California Pot and Colombia

Colombian Pres. Juan Manuel Santos said the other day that California's ballot initiative to partially legalize marijuana would be a disaster for Colombia. After all, just imagine what in the world will they say to those poor Colombian pot farmers, when their product is being sold legally in California?

I've got news for Pres. Santos: Pot is already quasi-legal in many places, as it was here in Colombia from 1991 until almost a year ago. Instead of a problem, the Colombian government should see this as an opportunity, an excuse to quit persecuting poor peasants, to empty prisons and generate new taxes and exports. After all, back in my high school days so many years ago,

Colombian Gold was the gold standard for pot.

And pot legalization might just be for a first step toward legalization of cocaine, heroin and other drugs, which would take away a huge income source from Colombia's outlaw guerrillas, paramilitaries and narcos.

In refreshing contrast, Colombian Congress President Armando Benedetti, a Santos supporter, supports drug legalization. But, sensibly, he recognizes that going it along would make Colombia an international pariah. But he wants it done multilaterally.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours.

The Polo Demoractico Self Destructs

Samuel Moreno got elected mayor of Bogotá in 2007 on a smile and a promise to improve the city's transit system. Today, most bogotanos appear to regret their decision, as fear of crime has increased and the Transmilenio expansion strangles the city's traffic and its progress lags amidst accusations of corruption and mismanagement.

Unfortunately for Colombian politics, Mayor Moreno's slumping fortunes may sink his party with him. Once upon a time, Colombia had two dominant political parties, the Liberals and Conservatives, who traded power back and forth in a semi-authoritarian system. Today, they are only two amongst many parties in a mostly conservative political landscape. So, the left-wing Polo Democratico has served as an important counterweight to the conservative-dominated presidency. If the Polo self destructs amidst accusations between the Polo's leaders it will mean a real loss for Colombia's democracy.

By Mike Ceaser of Bogota Bike Tours

Bogotá's Underground Reopens

These mysterious stairwells in the center of Bogotá prtompt passerby to ask whether the city has a subway system or air raid shelters. On weekdays, men crowd around the stairwells trading emeralds. In fact, the stairwells lead to a pair of underground rooms, which are all that remain of a building demolished in the 1930s to make way for widening of the Ave. Jimenez.

After four years closed to the public, during which the space was used for teaching music and theatre, the basement rooms have been given to the Universidad Distrital to manage and are to open to the public as art galleries, theatres and for dancing.

It's all part of the efforts to rejuvenate Bogotá's city center, which includes transit expansion, new parks, hotels and offices and improved public spaces.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

The Peoples' Congress

Camilo Torres, the guerrilla priest, overlooks the National U's Plaza del Ché

The People's Congress, or Congreso de los Pueblos, is being held on the National University's Bogotá campus. To the congress came members of Colombia's indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombians, who share the same status as the indigenous.

Indigenous and black Colombians are among those who have suffered the most from the nation's half-century long armed conflict.

While El Ché watches from the other side. 

The Congress of the People contributed lots of graffiti to La Nacho.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours

Democracy Holds on Next Door

Democracy has new life in Venezuela. Despite Pres. Hugo Chavez's efforts to rig the election system in his favor, to muzzle opposition media and to turn the government into a chavista election machine, the opposition obtained about half of the vote. Unless Chavez manages to solve during the remaining two years of his presidential term those huge problems like crime, inflation and an economic malaise which he's failed at during his last 11 years in power, then it appears likely he'll lose his reelection - in a fair vote.

But, from my three years living in Caracas and observing the country since, it sure appears to me that in his heart Chavez does not believe in democracy. He certainly does want to be legitimized by democratic means, but to make sure he wins elections he's used authoritarian methods, such as shutting down opposition media, controlling the court system and employing public institutions to electioneer for him. And, just look at democratic credentials of the sorts of folks he buddies up with - the leaders of Cuba, Iran, Libya, Belarus....

I suspect that, in Chavez's mind, the opposition's success is not democracy but interference by the 'empire' - just as his friend and advisor Fidel Castro stated.

Venezuela's weakened democracy was strengthened by this Sunday's vote, but it's still a close bet whether or not it will survive.

It is certainly important to Colombia that its neighbors have stable democracies with democratic and rational leaders interested in improving the lot of their peoples, not amassing power and spouting obsolete ideology. The evidence is clear: Neighbors Brazil and Peru have healthy functioning democracies, and neither has talked about war against Colombia or threatened to start an arms race. Neither has harbored Colombian guerrillas or closed down its borders. Venezuela, and to a lesser degree Ecuador, (which at this very moment looks like its government may fall) has done all that and more.

Blog written by Mike Ceaser of Bogota Bike Tours

End of the Line for for Bogotá's Traffic Congestion?

An end in sight for traffic jams?

Luis Willumsen, a transit expert from London made the front page of El Tiempo with the daring and shocking proposal that autos should actually pay for the congestion, delays and other damaging impacts they make on the city, rather than be subsidized for doing so, as is the case in most cities.

Such a charge (or $20/liter gasoline) seems to be the only realistic method for controlling the city's ever-worsening congestion. Bogotá's 'Pico y Placa' law, which prohibits vehicles from being driven two days each week depending on the last digit on their license plates, has obviously failed to control congestion. Instead, it's encouraged the wealthy to buy second cars in order to be able to drive every day.

Luis Willumsen

Charging drivers is politically unpopular, but has worked in cities including London, Singapore and Stockholm, where congestion charges have reduced pollution and traffic jams and sped traffic flows. And, significantly, London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who imposed the charge, was reelected and his conservative succesor has continued the policy.

It's important to observe that a congestion charge only monetizes - and probably reduces - costs which motorists are paying already, in time lost waiting in traffic jams and in fuel burnt during hours of idling - not to mention the medical costs of all of that stress.

In Bogotá's favor, only a small, wealthy minority travel in private cars here, so most Bogotans would not be affected. And, altho the rich have lots of political power, Mayor Samuel Moreno's lefist political party's base are the poor. What's more, Bogotá has a history of being willing to impose policies which discomfit private car owners, such as the Pico y Placa law, bus-only traffic lanes and even the Sunday/holiday Ciclovia, when major avenues are closed to car traffic.

Worried Samuel better do something.

And Moreno has almost nothing to lose. He's already very unpopular due to delays and corruption allegations surrounding the expansion of the Transmilenio express bus system. And he appears to want to be remembered as 'the mayor who revolutionized Bogotá transit. He's already shown his willingness to antagonize car owners by expanding the Pico y Placa's hours. And, City Hall must certainly have known Willumsen's perspectives when it invited him here. Perhaps Moreno will decide, realistically, that a hail Mary policy move like this one is his best hope to achieve a big success and be remembered positively.

Makes sense to me.

Blog written by Mike Ceaser of Bogota Bike Tours

Pietyless?

 In Caracas, Buddying up with a FARC leader.

Congresswoman Piedad Cordoba was just banned from public office for 18 years for allegedly collaborating with theFARC guerrillas. Cordoba was well-known - to many Colombians notorious - for her numerous meetings with guerrilla leaders. Her leftist ideology and sympathy for the guerrillas (and for Hugo Chavez) were easy to see. And, the laptops recovered after the Colombian raid on FARC leader Raul Reyes camp produced evidence of Cordoba collaborating with the guerrillas, according to Colombian officials. On the other hand, Cordoba was able to arrange the liberations of several prominent hostages held by the FARC - altho those served as P.R. platforms for the guerrillas and Chavez.

Whatever the truth about Cordoba's relationship with the guerrillas, casting her out just a few days after the government dealt probably its strongest blow ever against the FARC by killing 'Mono jojoy,' their second in command, cripples hopes for a negotiated end to the guerrillas' violent and senseless insurgency - exactly when they're at their weakest ever and perhaps most likely to talk.

Cordoba's punishment may be correctly legally, but it deals low blow to Colombia's hopes for peace.

Pietyless? Congresswoman Piedad Cordoba was just barred from politics for 18 years for allegedly collaborating with the FARC guerrillas. Cordoba was well-known - to many Colombians notorious - for her numerous meetings with guerrilla leaders. Her leftist ideology and sympathy for the guerrillas (and for Hugo Chavez) were easy to see. And, the laptops recovered after the Colombian raid on FARC leader Raul Reyes camp produced evidence of Cordoba collaborating with the guerrillas, according to Colombian officials. On the other hand, Cordoba was able to arrange the liberations of several prominent hostages held by the FARC - altho those served as P.R. platforms for the guerrillas and Chavez. Whatever the truth about Cordoba's relationship with the guerrillas, casting her out just a few days after the government dealt probably its strongest blow ever against the FARC by killing 'Mono jojoy,' their second in command, cripples hopes for a negotiated end to the guerrillas' violent and senseless insurgency - exactly when they're at their weakest ever and perhaps most likely to talk. 

Cordoba's punishment may be correctly legally, but it deals low blow to Colombia's hopes for peace.