ss49YW_7fFdFgGZYjIUWYSHjH9__-6W8Wj-DyWDlPyf2bdewmJQiMsmW4/s200/bogota+megamurals+%25282%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a>Recently, the city sponsored these huge murals on warehouse and factory walls in the otherwise very gray and gritty Puente Aranda neighborhood. The murals, which line two streets near the Carrera 53 Transmilenio station - and which we visited during a <b><a href="https://bogotabiketours.wordpress.com/2018/12/09/touring-bogotas-biggest-newest-graffiti/" target="_blank">street art bike tour</a></b> - transformed the neighborhood's atmosphere.</div>
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A graffiti artist friend told me that because Mayor Peñalosa is disliked by the artists' community, some of them did only their second-best work here. But the paintings looked fine to me!</div>
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Ironically, however, the neighborhood residents walking by the murals ignored them, perhaps because they passed by every day. And these are yet another example of Bogotá's best street art - like those beside the bullfighting stadium and the ones behind the Central Cemetery - located in out-of-the-way sites where few people see them, unless they go out of their way.</div>
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b></div>
Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com4Puente Aranda, Bogotá, Colombia4.614995 -74.1146559999999684.5516865000000006 -74.195336999999967 4.6783035 -74.03397499999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-44144123439514037352018-12-07T21:11:00.000-08:002018-12-07T21:11:04.264-08:00Noche de las Velitas 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Noche de las Velitas, or night of the little candles, is an annual celebration marking the start of the Christmas season. People light candles on sidewalks and windowsills. But it's also a time for families to sit in the street and talk with each other and neighbors.</div>
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The velitas tradition is particularly strong in La Candelaria, Bogotá's historical center. However, it seemed to me that this year I saw lots fewer candles lit than in previous years. Is the tradition waning?<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b></div>
Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com1La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia4.597014 -74.0728758999999854.5811864999999994 -74.093045899999979 4.6128415 -74.052705899999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-22217070592524643572018-12-07T20:40:00.000-08:002018-12-07T21:17:40.559-08:00Just Explain The Money, Mr. Petro<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLsQZgbnX0jK-fqi2HSccc0fd2MINENqavZKyazOwwmnjKE3nDcdt0oJfHPwyBKxDerVV6jPEG9sRCMy44bueCUF3mitrMtgCF5vsIVXozQH5GoBNjt0roNGIOCbR2tTBVWbZuH3-Sgg/s1600/petro+and+money+stacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="711" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLsQZgbnX0jK-fqi2HSccc0fd2MINENqavZKyazOwwmnjKE3nDcdt0oJfHPwyBKxDerVV6jPEG9sRCMy44bueCUF3mitrMtgCF5vsIVXozQH5GoBNjt0roNGIOCbR2tTBVWbZuH3-Sgg/s320/petro+and+money+stacks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petro and wads of cash, in the leaked video.</td></tr>
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Gustavo Petro is generally remembered as a poor administrator as mayor of Bogotá, and he lost badly when he ran for president. But he has at least been generally known for his probity and for having ideals, whether you agree with them or not.<br />
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However, those positive qualities are now under siege these days due to a decade-old video released by his political enemies in which Petro is seen receiving wads of cash of uncertain origin.<br />
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As Petro has repeatedly pointed out, receiving wads of cash isn't illegal. But it does looks bad, because it's how people like Pablo Escobar and innumerable corrupt politicians handle their finances, and so requires an explanatio: <i>'The money came from my mother'. 'I had dug the money up on my ranch.' 'A supporter gave it to me.'</i><br />
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In fact, Petro did offer a simple explanation: He claimed that the cash was a donation from prominent arquitect Simon Velez, who reportedly does not like using banks. But Velez quickly issued a statement flatly denying having given or loaned Petro money. <b><a href="http://www.eltiempo.com/" target="_blank">El Tiempo</a></b> also reported that the other two people who appear in the video along with Petro received city contracts. That's not necessarily illegal, either, but it does look very bad.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8l4-cl020vUOAb6qWQfdjVE2rKmArnAwcLQGBg8uJ6pcltAwoIU9guyXSRLTg7cLHxnL7TqsxfWadxouNG-i6rrOYXfmXlwc4kI8w4M3X0Ra4L88cl0VGvm5m6p-YLprautK8mTEcP4k/s1600/empty+bike+parking+rack+san+victorino.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8l4-cl020vUOAb6qWQfdjVE2rKmArnAwcLQGBg8uJ6pcltAwoIU9guyXSRLTg7cLHxnL7TqsxfWadxouNG-i6rrOYXfmXlwc4kI8w4M3X0Ra4L88cl0VGvm5m6p-YLprautK8mTEcP4k/s1600/empty+bike+parking+rack+san+victorino.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unused bike racks installed during Petro's <br />
mayoralty serve as seats for street vendors.</td></tr>
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Petro counterattacked by charging that the video was illegaly leaked by his enemies to distract attention from their own corruption scandals. That's probably true. But whatever the video's origin, that doesn't change its substance.<br />
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A lot of people, including me, who thot Petro was a disappointing mayor, had held on to faith that he was at least personally not corrupt.This was despite indications to the contrary, such as the multiple, huge <b><a href="http://mikesbogotablog.blogspot.com/2017/05/petros-empty-bike-racks.html" target="_blank">bike parking racks installed on Plaza San Victorino</a></b> during the last months of his mayoralty - even tho few people ever park bikes on the plaza. Those huge new racks, which quickly turned into seats for street vendors, were very likely the result of a sweetheart contract given to someone with city hall connections, who handed over wads of cash to pay for the privilege of getting a contract to install useless bike racks.<br />
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In the same way, bribery can waste public funds, cause governments to build unnecessary, disfunctional roads, purchase overpriced, useless medical equipment and even kill people. And, by undermining faith in the mainstream parties, corruption makes extremists such as Venezuela's Chavez and Brasil's Bolsonaro look more attractive - potentially leading their nations toward disaster.<br />
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And corruption has a poisonous effect on democracies. A recent poll found that Latin American support for democratic systems is at a low point, with fewer than half of the public giving democracy their full faith. A big part of the reason for that is the pervasive corruption, and Petro's unexplained cash only deepens that perception.<br />
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That's all we need, Mr. Petro, is a clear, verifiable explanation of those bills' origin. But every day that we wait for that explanation in vain adds to the perception that that was dirty money.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b></div>
Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com6Bogotá, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.0720924.204548599999999 -74.717539 5.2174286 -73.426645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-40164691378801602282018-11-01T21:55:00.000-07:002018-11-01T21:55:48.349-07:00Bad Times for Brazil<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3Z6gGSlXSdYvWZIgCmbgAXBoQn3F6sAHndUGIebspYJwq3vNg4b0rQ5YHkA8JyMhkj4Z2Lfr-xYXIh5bAempTsHKO_tQSHQEzBEAApomalxk94wkJAFW7xlBEFdMqVmoLZNZp2Z_GbM/s1600/bolsonaro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3Z6gGSlXSdYvWZIgCmbgAXBoQn3F6sAHndUGIebspYJwq3vNg4b0rQ5YHkA8JyMhkj4Z2Lfr-xYXIh5bAempTsHKO_tQSHQEzBEAApomalxk94wkJAFW7xlBEFdMqVmoLZNZp2Z_GbM/s1600/bolsonaro.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brazil's Bolsonaro celebrates - but should Brazilians be celebrating?</td></tr>
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One of the planet's largest, most multiethnic democracies will be governed by a racist, homophobic, misogynist with an admiration for dictators...and it's not the United States.<br />
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It's mind-boggling that a man who insults black and indigenous people could be elected president of a nation with a black and indigenous majority. But it's no more crazy than that a man who disparages women could be elected by a nation with a female majority.<br />
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Both of these things - as well as newly-elected Brazilian Pres. Jair Bolsonaro's endorsements of dictatorship and mass executions - should disqualify him from being president of anything but a neo-Nazi encampment in northwest Idaho.<br />
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Bolsonaro's presidency - part of an authoritarian wave across Latin America - will test Brazil's young and feeble democracy, already under huge strain because one former president is in prison for corruption and many other politicians are also under suspicion.<br />
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Brazil is far from the only nation in the region slipping into authoritarianism, or in danger of it. Venezuela and Nicaragua are ruled by self-described socialists who are really just authoritarians with plans for becoming presidents for life. Bolivia's Evo Morales appears to want to do the same thing. Many observers believe that Mexico's newly elected president, a leftist populist known as Amlo, believes more in himself than in democratic institutions. And Amlo will also enjoy majority support in Congress, giving him vast powers to reshape Mexico's institutions.<br />
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But if Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega is brutal and Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro is incompetent and brutal, both have at least preserved the forms of democracy in their nations. Bolsonaro, judging by his admiration for dictatorship, doesn't appear likely to do the same if he manages to consolidate power in Brazil.<br />
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Just a few decades ago, Latin America was emerging from a dark period of military strongmen into democracy. Today, many nations are electing authoritarians. Latin American democracy may have no more than a brief, passing phase.<br />
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Bolsonaro's victory is a massive tragedy for the environment, in a nation which is steward for most of the Amazon rainforest. And it will be a long-term tragedy for human rights and many young lives if Bolsonaro follows thru with his crackdown against criminals and popularizes gun ownership - a policy which has multiplied the U.S.'s homicide rate.<br />
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Perhaps Latin America's democracies suffered from a fatal error at birth by adopting presidential rather than parliamentary systems. In parliamentary systems the leader, or prime minister, must work his way up through the ranks, making compromises along the way. That process might produce predominantly mediocre, middling sorts of personalities. But, at least, the populists and extremists usually get filtered out.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Brasilia - Distrito Federal, Brasil-15.826691 -47.9218204-16.804606500000002 -49.212713900000004 -14.8487755 -46.6309269tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-34633318824012920122018-10-25T23:14:00.000-07:002018-10-25T23:14:36.836-07:00Seventh Avenue's Suspended Works<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mSvT6j3b3jVqkdsox5O36snJPIH7Em7u9N8dkjz6UJzULIifvHF3vK679EsQ7CSNodeKxAM31Jg8YAdHtSF87OAwYR7L6sXoPuaz2t80KHdZGUcuVMK5rY0oqc6mdSEaeHPGAwNyaSY/s1600/work+halted+carrera+septima.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mSvT6j3b3jVqkdsox5O36snJPIH7Em7u9N8dkjz6UJzULIifvHF3vK679EsQ7CSNodeKxAM31Jg8YAdHtSF87OAwYR7L6sXoPuaz2t80KHdZGUcuVMK5rY0oqc6mdSEaeHPGAwNyaSY/s320/work+halted+carrera+septima.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pedestrians walk around a pit on a stretch of Carrera Septima sidewalk beside the San Francisco Church.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqj_mEP5r60ucgiIFMIbBFsmLcm1y99pC9T7anErjg0THdHRWeTJJuLg_eJ-h0GEPsCzQ8AAiElym1nvRkBKBlKnSA0IgOagL82ARYlf2LBuVKr7wrUmsR_Hn_-QKHg2iIiiBwwHrGfc/s1600/work+halted+carrera+septima+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqj_mEP5r60ucgiIFMIbBFsmLcm1y99pC9T7anErjg0THdHRWeTJJuLg_eJ-h0GEPsCzQ8AAiElym1nvRkBKBlKnSA0IgOagL82ARYlf2LBuVKr7wrUmsR_Hn_-QKHg2iIiiBwwHrGfc/s200/work+halted+carrera+septima+%25283%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nobody at work here!</td></tr>
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Be cautious if you take a walk on Carrera Septima north of Jimenez Ave. these days. The stretch was supposed to be pedestrianized - but the company carrying out the project went bankrupt, and the city has not found anyone willing to continue with the work, which was supposed to have been completed years ago.<br />
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Not only pedestrians and cyclists, but also the avenue's many merchants are complaining about the situation, and bracing for a difficult Christmas season.<br />
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This is the same city, remember, which promises to complete a metro line on schedule and within the budget. L.O.L.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSE8SJLT-r4sGSZ43oCd9ABHieD9wh_mjj-Dbda2f88OyMFDwUTlp4sg5K4KVkfM1FkV6dEzjgTAy53JE5zXwVtHgTM6WFJOa48Qs_UpYpH3SMdV6O22p_VE0GvF69zS6Ar7gXLB3HQo/s1600/work+halted+carrera+septima+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSE8SJLT-r4sGSZ43oCd9ABHieD9wh_mjj-Dbda2f88OyMFDwUTlp4sg5K4KVkfM1FkV6dEzjgTAy53JE5zXwVtHgTM6WFJOa48Qs_UpYpH3SMdV6O22p_VE0GvF69zS6Ar7gXLB3HQo/s320/work+halted+carrera+septima+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com1Av. Jimenez De Quesada #7-10, Bogotá, Colombia4.6019209 -74.073305399999981-26.218842600000002 -115.38189939999998 35.4226844 -32.764711399999982tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-53978946549090362772018-10-20T20:14:00.001-07:002018-10-20T20:14:50.986-07:00The Rolling Chimney Hack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If one day soon you see one of those ubiquous '<i>rolling chimneys</i>' - buses, trucks or cars which belch out greasy smoke every time they move - sporting a sticker proudly announcing that it is a 'chimenea,' it's probably not because the driver is proud that he's poisoning us.<br />
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More likely, the vehicle is a victim of this blog's hacking campaign, which turns highly polluting vehicles into involuntary rolling billboards denouncing pollution.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLa5YszWa-Y4eq3MNkpD00ohpwDYa-a_ydEHeH_aFwh2muv2m2A1ddi9m5D-zaIvuZ09UmKuHyZKDSWI7Fm9zr3YT7LBv5WKZVN7B6Ux5qbrRf6VQ-WXRlS46ZPfpfN1jL4Q3B5kewto/s1600/yo+soy+chimenea+bus+contaminacion+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLa5YszWa-Y4eq3MNkpD00ohpwDYa-a_ydEHeH_aFwh2muv2m2A1ddi9m5D-zaIvuZ09UmKuHyZKDSWI7Fm9zr3YT7LBv5WKZVN7B6Ux5qbrRf6VQ-WXRlS46ZPfpfN1jL4Q3B5kewto/s320/yo+soy+chimenea+bus+contaminacion+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical Bogotá Sitp bus on Carrera 10 this afternoon. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9SqJJi9N2O2NXI2-MwcBw6mIsVTM1hSjGYI3QmGssC_4c_EB3WaUlrfVR8WqVfNcr3QNEctV_EhvY1wSd87OrMKlggZ_oSskbbcj-bBWimX3MwVRuUTidZXr9z4N15sHGfcdQ2AmUa8/s1600/yo+soy+chimenea+bus+contaminacion+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9SqJJi9N2O2NXI2-MwcBw6mIsVTM1hSjGYI3QmGssC_4c_EB3WaUlrfVR8WqVfNcr3QNEctV_EhvY1wSd87OrMKlggZ_oSskbbcj-bBWimX3MwVRuUTidZXr9z4N15sHGfcdQ2AmUa8/s320/yo+soy+chimenea+bus+contaminacion+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An improved bus.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7wajc8TF6ArtoZ3ckexFI4Gsjgv0dg6VwmLgt8mnZvRXx9h4vI8Fd5mbq-3QkFt3bAv9UaIa4tClGwYFUPgNKYJl31rfyE5vcRnzH7SQ18t_K9GFlQtrS1ZBxd77ViS0XDOQzLIU_fM/s1600/bus+chimenea+sticker+circled+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="1600" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7wajc8TF6ArtoZ3ckexFI4Gsjgv0dg6VwmLgt8mnZvRXx9h4vI8Fd5mbq-3QkFt3bAv9UaIa4tClGwYFUPgNKYJl31rfyE5vcRnzH7SQ18t_K9GFlQtrS1ZBxd77ViS0XDOQzLIU_fM/s320/bus+chimenea+sticker+circled+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did you notice it?</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImm33qnG0Pxe8zB81OfE2PRDocHCgTCCTtj33nmFbhc70akKe2M_OVdjC4leVh_siJTKQB17R62YefpUvoWT39bntmAE46ZJNrJPOleZqH2nN7Q1wZy1oDz09NVl6rArk9CFkiG6hQtw/s1600/soy+chimenea+sticker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="323" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImm33qnG0Pxe8zB81OfE2PRDocHCgTCCTtj33nmFbhc70akKe2M_OVdjC4leVh_siJTKQB17R62YefpUvoWT39bntmAE46ZJNrJPOleZqH2nN7Q1wZy1oDz09NVl6rArk9CFkiG6hQtw/s320/soy+chimenea+sticker.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">'<i>I am a chimney</i>'</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3Y2Pl0xravRQ24gV2lmoP2S05qLJXP-9x3NOOmQHLC-tbWcKw7mAv4-s7ndFEtDhwLnb0rrjnnKBFmfL-ZCn7Q7l3Yf8_zFe9P8lmYtfk3Zd-U2xJI3qnv25BkVDUyrr5ghigCaP6EU/s1600/yo+soy+chimenea+bus+contaminacion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3Y2Pl0xravRQ24gV2lmoP2S05qLJXP-9x3NOOmQHLC-tbWcKw7mAv4-s7ndFEtDhwLnb0rrjnnKBFmfL-ZCn7Q7l3Yf8_zFe9P8lmYtfk3Zd-U2xJI3qnv25BkVDUyrr5ghigCaP6EU/s320/yo+soy+chimenea+bus+contaminacion.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Another rolling chimney on Carrera 10 today.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0Jr5Y9-UeApVpm-EbL87hYdItCZVKqw_CDOOhiZ6EzBKxB2cfs_PEXJaeWDVn0B5Y-bgLA_46uxTe6nORTk_AdNsXxsjYerWvT2qtrQbSrbKNkfhLnqJca0WZj6Nn76zI6KaiW_HA6U/s1600/yo+soy+chimenea+bus+contaminacion+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0Jr5Y9-UeApVpm-EbL87hYdItCZVKqw_CDOOhiZ6EzBKxB2cfs_PEXJaeWDVn0B5Y-bgLA_46uxTe6nORTk_AdNsXxsjYerWvT2qtrQbSrbKNkfhLnqJca0WZj6Nn76zI6KaiW_HA6U/s320/yo+soy+chimenea+bus+contaminacion+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now, helpfully labeled.</td></tr>
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com1Bogotá, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.0720924.204548599999999 -74.717539 5.2174286 -73.426645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-92020253861874457062018-10-19T22:44:00.000-07:002018-10-19T22:44:56.406-07:00Making Bogotá a Walkable City?<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pedestrians walk down the Eje Ambiental in La Candelaria.</td></tr>
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This week, Bogotá hosted a conference, called Walk 21, of city planning experts keen on creating more walkable cities. The hope is to make walkng safe and pleasant, and make public spaces areas where a great variety of people mix.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Salle University students paint a pedestrian area on Calle 11 in La Candelaria.</td></tr>
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Truly promoting walking will mean reducing crime and harrasment of women, as well as making one of the alternatives - driving polluting vehicles - less convenient and more expensive. In other words, a London-style congesting charge, which Bogotá officials have repeatedly talked about, but never implemented.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZfeIaRiRj3vO3G4rKbAeTErr6BATNeAT-s7McHRp9fTRDAs4DKB2SOIpllo3fCsbQvKxsZfAJLUyCF03MEW4rQi78ob6rODwS_MmEA4YJdjYKWXHeJlWhDAh6rd78kaTFKjYP5ibMQM/s1600/walkable+bogota+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZfeIaRiRj3vO3G4rKbAeTErr6BATNeAT-s7McHRp9fTRDAs4DKB2SOIpllo3fCsbQvKxsZfAJLUyCF03MEW4rQi78ob6rODwS_MmEA4YJdjYKWXHeJlWhDAh6rd78kaTFKjYP5ibMQM/s320/walkable+bogota+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The conference was held in the Jorge Eliecer Gaitán theatre on Carrera Septima.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QFaw3SxkEv2d7TIoAj0rKfl205sP6XxkVU9fJxq-eHF9Xnx_yMenc-qm8TfKSi6HptH5KyOOQQ-OWZS74jySR8aad57wCoB8KJgFlLPPRR69IeowVqmg2VAFK62sbtWAK_s6iXgAHvI/s1600/walkable+bogota+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QFaw3SxkEv2d7TIoAj0rKfl205sP6XxkVU9fJxq-eHF9Xnx_yMenc-qm8TfKSi6HptH5KyOOQQ-OWZS74jySR8aad57wCoB8KJgFlLPPRR69IeowVqmg2VAFK62sbtWAK_s6iXgAHvI/s320/walkable+bogota+%25287%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYI88oS1Yjmv4U6H3sVds_DRXaNnjCrd5w3sYw7WbCAgJ74wg2PplUjSqFmr1RSfTzjVQMDw1TbOrxzyegN7uy_4yfPRbGiWI6BaekMxdQvIFXf370wgRbzVQDY6Zaz1Lh5FQkmF4IZA/s1600/walkable+bogota+trancon+and+pedestrians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYI88oS1Yjmv4U6H3sVds_DRXaNnjCrd5w3sYw7WbCAgJ74wg2PplUjSqFmr1RSfTzjVQMDw1TbOrxzyegN7uy_4yfPRbGiWI6BaekMxdQvIFXf370wgRbzVQDY6Zaz1Lh5FQkmF4IZA/s320/walkable+bogota+trancon+and+pedestrians.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">However, Bogotá's chronic traffic jams, like this one in La Candelaria, <br />can make walking unpleasant and even dangerous.</td></tr>
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Bogotá, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.0720924.204548599999999 -74.717539 5.2174286 -73.426645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-31522540891502495462018-10-17T11:29:00.000-07:002018-10-17T11:29:01.689-07:00Latin American Democracy in Retreat<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Authoritarian Venezuelan <br />Pres. Nicolas Maduro.</td></tr>
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In the mid-2000s, Colombia's popular and hard-right Pres. Alvaro Uribe wanted to run for a third consecutive term. But the Constitutional Court ruled against the idea, saving Colombia's fragile democratic system from falling into the grip of a strongman. Uribe instead selected his defense minister, Juan Manuel Santos, to run as his succesor. Santos won - but rebelled against his mentor, creating a sort of alternation of powers.<br />
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Similarly, in Ecuador Pres. Rafael Correa tried to maintain power by selecting his own succesor. But that man, Lenin Moreno, also rebelled against his mentor, saving Ecuador's instituations from becoming puppets of a strongman.<br />
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But Argentina did appear to be falling victim to a personality cult under the corrupt Kirchner dynasty - until Argentineans finally voted against them and elected Pres. Mauricio Macri, who is trying to clean up the Kirchners' mess.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OoP8cNMh_4ojSF1opKJ800OtR2tCOX2ZLYSE0Xzw4QNWMXHvcCEk3jcIHIxQHWr-uapIT_QsDxNA2doDk_a3vQJzGir_pAShs99HR6xXCukTLT56KjIFBlT7vLtUAL-T_gRTBmICFCw/s1600/daniel+ortega+and+wife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OoP8cNMh_4ojSF1opKJ800OtR2tCOX2ZLYSE0Xzw4QNWMXHvcCEk3jcIHIxQHWr-uapIT_QsDxNA2doDk_a3vQJzGir_pAShs99HR6xXCukTLT56KjIFBlT7vLtUAL-T_gRTBmICFCw/s1600/daniel+ortega+and+wife.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicaragua's authoritarian president-for-life Daniel Ortega <br />and his wife, who is also his vice president.</td></tr>
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Other Latin nations, however, have been less fortunate. In Bolivia, Nicaragua and, most notoriously, Venezuela, leftist leaders are turning themselves into presidents for life, sometimes with disastrous results in corruption, human welfare and the economy.<br />
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Now, some fear that Mexican president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as AMLO, a<br />
leftist populist admirer of Cuba's ex-dictator Fidel Castro who will have few checks on his power and who appears to believe more in himself than in democratic institutions, will weaken Mexican democracy, which has just suffered through a presidential term marred by flagrant corruption and is under strain from chronic drug violence.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig86-xA6lHEjs48mwNdmRaNwNryRsLkDuU0HqHvuwfZ-DfDLEPYB8B7Wr6FJC75gytnvtBZ9UhZSB49BCViqw4n06wL7eG4eraJVXxG66PK3_ggj4eVcFYUBg-A-aCNzvWLiCfVq-9sOc/s1600/Jair_Bolsonaro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="220" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig86-xA6lHEjs48mwNdmRaNwNryRsLkDuU0HqHvuwfZ-DfDLEPYB8B7Wr6FJC75gytnvtBZ9UhZSB49BCViqw4n06wL7eG4eraJVXxG66PK3_ggj4eVcFYUBg-A-aCNzvWLiCfVq-9sOc/s200/Jair_Bolsonaro.jpg" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Jair Bolsanero, potential<br />dictator of Brazil?</td></tr>
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But now the greatest threats to Latin democracy are coming from Washington D.C., where a leader<br />
who patently does not believe in democracy is setting a deplorable example for nations which once looked to the U.S. for democratic guidance, and Brazil, which is about to elect a racist, homophobic misogenist and unapologetic admirer of military dictatorship, as president.<br />
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Brazil's importance can hardly be exaggerated. It is the largest nation in Latin America and the world's fourth-largest democracy. It is also the protector - if it can be called that - of the Amazon, one of the planet's treasures of biodiversity and storehouse of carbon dioxide. And if virtual Brazilian Pres. Jair Bolsonaro is even more extreme than Trump, Brazil's institutions are much weaker.<br />
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It's all enough to make one wonder whether Latin America (and even the planet's) brief experiment with liberal democracy was only that, and experiment, which is failing.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Brasilia - Distrito Federal, Brasil-15.826691 -47.9218204-16.804606500000002 -49.212713900000004 -14.8487755 -46.6309269tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-11784864715155113792018-10-10T19:41:00.001-07:002018-10-10T19:41:43.409-07:00The Students March<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'<i>Colombia on a war footing for education with dignity and liberty</i>.'</td></tr>
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Today, thousands of students - mostly from public universities - marched for more funding for public education.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pair of indigenous women.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4y0t5qqwnlkP7pqBpM5bZTCNYMgZgjxrHWRUhenug_m9ClboqV00cOKqpIlNQzsPwerp7SYToG5Bfb0X9bKNbJby-R8dHwj61uHdT_WiJcgJhXiLblWtJgAThT7WbWFi8EoQPzPMWePw/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4y0t5qqwnlkP7pqBpM5bZTCNYMgZgjxrHWRUhenug_m9ClboqV00cOKqpIlNQzsPwerp7SYToG5Bfb0X9bKNbJby-R8dHwj61uHdT_WiJcgJhXiLblWtJgAThT7WbWFi8EoQPzPMWePw/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Racing down Carrera Septima.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Run, run, run!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiXqwH5t6mpGv_96gtARz2TWqljT-84DA0hAqBbule5_BMVEXXQQDzcVRF2kYNlt74tZPjE0x4fJqA8uQh1on7tinLy6tJKw84nAL3FxFHJkVhwB9EqncSq5ILd-YGLImg5NBQbeVEmA/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiXqwH5t6mpGv_96gtARz2TWqljT-84DA0hAqBbule5_BMVEXXQQDzcVRF2kYNlt74tZPjE0x4fJqA8uQh1on7tinLy6tJKw84nAL3FxFHJkVhwB9EqncSq5ILd-YGLImg5NBQbeVEmA/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%25286%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'<i>Education equals peace</i>'.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHWqpp4eEsgNXIvyDFQpAICieOtc_iEvmddAOz273jh5J2uEDi9Gm8eLpUVrNk_TxtJt03RMcPY3nEpvZwUORqsA0IVBSBwnEc7HaBY_tECZFEmgxwKuir85Io7YX7trtTgQw8MSXUVw/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHWqpp4eEsgNXIvyDFQpAICieOtc_iEvmddAOz273jh5J2uEDi9Gm8eLpUVrNk_TxtJt03RMcPY3nEpvZwUORqsA0IVBSBwnEc7HaBY_tECZFEmgxwKuir85Io7YX7trtTgQw8MSXUVw/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%25287%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC3TQmYczKrcmxDWy7E4QMB7LoWesMt8-Tn2ElrsN6xLgiNtN_Y9W5mvka3sHPUzPJBCxs3ayDq5-CAwrmGBwOQr-qSUHXpnHWGqL1kMl96l86ZFV-b3de9Vhw57L8i6ZSWPo7P_4veE/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC3TQmYczKrcmxDWy7E4QMB7LoWesMt8-Tn2ElrsN6xLgiNtN_Y9W5mvka3sHPUzPJBCxs3ayDq5-CAwrmGBwOQr-qSUHXpnHWGqL1kMl96l86ZFV-b3de9Vhw57L8i6ZSWPo7P_4veE/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%25288%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'<i>There are no virgins in this march, because the government screws us every day</i>.'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMgHjbc9D2VxawYsUAt4jpZ4Y5hcr006pBCE0WJ93OMoLt4Rd1PcW6s9AvCI_e267ChDuz__zt9hvY3C7YruwgymLls0qzuuFtopqsgriFPoVU40BxnS48dPpeUhNfqx5gaBxKthWRws/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMgHjbc9D2VxawYsUAt4jpZ4Y5hcr006pBCE0WJ93OMoLt4Rd1PcW6s9AvCI_e267ChDuz__zt9hvY3C7YruwgymLls0qzuuFtopqsgriFPoVU40BxnS48dPpeUhNfqx5gaBxKthWRws/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%25289%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'<i>More money for education, less for the war</i>.'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_ik-qGOjTLGyefbq9jRaVo-q-yiQVcGcxL8Mu4ItwS2HJ-i9YgoQveDUs0nBovKyLbtUYcCnzKiLuGM9sgRmUlToj0AqIoPXCxfYMraOYDnPWIBE3Pf084uCNe-qKRWZmSloXnz0FBM/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%252810%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_ik-qGOjTLGyefbq9jRaVo-q-yiQVcGcxL8Mu4ItwS2HJ-i9YgoQveDUs0nBovKyLbtUYcCnzKiLuGM9sgRmUlToj0AqIoPXCxfYMraOYDnPWIBE3Pf084uCNe-qKRWZmSloXnz0FBM/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%252810%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The communist flag, of course.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyrOvCtAz4dkqL0Tj4U93az-nyAeqqlI5Mn5aRkClgVg7AVxOcWM7CNKQ6hZYXZghlcsJ5pCjfh2NFvfJKsyhjrzrrezphj3MmpzO38bBEqMyxQ7y3iJPW6MHMXcTiKdXoHqsNm4edCY/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%252811%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyrOvCtAz4dkqL0Tj4U93az-nyAeqqlI5Mn5aRkClgVg7AVxOcWM7CNKQ6hZYXZghlcsJ5pCjfh2NFvfJKsyhjrzrrezphj3MmpzO38bBEqMyxQ7y3iJPW6MHMXcTiKdXoHqsNm4edCY/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%252811%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'<i>Education is a right, not a privilege</i>.'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYJU5Cz6k1u3zDWM_8Y-k3fyW4Wev2SQsITXudT3J-7mNMojuhO5pDfRreEJgLsmZJGX4ESP0qVH9g8TQGLvP40xaac33O_29ZxkK0SjNCVJ_M8Mc2DF69wbN5V0wrts0n2vRvbuq92I/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%252812%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYJU5Cz6k1u3zDWM_8Y-k3fyW4Wev2SQsITXudT3J-7mNMojuhO5pDfRreEJgLsmZJGX4ESP0qVH9g8TQGLvP40xaac33O_29ZxkK0SjNCVJ_M8Mc2DF69wbN5V0wrts0n2vRvbuq92I/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%252812%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't miss a photograph.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1MLe3Snjbcuya8l9yaaBnpkcV51mFeMECYG6uHrJvrlCMwl7iL2oSbuBlisOi6xYWMLRhqwLILu6-_JqLJkzobVmElLoFi_shURxUrEoUtJj0q2hjzMQkMmSKKmSGV65dFao2Q9zXMg/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%252813%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1MLe3Snjbcuya8l9yaaBnpkcV51mFeMECYG6uHrJvrlCMwl7iL2oSbuBlisOi6xYWMLRhqwLILu6-_JqLJkzobVmElLoFi_shURxUrEoUtJj0q2hjzMQkMmSKKmSGV65dFao2Q9zXMg/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%252813%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXJRC6dXkVx85JysV9AlqKkhAXsc7Q26hxECfZh0h3GD7HkTLPyDxE2vQ6LAdrBwdXrNNQx2Y8abVz6BvCSugdIdjXfn2-tP-W173ABtAWXlSEs8jYg22IWPUM987uU4tS2Yjb9zh8LI/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%252814%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXJRC6dXkVx85JysV9AlqKkhAXsc7Q26hxECfZh0h3GD7HkTLPyDxE2vQ6LAdrBwdXrNNQx2Y8abVz6BvCSugdIdjXfn2-tP-W173ABtAWXlSEs8jYg22IWPUM987uU4tS2Yjb9zh8LI/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%252814%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sena students accuse their managers of corruption.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbe1o-ggwFU8e3AAR9MVEppwWZ8EmmuIRfrxiOmVtLIYdK9QGzcKMucuReVTdgiKu0-ZZYi-zp_Vq0cWoCKGph9qcp-nKqNY8hvtIpLF_QriV0sz630DWX5Ofv5A1cGb_IBpbabmZL-Wk/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%252815%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbe1o-ggwFU8e3AAR9MVEppwWZ8EmmuIRfrxiOmVtLIYdK9QGzcKMucuReVTdgiKu0-ZZYi-zp_Vq0cWoCKGph9qcp-nKqNY8hvtIpLF_QriV0sz630DWX5Ofv5A1cGb_IBpbabmZL-Wk/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%252815%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuukUYzkR4LBYXUqI-187wTkPTfHpNlT7AoG-xFWl9-T056AzDSxsqUGkW-Zs49as-bmdxV9zQTeR-sveqrajK3ptU3mB7u7zqwLbKCFy08_lVkd_iTFHgq5PWjmnZDk-LFSRHpk3oJI/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%252816%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuukUYzkR4LBYXUqI-187wTkPTfHpNlT7AoG-xFWl9-T056AzDSxsqUGkW-Zs49as-bmdxV9zQTeR-sveqrajK3ptU3mB7u7zqwLbKCFy08_lVkd_iTFHgq5PWjmnZDk-LFSRHpk3oJI/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%252816%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Encapuchados, the 'hooded ones.'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vbg8Z4IiWt8oqKeKFnklfLg0OjYB11Yv2YD101HGtX49k8vuMxzhVnRYjg1tAZJEWJDKWdQGSf8pLnTXMGr-1TQviSmgh1n0NhnNcMfcUQ_4hVH42AfGeSYaO9_NjOgUmY5E4l1cpRI/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%252817%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vbg8Z4IiWt8oqKeKFnklfLg0OjYB11Yv2YD101HGtX49k8vuMxzhVnRYjg1tAZJEWJDKWdQGSf8pLnTXMGr-1TQviSmgh1n0NhnNcMfcUQ_4hVH42AfGeSYaO9_NjOgUmY5E4l1cpRI/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%252817%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT6Wnrzw6F1-ULs9BK3GElq2ip7C0-5ErQjIoJ3eybLs1uCSI9KiLWYgNyXt-DA7OzRy3JTfMdX9B6_bH1WIWIYbRHDZlR6gbJwdxz0Jo2M5eRWbwHUL_JBIlQdUzwKJHczo0jiqoeFo/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%252819%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT6Wnrzw6F1-ULs9BK3GElq2ip7C0-5ErQjIoJ3eybLs1uCSI9KiLWYgNyXt-DA7OzRy3JTfMdX9B6_bH1WIWIYbRHDZlR6gbJwdxz0Jo2M5eRWbwHUL_JBIlQdUzwKJHczo0jiqoeFo/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%252819%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Che Guevara, naturally.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtcU0403dPsv4hCSkWKpr75yntCy9QdMydJUw_pAstFHX089FIM1cF2RvOEg5ijF5d-yOybLtRoE8zSpiRZlHJu0I4l_uvCUZJ09MR1Zy-w7sC7ny9OOQg_iHdOGz9vhsGxdvJP-zhBU/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota+%252820%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtcU0403dPsv4hCSkWKpr75yntCy9QdMydJUw_pAstFHX089FIM1cF2RvOEg5ijF5d-yOybLtRoE8zSpiRZlHJu0I4l_uvCUZJ09MR1Zy-w7sC7ny9OOQg_iHdOGz9vhsGxdvJP-zhBU/s320/university+students+protest+bogota+%252820%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkcSlrbG6C2Vd4Gyi5KneQJYYpBXjKIOfOaHxirrZulpGKpr1RxwScN5g5SRIXEEbxwKsugctwjXGAGL2Sgj3ufQXElfFKI5TiPp6Y108kAJf5uuNShI9XEEO4NmtghV4gHkuZSHvcxo/s1600/university+students+protest+bogota.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkcSlrbG6C2Vd4Gyi5KneQJYYpBXjKIOfOaHxirrZulpGKpr1RxwScN5g5SRIXEEbxwKsugctwjXGAGL2Sgj3ufQXElfFKI5TiPp6Y108kAJf5uuNShI9XEEO4NmtghV4gHkuZSHvcxo/s320/university+students+protest+bogota.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indigenous activists block Carrera Septima.</td></tr>
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Bogotá, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.0720924.204548599999999 -74.717539 5.2174286 -73.426645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-56176297808874302112018-10-07T21:29:00.000-07:002018-10-07T21:42:44.385-07:00Short People at a Tall Man's Game<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijshtnKpth7zYdOMf6cfxl5iM4bsWDcyB8rmkVberI0xlBHZ9uYu8dAI1laGGShItTqEKLSFL_xsDFBWwTGr0wRnBBQ7yd_VQfBWedpzff-wLxbSzK-bWAnGzFow7y0JIIywBXUx4z3VI/s1600/ecuadoreans+basketball+parque+tercer+milenio+bogota.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijshtnKpth7zYdOMf6cfxl5iM4bsWDcyB8rmkVberI0xlBHZ9uYu8dAI1laGGShItTqEKLSFL_xsDFBWwTGr0wRnBBQ7yd_VQfBWedpzff-wLxbSzK-bWAnGzFow7y0JIIywBXUx4z3VI/s320/ecuadoreans+basketball+parque+tercer+milenio+bogota.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Colombia is <i>futbol </i>country. Across Bogotá, the football pitches are usually crowded, while the few basketball courts often sit empty - except when they're being used to play football.<br />
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There are a few exceptions, such as the Parque Nacional, Parque La Florida and El Salitre on Sundays. And, on my way home this evening; I passed thru Tercer Milenio Park and came upon this scene:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFOY4pnwdPmKRbJTffW_Qj1Dlsis8HNbLbrGCUlxTn_YwfyWwFcZiuOsYAk3sXnGOpRe-OIft1wyP2XdmeiUs_FN8fdquDMT2utJm5E4AXLd_QggbAN0XNZRSCuGnmD0WZZxSc2OeGn4/s1600/ecuadoreans+basketball+parque+tercer+milenio+bogota+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFOY4pnwdPmKRbJTffW_Qj1Dlsis8HNbLbrGCUlxTn_YwfyWwFcZiuOsYAk3sXnGOpRe-OIft1wyP2XdmeiUs_FN8fdquDMT2utJm5E4AXLd_QggbAN0XNZRSCuGnmD0WZZxSc2OeGn4/s320/ecuadoreans+basketball+parque+tercer+milenio+bogota+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Sundays, Tercer Milenio seems to be transformed into Ecuadorean territory, probably because <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNV2-TVhEYPOrlzWCLwDnhqH7WsS7SVLKJ9dHQFMtNcRy6-lX0yBXeZh6W9j6ZD7hJMgnRiWyhfSshr9PNiWAeE9zC5JSDUQwxXMIH53iXgWYiPkTLpLEticpAg1m4LHiS79g2tuV_T8U/s1600/ecuadoreans+basketball+parque+tercer+milenio+bogota+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNV2-TVhEYPOrlzWCLwDnhqH7WsS7SVLKJ9dHQFMtNcRy6-lX0yBXeZh6W9j6ZD7hJMgnRiWyhfSshr9PNiWAeE9zC5JSDUQwxXMIH53iXgWYiPkTLpLEticpAg1m4LHiS79g2tuV_T8U/s200/ecuadoreans+basketball+parque+tercer+milenio+bogota+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
many Ecuadorean immigrants live in the poor neighborhoods around it. And it was moving and startling to see dozens of boys, girls, men and women playing basketball. Women played in long dresses. They played three games simultaeneously on the same court, banging into each other. They played badly and without rules - but very enthusiastically. This was the real spirit of sports, and something which millionares like Lebron James and Cristian Ronaldo could never equal.<br />
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Go figger: What cultural happenstance moves these uniformly short people, of Quechua indigenous ancestry, to play a tall North American man's game.<br />
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Whyever it is, I found it heartwarming, and for a little while it cleared away my despair about the state of our world.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Parque Metropolitano Tercer Milenio, Cra. 10, Bogotá, Colombia4.59761 -74.081376400000011-26.223153500000002 -115.38997040000001 35.4183735 -32.772782400000011tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-3653368375779459102018-10-06T10:28:00.000-07:002018-10-06T10:28:07.964-07:00Pigeon Prohibition?<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8QdXRNKl1_9tR5LepAYy0XEnlwFAtcZVBkIVY8V2kgnVlMBZsi84oBNNZsHhlt2Dur03_-ak2qBXVByw3K6wKvz2pvlD-ZmBAIjhuVjEF3nREFGJYRH8sVmsQTcuvx2AFGdGSRGOJhw/s1600/playing+with+pigeons+plaza+bolivar+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8QdXRNKl1_9tR5LepAYy0XEnlwFAtcZVBkIVY8V2kgnVlMBZsi84oBNNZsHhlt2Dur03_-ak2qBXVByw3K6wKvz2pvlD-ZmBAIjhuVjEF3nREFGJYRH8sVmsQTcuvx2AFGdGSRGOJhw/s320/playing+with+pigeons+plaza+bolivar+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A human pigeon perch.</td></tr>
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Pigeons are also a problem. Some people hate them and call them flying rats. And their feces corrode statues and public monuments. Which is why the city government recently banned pigeon feeding in Plaza Bolivar.<br />
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But other people love pigeons: They like to feed pigeons, run through crowds of pigeons and watch them scatter, even to put corn on themselves and become human pigeon roosts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgJy_c-ihuvnMnNGCN6M4T0WEtPMskEI9GI2UBzt7fgQZ7RiTyYBnsPivgaHeIMp8ukPS1sazvmLnsmop7iL2IUgFy1NBiijJuXnhcUoo7prMHPfGW_6o2_g5-JA1o83WO6_Gf1g2KWE/s1600/playing+with+pigeons+plaza+bolivar+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgJy_c-ihuvnMnNGCN6M4T0WEtPMskEI9GI2UBzt7fgQZ7RiTyYBnsPivgaHeIMp8ukPS1sazvmLnsmop7iL2IUgFy1NBiijJuXnhcUoo7prMHPfGW_6o2_g5-JA1o83WO6_Gf1g2KWE/s200/playing+with+pigeons+plaza+bolivar+%25285%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pigeon selfie.</td></tr>
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That's why the city's anti-pigeon rules are futile. The other day, post-pigeon ban, the buying and selling of corn and pigeon feeding were going on as normal.<br />
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All of which makes me ask: If Colombia cannot enforce a prohibition on its main plaza, amidst its government buildings, then how can it ever expect to do so in remote rural areas?<br />
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The answer is that it cannot, which is why drug prohibition has failed and likely always will.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqfGaaXkJhUfqJOlNNUGUvveTv7djUk_VHR82XVlmVKH3b0VzBz8u6lLvjbHpItNw3tuq2A8xNTdI1ax5O-nSRHEVjai8INVydD_7FCZPuAvoKxUKqzgz5JMYfUg4Jlhb7L-o98y30-o/s1600/playing+with+pigeons+plaza+bolivar+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqfGaaXkJhUfqJOlNNUGUvveTv7djUk_VHR82XVlmVKH3b0VzBz8u6lLvjbHpItNw3tuq2A8xNTdI1ax5O-nSRHEVjai8INVydD_7FCZPuAvoKxUKqzgz5JMYfUg4Jlhb7L-o98y30-o/s320/playing+with+pigeons+plaza+bolivar+%25286%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pigeon corn for sale.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPYreFCzYVTVAQF62YcRiQ2ufz0mkLlwWfujVQMlf7zknwYt7BiUR3OtMd5PqhNeJvN2Qwaffw77tu5vNsKlykKYKBJoiDf3xYnCGm8rrlILjtwSdWypRpiILwADyiD2Ffnc3oKPBMuE/s1600/playing+with+pigeons+plaza+bolivar+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPYreFCzYVTVAQF62YcRiQ2ufz0mkLlwWfujVQMlf7zknwYt7BiUR3OtMd5PqhNeJvN2Qwaffw77tu5vNsKlykKYKBJoiDf3xYnCGm8rrlILjtwSdWypRpiILwADyiD2Ffnc3oKPBMuE/s320/playing+with+pigeons+plaza+bolivar+%25287%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fighting for food!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLRfyG-WZse41wGvgeO_2qasWMPfIa2s6v7j47sfOpL8DZXD5cKKKxiuHqPcc_j4DzWIEGdg2CvbrbA6uyi-a8aKOQEeWolrkrMOOb7I1yuDWrhF6fON2Hu8Cfecz8HcRE-SC4wX8iSA/s1600/playing+with+pigeons+plaza+bolivar+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLRfyG-WZse41wGvgeO_2qasWMPfIa2s6v7j47sfOpL8DZXD5cKKKxiuHqPcc_j4DzWIEGdg2CvbrbA6uyi-a8aKOQEeWolrkrMOOb7I1yuDWrhF6fON2Hu8Cfecz8HcRE-SC4wX8iSA/s320/playing+with+pigeons+plaza+bolivar+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxqRa8dhaIlUylttPfUWLXBJTJdghEsuDfPKgP3P-xBcM7S9hT-_sAb6dL34WYrLThXQk2qnO9CUGq5pX8qOPFjA4UzrBIQqHXUBu0bPUJHTDkhAF7-R-4f89QTkRaTwdUhuLctRKuIk/s1600/bolivar+statue+with+pigeons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxqRa8dhaIlUylttPfUWLXBJTJdghEsuDfPKgP3P-xBcM7S9hT-_sAb6dL34WYrLThXQk2qnO9CUGq5pX8qOPFjA4UzrBIQqHXUBu0bPUJHTDkhAF7-R-4f89QTkRaTwdUhuLctRKuIk/s320/bolivar+statue+with+pigeons.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pigeons' droppings corrode public monuments.</td></tr>
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Cra. 7 #11-10, Bogotá, Colombia4.5981206 -74.076043499999969-26.2227764 -115.38463749999997 35.4190176 -32.767449499999969tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-75821479004844654482018-10-02T09:42:00.001-07:002018-10-02T18:38:05.159-07:00Lunch With Fido?<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animals stay out! Parchita waits for me on the sidewalk.</td></tr>
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Dogs accompany us at home, on walks, on vacation. So, why can't they join us at lunch?<br />
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Bogotá's prohibition against pets in restaurants is irregularly enforced, but does leave lots of dogs tied up in doorways in the sun or rain while their owners enjoy lunch or dinner.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No dogs allowed.</td></tr>
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Now, Mayor Enrique Peñalosa, (although no favorite of the <i>animalistas </i>lobby because of the reappearance of bullfighting in Bogotá), wants to let the animals in.<br />
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In fact, what good reason is there to keep animals out? Dogs are dirty, but so are people. And many animals are better behaved than their owners. Besides, the person who pets his or her dog before entering a restaurant carries in lots of that animal's microbes, anyway. And at home pet owners share their kitchens and dining rooms with their animals to no apparent ill effects. (In fact, lots of research shows that early exposure to animals and their microbes helps kids develop healthy immune systems.)<br />
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This seems like the sort of thing which the market can decide: Restaurants which believe that their customers like animals could let them in, while more formal, straight-laced places can keep them out.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com1Bogotá, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.0720924.204548599999999 -74.717539 5.2174286 -73.426645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-66928116725913693472018-10-01T12:00:00.002-07:002018-10-01T12:00:59.918-07:00Duque Kills the Minimum Dose<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhcOJC1vJ-dtW5Q7qrP5oaaJTo-XDjy6Qqpe1NBQqp_Ou7UI77GBZn4n_HT1n3tVRg4vhHtWSkZbO47QChTPWUfyRlzjqd8Yb_RCdzcSUGkG_QFjpyiaSj__iQAZt67ULGEiKoSZdNY8/s1600/police+seach+youths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhcOJC1vJ-dtW5Q7qrP5oaaJTo-XDjy6Qqpe1NBQqp_Ou7UI77GBZn4n_HT1n3tVRg4vhHtWSkZbO47QChTPWUfyRlzjqd8Yb_RCdzcSUGkG_QFjpyiaSj__iQAZt67ULGEiKoSZdNY8/s320/police+seach+youths.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got any weed on you? Police search young men in Bogotá's historical center. </td></tr>
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The 'minimum dose' of drugs - supposedly the amount a user needed for his own consumption - was the object of many jokes and much derision, as well as criticism from police and conservative politicians as get-out-of-jail-free card for drug dealers. And cops didn't often respect this 'right' to carry drugs in the first place.<br />
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But the minimum dose rule did keep a lot of otherwise law-abiding people out of jail, saving them <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVXfJhUgnKjpr7rFNU0afDjdNRBeErR80vnQ66qYuxfC5vwKjwQi8Y0OKL15z8-vpAn2wWPvxf60N7iv0LlJNz5KpTKjE02cLCpAR32thBeyom_6Az3DjUlzMJkzJvzoWyVH61Z1FKKs/s1600/police+seach+youths+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVXfJhUgnKjpr7rFNU0afDjdNRBeErR80vnQ66qYuxfC5vwKjwQi8Y0OKL15z8-vpAn2wWPvxf60N7iv0LlJNz5KpTKjE02cLCpAR32thBeyom_6Az3DjUlzMJkzJvzoWyVH61Z1FKKs/s200/police+seach+youths+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
lots of grief and society lots of money.<br />
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Authorities' hopes that prohibiting the minimum dose will reduce crime or drug consumption aren't borne out by experience. Instead, the prohibition will open more opportunities for police corruption and ruin the lives of many young people, especially poor ones, because they have a dependancy or just prefer getting high by smoking rather than drinking.<br />
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And, police will waste lots of time and effort pursuing people for a lifestyle choice while real criminals go free.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Bogotá, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.0720924.204548599999999 -74.717539 5.2174286 -73.426645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-44361777248154593622018-10-01T11:28:00.001-07:002018-10-01T11:28:27.244-07:00How U.S. Policy Drives Latin America's Homicides<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJu09WgteMxrXsGv9nb-q70fFnbKe5XZVnrofq9T2AWgdQzZYqIiFEd-YoV9ytrkJiv14Qybikk7U8tqAtPZ1BZG2mz1tWTL7z1xwxTfMgj2RZCUS1tZNhDvIHISyS2RUVDeREc0zamM/s1600/latin+america+homicide+rate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="1088" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJu09WgteMxrXsGv9nb-q70fFnbKe5XZVnrofq9T2AWgdQzZYqIiFEd-YoV9ytrkJiv14Qybikk7U8tqAtPZ1BZG2mz1tWTL7z1xwxTfMgj2RZCUS1tZNhDvIHISyS2RUVDeREc0zamM/s400/latin+america+homicide+rate.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The United States is hurting instead of helping.</td></tr>
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The <b>Washington Post</b> published this <b><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/latin-americas-murder-rate-is-skyrocketing-the-united-states-should-help/2018/09/30/f38b5bbe-c34f-11e8-a1f0-a4051b6ad114_story.html?utm_term=.79f62561beb1" target="_blank">interesting</a><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/latin-americas-murder-rate-is-skyrocketing-the-united-states-should-help/2018/09/30/f38b5bbe-c34f-11e8-a1f0-a4051b6ad114_story.html?utm_term=.79f62561beb1" target="_blank"> editorial</a> </b>yesterday about Latin America's homicide plague: It is the planet's most homicidal region, a problem which the author blames on poor governance.<br />
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The editorial board is half correct. When parties in dispute lack confidence in the legal system, or<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3ILzoEpRqJUQhaaUfv4fnKTY1IVwJRmk6uyw8EaJdZlhvt5VVSC8EEKNTSQTx7zx23aG57y1fu-hdppUfBowaeRUffMilKftXREq-Pv_zjf3ggbHLiBUdydHcOWWLY1xIVZSAiLtEBw/s1600/mexico+homicide+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3ILzoEpRqJUQhaaUfv4fnKTY1IVwJRmk6uyw8EaJdZlhvt5VVSC8EEKNTSQTx7zx23aG57y1fu-hdppUfBowaeRUffMilKftXREq-Pv_zjf3ggbHLiBUdydHcOWWLY1xIVZSAiLtEBw/s320/mexico+homicide+scene.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A homicide scene in Mexico, where much of <br />the violence is driven by the illegal drug trade.<br />(Photo: <b><a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2018/05/09/why-mexicos-murder-rate-is-soaring" target="_blank">The Economist</a></b>)</td></tr>
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when the legal system doesn't fulfill its role of punishing criminals, then its more likely for people to turn to violence.<br />
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But the people in dispute also need a motive to turn to violence, and the commentry left out that part. After all, large parts of Africa and Asia also lack rule of law and functioning legal systems, but generally don't suffer from the same levels of violence as Latin America. What's the difference?<br />
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The difference is that Latin America is ground zero for much of the world's illegal drug trade. Narcotraffickers by nature cannot use the legal system, so they often turn to violence. Needless to say, if buying and selling cocaine and marijuana were not illegal, then they'd be traded by legal companies, which would sue each other instead of shooting.<br />
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Add in the fact that Latin American criminal groups have relatively easy access to firearms purchased in the United States and you have a lethal mix.<br />
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Before trying to help Latin America, the United States could stop hurting the region.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Washington D. C., Distrito de Columbia, EE. UU.38.9071923 -77.03687070000000938.7094553 -77.3595942 39.104929299999995 -76.714147200000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-16761264694740468612018-09-29T22:49:00.000-07:002018-10-01T11:08:24.586-07:00Hiking up Cerro Aguanoso<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYaLAY5CavK4IFKpZTJtIUK7J_Izr2x9REEKwmDdBwYrTtvohznL3PCH7x4uS3JMY4-AH2pT4mh8zMOKEgcLnT-Ez6V7U7y5c4tN94qCOAdf9vFiwrrCM6QG2mQyEb9X5LXb_GcMIk9Y/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252817%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYaLAY5CavK4IFKpZTJtIUK7J_Izr2x9REEKwmDdBwYrTtvohznL3PCH7x4uS3JMY4-AH2pT4mh8zMOKEgcLnT-Ez6V7U7y5c4tN94qCOAdf9vFiwrrCM6QG2mQyEb9X5LXb_GcMIk9Y/s320/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252817%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High above Bogotá.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzPvOdE5-JV9IfbIsreBIpOwOv7ZvHLmxK3JYhFMQoGUDMwnxN6NVW5zjuyO_frd06fmawQpNE7KEMhCDYHkax1qN1snIEp2rTQ7WvYkQtSVdUByBNT4Aq3xpqsTwUzcf1fqRZh67DCI/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzPvOdE5-JV9IfbIsreBIpOwOv7ZvHLmxK3JYhFMQoGUDMwnxN6NVW5zjuyO_frd06fmawQpNE7KEMhCDYHkax1qN1snIEp2rTQ7WvYkQtSVdUByBNT4Aq3xpqsTwUzcf1fqRZh67DCI/s200/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>Today, I joined a hike thru Bogota's Eastern Hills, which are beautiful, but almost off limits because muggers wait up there for unwary hikers. As a matter of fact, our guide, Baltazar, of <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/montana.sagrada.recorridos/?__tn__=kC-R&eid=ARCLwO6Vpfn2FdJtLCBvSuEX2lbho82y2ghXxeyPzqobjkfNAbKR8JQjODStCXqUdN5AXQhnILBoQuAf&hc_ref=ARS_duw7bvF0W3KRH4R24OUthmZdxKbovH612h3ko1fy7yYQNtMkKBPkLDwDS3WIa-0&fref=nf&__xts__[0]=68.ARB9sOPeM_c3sb5mhqJs4QTFy6nAoB40NXuPSwNakq7kqlauXGwQBjsyMZJ6Pwjb83AmdTjXZ3DeNgHlNMV9lxaOS_OhZHsQ8G4e2gD44BT1uu1jYhD2SsarQjhXNehhao1W4h6Vj3K9-LYopMUCQZ5ul-p5Hu_4EcWqjK-fmCa_nIE2REs8" target="_blank">Montaña Sagrada</a></b>, was mugged at gunpoint twice recently near the Laches neighborhood, although the muggers, strangely, didn't take much but warned the hikers not to return to the area. This time, four police officers accompanied us, and perhaps because of that we suffered no incidents.<br />
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The magical thing about Bogotá's hills is that just a few minutes walking or cycling takes you into a different world. Unfortunately, it's not a native world: most of the trees, such as the pines and eucalyptus, are introduced exotics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZInRb66zBk8Jzd8WunpLbTLtwWxI_wdcLEetWFZPM8jnwmqm8Fs7z1HZx9NX9YHFjvAt-cOIxrRbC4G7rgJced6VrRYcHNvU3S6csVzHM6_IxyhMiB9UaIknPcPRSzIaE5j4i0VZyHGo/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZInRb66zBk8Jzd8WunpLbTLtwWxI_wdcLEetWFZPM8jnwmqm8Fs7z1HZx9NX9YHFjvAt-cOIxrRbC4G7rgJced6VrRYcHNvU3S6csVzHM6_IxyhMiB9UaIknPcPRSzIaE5j4i0VZyHGo/s320/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lingering signs of wildfires.</td></tr>
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The hike started off passing small farms amidst forest. But as we climbed, the trees became smaller and replaced by scrub. The trail also got steeper: toward the top, we clambered uphill gripping rocks and roots to make progress. Along the way, we visited the tiny abandoned chapel with its big iron cross which you can see from central Bogota perched on a hillside.<br />
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We were also treated to spectacular views, which make you appreciate just how immense a city of nine million people is. After several hours of hiking we reached the peak of Aguanoso, at 3555 meters above sea level<br />
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From the peak, you can continue walking east for several kilometers to reach a paramo, a high-altitude wetland. We instead walked down behind and around the hills and caught a SITP bus back to central Bogota.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb76x-8aVIF414TEnNK3E1wpCCZtfkTwSuFnk8ak_LrbSTwkYrBlIsef1Efwguw5Vf1o-vVc_pBiKxcn6fz6auk50HhIsD3iBIY1rc0QWn40iCkJM13aa6HbImLlRCrSCW1doqpPrV-f8/s1600/view+of+bogotas+eastern+hills+hike+to+cerro+aguanoso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb76x-8aVIF414TEnNK3E1wpCCZtfkTwSuFnk8ak_LrbSTwkYrBlIsef1Efwguw5Vf1o-vVc_pBiKxcn6fz6auk50HhIsD3iBIY1rc0QWn40iCkJM13aa6HbImLlRCrSCW1doqpPrV-f8/s320/view+of+bogotas+eastern+hills+hike+to+cerro+aguanoso.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the Eastern Hills and Cerro Aguanoso, from near Bogotá's Central Cemetery.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing a frailejon, characteristic of the paramos.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC82VhTtYGvKrU6RqNt59S4FlHcQJqrrkN7fw3KT_bxMinh2VfiNwMljBxeixPIGgrPMIA_RGqU_pBfrIlYSM2vK4pC-SvgJ_Fk69uq1S9mbraKMtazqqqWlVfSla_fpzTuaLihNrZf9o/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%25289%2529+wet+mossy+rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC82VhTtYGvKrU6RqNt59S4FlHcQJqrrkN7fw3KT_bxMinh2VfiNwMljBxeixPIGgrPMIA_RGqU_pBfrIlYSM2vK4pC-SvgJ_Fk69uq1S9mbraKMtazqqqWlVfSla_fpzTuaLihNrZf9o/s320/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%25289%2529+wet+mossy+rock.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosses on a water-splattered rock.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTyzM12wKaxLwrAnZpJoalZhHunA2S_2VEaLWxuCn2O5biX7TCKEAY8uHyxa0_wqGhGQg5KJkg5hsWzIBTtM5mp09b9E-CL42spRvXXQoELE8ZzDiHuZ20y_WPCcWffafpoVCm8Fo43s/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252812%2529+old+chapel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTyzM12wKaxLwrAnZpJoalZhHunA2S_2VEaLWxuCn2O5biX7TCKEAY8uHyxa0_wqGhGQg5KJkg5hsWzIBTtM5mp09b9E-CL42spRvXXQoELE8ZzDiHuZ20y_WPCcWffafpoVCm8Fo43s/s320/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252812%2529+old+chapel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An abandoned chapel, visible from central Bogotá.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9nPxbCHiPxn7zirjDUvnURD-1q36GvRl8KjX2QMjtTIku4iyvpnigInUnaePJfYBDuusWcENRpoCMTqmn5s08g8M4cx6I05F6inIESzwE2nM6BNdS1nHGxeBbWoxpD5s7sHgPjnBYPg/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252816%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9nPxbCHiPxn7zirjDUvnURD-1q36GvRl8KjX2QMjtTIku4iyvpnigInUnaePJfYBDuusWcENRpoCMTqmn5s08g8M4cx6I05F6inIESzwE2nM6BNdS1nHGxeBbWoxpD5s7sHgPjnBYPg/s320/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252816%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo op high above Bogotá.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyGgaM9jrx4fYLCgrUAOV1kh81dZw0CmmgKEo0VpCONaMNX2Jrb8gwhZU2eHZLm-ps21t0HNPvWS6vNciOqH7h3mdOmX7uM3Af0XV6Jxrt_1GSJQZCJaFDo7tyeTeKE3Jijjy2dyKv7I/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252818%2529+frailejon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyGgaM9jrx4fYLCgrUAOV1kh81dZw0CmmgKEo0VpCONaMNX2Jrb8gwhZU2eHZLm-ps21t0HNPvWS6vNciOqH7h3mdOmX7uM3Af0XV6Jxrt_1GSJQZCJaFDo7tyeTeKE3Jijjy2dyKv7I/s320/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252818%2529+frailejon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A frailejon: a characteristic plant of the paramos.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8CnI52912FuwBQDgP2MQPnpAx7agFf3x98pH686MzHXmPbvQKK8ARs6QEP50tAyqQYP_g4zQ5bMVKhau8uvYUJiYW6tYr_v5nGfsbWeyoJ5EiZa5zgF7_-VgJZyhtutXxULrIP_nqus/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252819%2529+lizard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8CnI52912FuwBQDgP2MQPnpAx7agFf3x98pH686MzHXmPbvQKK8ARs6QEP50tAyqQYP_g4zQ5bMVKhau8uvYUJiYW6tYr_v5nGfsbWeyoJ5EiZa5zgF7_-VgJZyhtutXxULrIP_nqus/s320/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252819%2529+lizard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A friendly lizard.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJifWPu5rwru6SHud3uhRHKXQ-ekngvoeUBgot4cbBPw1cGDgjLY-eLNdLJS02rTH1xOxF4Y2XnEHAC7ySTkFaz830MQr6j5x4Rx67e_6pH3qiTBr8IRwq4ZYfUyMWMULks-bWnds7K4/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252820%2529+hiking+above+bogota.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJifWPu5rwru6SHud3uhRHKXQ-ekngvoeUBgot4cbBPw1cGDgjLY-eLNdLJS02rTH1xOxF4Y2XnEHAC7ySTkFaz830MQr6j5x4Rx67e_6pH3qiTBr8IRwq4ZYfUyMWMULks-bWnds7K4/s320/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252820%2529+hiking+above+bogota.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4F-0NqjRzdn6JOFOynkF0MujlvQNRpSt8MXnvIGi6xpuW0M4AVUvYIZ0XJ4gZ3EyFLCKpj1g0-PW13o0EKWgaH0_M7u06UV7BV83U5pjui4kq8BHQ2hAkKAyT7w0SP0hFHRgx0Y2beI/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252826%2529+frailejon+and+hills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4F-0NqjRzdn6JOFOynkF0MujlvQNRpSt8MXnvIGi6xpuW0M4AVUvYIZ0XJ4gZ3EyFLCKpj1g0-PW13o0EKWgaH0_M7u06UV7BV83U5pjui4kq8BHQ2hAkKAyT7w0SP0hFHRgx0Y2beI/s320/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+%252826%2529+frailejon+and+hills.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frailejons.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxefYfHoZxm69Pbi_JW3wFiXYoO77DnwPdGYEMGJvabi7-BhzF22XRmYVrefD4Hx8I014CBsV0AhaOkIY0cISHevbhlGIth94fZ6a6Sz92eozLUT3CwHOFeHe41iD6vPp-NXoBGzK1BQ/s1600/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+hiking+in+bushes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxefYfHoZxm69Pbi_JW3wFiXYoO77DnwPdGYEMGJvabi7-BhzF22XRmYVrefD4Hx8I014CBsV0AhaOkIY0cISHevbhlGIth94fZ6a6Sz92eozLUT3CwHOFeHe41iD6vPp-NXoBGzK1BQ/s320/hike+to+cerro+aguanoso+hiking+in+bushes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The long and winding trail.</td></tr>
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Baltazar has a hiking business called '<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/montana.sagrada.recorridos/?__tn__=kC-R&eid=ARCLwO6Vpfn2FdJtLCBvSuEX2lbho82y2ghXxeyPzqobjkfNAbKR8JQjODStCXqUdN5AXQhnILBoQuAf&hc_ref=ARS_duw7bvF0W3KRH4R24OUthmZdxKbovH612h3ko1fy7yYQNtMkKBPkLDwDS3WIa-0&fref=nf&__xts__[0]=68.ARB9sOPeM_c3sb5mhqJs4QTFy6nAoB40NXuPSwNakq7kqlauXGwQBjsyMZJ6Pwjb83AmdTjXZ3DeNgHlNMV9lxaOS_OhZHsQ8G4e2gD44BT1uu1jYhD2SsarQjhXNehhao1W4h6Vj3K9-LYopMUCQZ5ul-p5Hu_4EcWqjK-fmCa_nIE2REs8" target="_blank">Montaña Sagrada</a></b>.' Look for them on Facebook.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Cerro de, Bogotá, Colombia4.5918355 -74.0541427-26.229061 -115.3627367 35.412732 -32.7455487tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-84448001122265169182018-09-28T18:11:00.000-07:002018-09-28T18:11:41.828-07:00A Dangerous Idea: Invading Venezuela<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Semana magazine calls invading Venezuela 'Playing with fire.'</td></tr>
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As Venezuela's disintegration accelerates and millions of economic and political refugees spill across its borders - especially into Colombia - talk is increasing about a radical solution: military invasion to replace the corrupt, incompetent and anti-democratic government in Caracas.<br />
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But even tho there's little doubt that a rational, democratic government would greatly benefit<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDH-O2n4npYc-QhzfH1OuNoQfA1OqCwl4Ifc8mp4k5sNCILMGvJuzvtceTlJHO6FUeKEQbkHq2kJ_U7PLICKs656ivSZsC0SY3iLD5kSaIvNutiZ3oEsqVY5O1FwKw3UuModBVVCK67xs/s1600/Venezuelan+man+begging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDH-O2n4npYc-QhzfH1OuNoQfA1OqCwl4Ifc8mp4k5sNCILMGvJuzvtceTlJHO6FUeKEQbkHq2kJ_U7PLICKs656ivSZsC0SY3iLD5kSaIvNutiZ3oEsqVY5O1FwKw3UuModBVVCK67xs/s320/Venezuelan+man+begging.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'<i>I'm Venezuelan and have three children</i>.' A Venezuelan man <br />begs near Bogotá's Simon Bolivar Park.</td></tr>
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Venezuela's desperate people as well as neighboring countries, a military attack - likely involving the United States, Colombia and maybe Brazil - could make things much worse.<br />
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Notwithstanding Venezuelan Pres. Maduro's boass and blusters, as well as Venezuela's purchases of Chinese and Russian armaments, his military wouldn't last long against experienced forces such as those of Colombia or the United States. A few years ago, when Chávez mobilized forces, many tanks broke down before even reaching the border. Years of worsening corruption and shortages later, the Venezuelan military's preparedness must be much worse.<br />
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But that doesn't mean an invasion would be clean and bloodless. Venezuela's army would fight long enough to generate foreign casualties, and, as in all conflicts, innocent civilian bystanders would suffer and even be killed. In addition, Maduro's government has recruited and propagandized citizen militias. The militia members, who include housewives and cab drivers, would be no match against a real armed forces. However, the Venezuelan regime would not hesitate to sacrifice these fanatics as cannon fodder, compounding the tragedy.<br />
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Imagine the images of hapless Venezuelan men and women, even if militia members, getting shot down by foreign soldiers. No matter who pushed them into the line of fire, it would be devastating for the images of the invading nations.<br />
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Meanwhile, Chavista loyalists would sabotage infrastructure, compounding the mayhem and making rebuilding much harder. And, in its death throes, The warplanes which Venezuela has purchased from Russia could attack Colombian ports, bridges and oil refineries, bringing death, destruction and environmental carnage to Colombian territory.<br />
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And then would come the occupation and nation building, amidst continued protests, violent counterattacks and sabotage.<br />
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And what good would all this carnage do? How would foreign governments put Venezuela back on its feet? The nation's courts are corrupt puppets of Maduro; its democratic institutions are disfunctional. Venezuela's most relatively intact institutions, its police and the military, are also corrupt and involved in drug trafficking and severe human rights absuses. What left to build a new state on?<br />
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Meanwhile, most Latin American nations have made clear that, as much as they dislike the Venezuelan regime, they oppose even more the idea of Washington removing a government it doesn't like.<br />
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Much better, it seems, would be to let the Maduro fall on his own. However, that might take a long, ,long time: Venezuela's disastrous condition may only strengthen Maduro's grip on power by driving his opponents out of the country, while those who remain behind are dependent on government subsidies - and therefore afraid to defy Maduro. Meanwhile, you can bet that Maduro and his circle are living in luxury.<br />
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Of course, washington could accelerate Venezuela's colapse, albeit at the cost of even more suffering for the Venezuelan people, with one very simple measure: boycott Venezuelan oil. Ironically, the U.S. continues to be the largest buyer of Venezuelan crude. But U.S. officials fear raisig the cost of gasoline even a few cents.<br />
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Unfortunately, don't expect Venezuela's crisis to end anytime soon.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Bogotá, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.0720924.204548599999999 -74.717539 5.2174286 -73.426645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-8867443253626722762018-09-26T10:44:00.000-07:002018-09-26T10:44:29.793-07:00Women's Works at the Street Lynx Gallery<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gallery owner Lorenzo Masnah shows prints to a group of Irish tourists. </td></tr>
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Hurry down to La Candelaria's Lynx Art Gallery, on Calle 18 just above Carrera 6 (diagonal to the Freemasons' Temple) to see their exhibition of works by women artists.<br />
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The exhibition continues until Sept. 29, when they'll hold a closing ceremony from 6 to 9 p.m. attended by the artists. Admission is free.<br />
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Calle 18 No. 4-94, La Candelaria.<br />
Tel: 313-242-0070<br />
@street_lynx_bta<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Cl. 18 #4-94, Bogotá, Colombia4.6033906 -74.070554000000016-26.217506399999998 -115.37914800000001 35.4242876 -32.761960000000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-5373006422230756132018-09-22T21:30:00.002-07:002018-09-22T21:30:43.179-07:00The Perpetually Provisional Polluting SITPS<div>
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Celebrate! Bogotá just extended the life of the city 'Provisional' Integrated System of Public Transit (SITP) for yet another year. Just translate 'provisional' as 'perpetual' and you'll have a better understading of the situation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A SITP bus disappears <br />in its own smoke.</td></tr>
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As terribly polluting as are many of Bogotá's cars, buses, trucks and factories, the provisional SITPs stand out as extraordinarily poisonous. It's hard to comprehend how a capital city supposedly concerned about health and air quality chooses to not only tolerate vehicles like these, but happily supplies them with subsidized diesel with which to poison all of us.<br />
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One might even ask why, someplace which is supposedly defending the public by cracking down on such terrible crimes as farejumping and the possession of small amounts of drugs, turns a blind eye to the violations of pollution laws which cause thousands of premature deaths in Bogotá alone.<br />
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A small start to improving things would be to retire the worst of the 'rolling chimneys' - if the city is willing to give public health more importance than private profits.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quite a blast of smoke!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pity the poor driver alongside this (non-provisional) SITP bus, and the suffering bicyclist behind taking pictures.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Bogotá, green does not mean clean.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Provisional perpetual pollution.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of grey Bogotá from its Eastern Hills.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cut out the high-rise buildings to show the bus's pollution in its full glory.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow! A factory couldn't be smokier than this bus!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiC9Mzko1JvEcFZ0_7n-FEPQ2RUDOujrF9wQrWJ0-1LUr1p8JKr3cxcndwllxdsc6zOS-jN8r_xIcGhvlVQsAUK0sK2SQJuWFUZzPpRt5BzeHdShXAXhGhL_m-b0hfy3UQhSv1qVfniZA/s1600/sitp+bus%252C+ciclista+and+cotaminacion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiC9Mzko1JvEcFZ0_7n-FEPQ2RUDOujrF9wQrWJ0-1LUr1p8JKr3cxcndwllxdsc6zOS-jN8r_xIcGhvlVQsAUK0sK2SQJuWFUZzPpRt5BzeHdShXAXhGhL_m-b0hfy3UQhSv1qVfniZA/s320/sitp+bus%252C+ciclista+and+cotaminacion.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pity the poor cycllist stuck behind this (normal) SITP bus.</td></tr>
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Bogotá, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.0720924.204548599999999 -74.717539 5.2174286 -73.426645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-31314695173278296572018-09-20T22:09:00.001-07:002018-09-20T22:09:57.966-07:00The Cemetery's Art of Discord<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The empty mausoleums along 26th Street, with their stencils commemorating the conflict's victims.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does anybody notice? Drivers pass the <br />mausoleums decorated by Gonzalez.</td></tr>
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You've probably noticed them while traveling east along Calle 26 past the Central Cemetery: the mausoleums decorated with stenciled images of men carrying stretchers and corpses representing victims of Colombia's violence.<br />
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The thousands of images are the work of artists Beatriz Gonzalez and a partner and provide a<br />
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haunting reminder of Colombia's violence, in particular the victims of the 1948 Bogotazo riots...for those who notice them. My impression is that few do, (despite enforced viewing from Calle 26's chronic traffic jams), and even fewer pay attention.<br />
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Gonzalez is now fighting to preserve the artwork in the face of city plans to create a park in the old block of the Central Cemetery.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQVkP3mQoggI1L7eM331d7pc8JkSwTbwHkqrlRkz67GTtrgd7fZWObxF8FEEhgdOzZW1SFegNfvxk7ov2S0ZAbSNwDbimzo6oeN_C9irAlCEqiZysKc64PIiKIOOaRwEuGMedtprk_zI/s1600/central+cemetery+beatriz+gonzalez+art+memorial+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQVkP3mQoggI1L7eM331d7pc8JkSwTbwHkqrlRkz67GTtrgd7fZWObxF8FEEhgdOzZW1SFegNfvxk7ov2S0ZAbSNwDbimzo6oeN_C9irAlCEqiZysKc64PIiKIOOaRwEuGMedtprk_zI/s200/central+cemetery+beatriz+gonzalez+art+memorial+%25283%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stencils of the discord.</td></tr>
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Historical memory is important. But so is greeen space, particularly in a poor neighborhood with little of it. A football pitch, a skateboard park and a basketball court would give the youths of the troubled Santa Fe neighborhood behind the cemetery an alternative to drugs and gangs. Some young rappers from Santa Fe whom I knew used to tell me almost routinely about their friends getting stabbed and even murdered. I understand that today one of those same rappers is dead and another is an addict.<br />
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And, if the city does the sensible thing by using part of the land for recreation while preserving one of the mausoleums, with explanatory information, lots more people would see the memorial and we might have fewer murders to lament.<br />
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The situation strikes me as absurd. But not nearly as absurd as the land across the street and the other a few blocks west by the Jaime Garzon mural, which could be nice public parks if the city did not fence them off with barbed wire. Go figger.</div>
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Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Cra. 20 #2600, Bogotá, Colombia4.6163593 -74.074904300000014-26.204404200000003 -115.38349830000001 35.437122800000004 -32.766310300000015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-13479468417216395412018-09-13T12:57:00.001-07:002018-09-14T21:51:12.982-07:00Better Late than Never for Renewable Energies<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2l6JQm6RAfdf8UHRVMAcBPnhmcKR-E2pDsR4S8L7BOQH8JzYu8fAYpiqnk6gXu6_t_1VEYsSqc71c_iA7jfEWN1AdJpFJipxEqN0QUITA5LpJkdODmxLr7eO4dRJRUMF77PgRgKvxY7s/s1600/renewable+energy+colombia+event+windmill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2l6JQm6RAfdf8UHRVMAcBPnhmcKR-E2pDsR4S8L7BOQH8JzYu8fAYpiqnk6gXu6_t_1VEYsSqc71c_iA7jfEWN1AdJpFJipxEqN0QUITA5LpJkdODmxLr7eO4dRJRUMF77PgRgKvxY7s/s320/renewable+energy+colombia+event+windmill.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out a windmill's blades.</td></tr>
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Colombia has a tiny but growing and enthusiastic renewable energy sector. They were on display this week at an exhibition at the Colombian Engineers Association, in La Candelaria.<br />
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Colombia's renewable energy sector is tiny: wind and solar combined total only 0.1% of the energy supply, altho 86% of Colombia's electricity does come from relatively clean hydroelectric power. But renewables are growing, in part thanks to new regulations, including one enabling generators to hook up to the grid and even to sell their surplus energy there. And next January the government plans to receive offers to purchase ten-year contracts for renewable energy.<br />
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The country also has some large potential projects, including one planned for land along the<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEfpmapjoOp_62sNZAbwYGPp0vJ_p0osZsOUT1gXUqhYLqMlKRiS-0DZx11x_DLHeiyuu0DV19uZxe1eqNmwm_f_xuh0jWJB7XnfH4wrTkyAr5_IEULixGFyBU50eX-pjI8FC4_r2J8A/s1600/renewable+energy+colombia+event+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEfpmapjoOp_62sNZAbwYGPp0vJ_p0osZsOUT1gXUqhYLqMlKRiS-0DZx11x_DLHeiyuu0DV19uZxe1eqNmwm_f_xuh0jWJB7XnfH4wrTkyAr5_IEULixGFyBU50eX-pjI8FC4_r2J8A/s200/renewable+energy+colombia+event+%25285%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deinpro's plans for a solar farm <br />
along the Magdalena River.</td></tr>
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Magdalena river by the Bogotá-based Deinpro Global. A company official told me the project is to power some 1.5 million homes, but that they still need financing - which might come from the Andean Development Corporation or the Chinese Development Bank.<br />
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Another company, which works with solar panel and wind projects, told me that Colombia's best winds are in coastal regions, including the La Guajira peninsula, where farms are already operating and another large one is underway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHf8_gR1HSiewBUmz8V7xjMOdhNsCw9_4b3dRgKmZ0VgeXxMqCv2LWmczS66scnqdMmeZ6qF0NLDTHczNq0tp0KanzQitz6x9TBVk8mh91pXAYHK5OaNwjq6wbs5yjXXglbpGzypg_S7k/s1600/renewable+energy+colombia+event+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHf8_gR1HSiewBUmz8V7xjMOdhNsCw9_4b3dRgKmZ0VgeXxMqCv2LWmczS66scnqdMmeZ6qF0NLDTHczNq0tp0KanzQitz6x9TBVk8mh91pXAYHK5OaNwjq6wbs5yjXXglbpGzypg_S7k/s200/renewable+energy+colombia+event+%25284%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A solar panel model.</td></tr>
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Some Colombian companies are also benefiting from the international market in climate change bonds, which pay companies for installing renewable energy generation. The money comes from climate change gas-generating industries in industrialized nations which want to compensate their pollution.<br />
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However, this enthusiasm shouldn't distract from the fact that Colombia is an important producer of coal and petroleum and plans to produce as much fossil fuel as it can during the next years. Altho almost all of those fossil fuels are burned overseas, they pollute the air and alter the climate of the whole planet - including Colombia's.<br />
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And to give just one example of the dire straits the planet is in, airline travel is expected to keep growing by an incredible 7 or 8 percent annually, and CO2 generated at high altitude produces much more potent cliate chaging effects. And Bogotá recently expanded its airport - and plans to build a second airport.<br />
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And lots of renewables won't do much good for the planet unless they actually replace polluting energies, instead of being additions to them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIS2hNl6RObDj-KQ5R0fg52TKk0S9ap7Q9LKV0w-dYHouJei0eyzmuflBmzSIZJ472_3Fd2T-CNN3sP2RufzH-u-p6Fj-mGa1lwak7AUAYb5xQC6gZdjeEDbUL7l5tNsw4aWDwD2T19M/s1600/renewable+energy+colombia+event+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIS2hNl6RObDj-KQ5R0fg52TKk0S9ap7Q9LKV0w-dYHouJei0eyzmuflBmzSIZJ472_3Fd2T-CNN3sP2RufzH-u-p6Fj-mGa1lwak7AUAYb5xQC6gZdjeEDbUL7l5tNsw4aWDwD2T19M/s320/renewable+energy+colombia+event+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The expo.</td></tr>
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia4.597014 -74.0728758999999854.5811864999999994 -74.093045899999979 4.6128415 -74.052705899999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-17772865045389939972018-09-13T10:25:00.000-07:002018-09-14T21:43:52.463-07:00Of Fracking and Bullfighting<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this Colombian animals' biggest problem? A Colombian bullfighter at work<br />
this February in Bogotá's Santamaria Plaza.</td></tr>
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Recently, there's been lots of critism to two activites in Colombia: fracking and bullfighting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBX6QaS6polwznCJ6VEPmWtX8jhqZ8GteCsBUDm_xTkt005YyAbTY2KC03xKIATrsc6EV9lLP-HuFvtp1OhGiRaWIr1L_BFFMb1It0kJPEZeTUHdRDWjlg_R8k0hNchoYzqFYYghw-JA8/s1600/fracking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBX6QaS6polwznCJ6VEPmWtX8jhqZ8GteCsBUDm_xTkt005YyAbTY2KC03xKIATrsc6EV9lLP-HuFvtp1OhGiRaWIr1L_BFFMb1It0kJPEZeTUHdRDWjlg_R8k0hNchoYzqFYYghw-JA8/s200/fracking.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fracking</td></tr>
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Both are questionable for different reasons. Fracking, which releases hydrocarbons by fracturing underground rock formations, can pollute water resources and cause minor earthquakes, according to critics.<br />
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And bullfighting seems like a holdover from the Dark Ages, which should have died out along with <br />
witch burning and gladiator battles. Bullfighting is also cruel. And, making entertainmet out of killing an animal can only bring out the worst in spectators.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFjCLFT8gtWMTtMq8u3Qg0N4OcOksecbuYwK67V0JU386UvQKWZOhl7uVd_qBEa-woPKE2hS11puYm0du5PLPBJRKceXJX7mU7cIuwcenxkHnskWHQrxsbAWUVxRWlEubFxjWCP4Hm1A/s1600/protesting+bullfighting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFjCLFT8gtWMTtMq8u3Qg0N4OcOksecbuYwK67V0JU386UvQKWZOhl7uVd_qBEa-woPKE2hS11puYm0du5PLPBJRKceXJX7mU7cIuwcenxkHnskWHQrxsbAWUVxRWlEubFxjWCP4Hm1A/s320/protesting+bullfighting.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing else to protest? Marching against<br />
bullfighting in downtown Bogotá.</td></tr>
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In recent months, fracking's opponents have lobbied, filed lawsuits and written opinion pieces calling for the procedure to be banned in Colombia.<br />
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And bullfighting's opponents have for years battled - futilely - in the streets, courtrooms and Congress to have the practice prohibited.<br />
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But fracking and bullfighting are only tips of the iceberg of the larger phenomena of the fossil fuel industry and animal mistreatment. Yes, fracking causes environmental damage, but so do the conventional oil and coal industries: they trigger deforestation, drive climate change, pollute the seas and poison the air when burnt. The oil shipping industry, like all shipping, damages marine life with noise, by transporting exotic animals and by collisions with marine mammals. In short, the fossil fuel industry's impacts are innumerable, and fracking is just a tiny part of that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gWoPAKSflSXtU1E56MiQXFWWLSPzPoOfJ75RwTGhzY9VnBupfqvoUdVQbS1XUmxUOaFoRNyFw3ZRP8oIBsH9eA43JAFENx9S_M9LfmHnzLqxhNYHaVdvjPWx7Gq3vg2FWXuZ4ElMJ90/s1600/oiled+bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gWoPAKSflSXtU1E56MiQXFWWLSPzPoOfJ75RwTGhzY9VnBupfqvoUdVQbS1XUmxUOaFoRNyFw3ZRP8oIBsH9eA43JAFENx9S_M9LfmHnzLqxhNYHaVdvjPWx7Gq3vg2FWXuZ4ElMJ90/s320/oiled+bird.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it fracking, or just oil? A seabird dirtied by <br />
spilled oil doesn't care where that oil came from.</td></tr>
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And if bullfighting is cruel, practices such as cockfighting and factory farming are much crueler and affect many more animals.<br />
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But fracking, like GMOs, gets attacked because it seems new, strange and sinister.<br />
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And bullfighting represents many things despised by its leftist opponents: the wealthy, Mayor Peñalosa and the traditional landowning class.<br />
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And while both fracking and bullfighting are very questionable activities, the danger is that by obsessing with these two narrow issues, activists ignore the wider problems. And, if they actually win these two battles, they may feel that the larger battle is won and they can cease fighting.<br />
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By Mike Ceaser, of <b><a href="http://www.bogotabiketours.com/">Bogotá Bike Tours</a></b>Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.com0Carrera 6 #26B 50, Bogotá, Colombia4.6131293 -74.068080099999975-26.2077697 -115.37667409999997 35.4340283 -32.759486099999975