What Happened to Jaime?

The huge mural paying tribute to Jaime Garzon, the comedian who was assassinated nearby in 1999, has seen more than its share of sufferings. About six months ago, the homeowner behind the mural filed a complaint with the city over it, prompting a city worker to come out and paint a blue rectangle over the mural along her property line.

Then, a few days ago, vandals threw black paint over the comedian's face.

The latest attack comes as investigators say that Garzon was killed by a conspiracy involving right-wing paramilitaries, the regular military and the DAS, Colombia's FBI.

Also recently, across the street, workers cut a ventilation window into this union-sponsored mural.

Couldn't they have located their ventilation space just a meter or two higher up?

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

A Stupid Solution

Jaime Garzón's mural today.

And back when it was complete.

The mural on Calle 26 of assassinated comedian Jaime Garzón has become one of Bogotá's most iconic. And now it's missing a chunk.

It turns out that the owner of one of the homes behind the mural had objected to the backside of her rear wall being painted over - even tho she could not see it. The woman went to court, and won. Yesterday, a city painter eliminated the offending art from the backside of her rear wall.

I hope she's satisfied now that a corner of the offending mural of the martyred comic, who was shot near here in August 1999, has been eliminated. Perhaps her home feels more comfortable. Unfortunately, the thousands of people who pass the mural every will miss something too.

I hope she's happy. A note on the painted-over wall prohibits painting here. But isn't that what blank walls are for?

This absurd solution, which benefits nobody and hurts many, might have appealed to a comedian such as Garzón. In contrast, the woman who sued apparently lacks all sense of humor.

Now, why doesn't someone sue the city to make it do something with the huge empty lot in front of the mural? Homes and businesses here were demolished during construction of the 26th Street TransMilenio line a few years ago, but the empty lots are still there being nothing more than empty lots.

And where are the complaints about the trashy field?

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Colombia's Own Charlie Hebdo Moment

On the morning of Aug. 13, 1999, journalist and satirist Jaime Garzón was driving to work when gunmen murdered him. Right-wing paramilitaries are believed to have been behind the assassination, which is still under investigation 16 years later.

Today's newspapers reported the Paris massacre. El Tiempo
printed its front page in black and white.

Whoever was behind it, Garzón's murder shook Colombia, which had become tragically accustomed to the killing of politicians, but not to that of popular commentators. And, inevitably, Garzón's killing, like that of many Colombian journalists before and after him, inevitably sent fear thru every Colombian journalist and commentator, who wondered whether his or her next observation would bring a bullet.

Sound familiar?

Today, journalists the world over have become very aware how just a few armed fanatics can destroy lives and a newspaper.

I'm not defending Charlie Hebdo, which I've never read and wouldn't understand if I did. A Financial Times columnist called Charlie Hebdo's ridiculing of Islam "stupid," altho the commentary has since been revised. And it sounds as tho the magazine was very offensive not only to Islam, but to many groups and religions. But it was a group of Islamist extremists trapped in a medieval mentality who apparently stormed the newspaper's office yesterday and massacred 12 people.

'We are all Charlie.' El Espectador published a
French-language cartoon on its front page..

Today, journalists all over the world, including Colombia, feel a bit more scared about what they
right and where they go. Journalists, more than other professionals, are vulnerable because they must constantly venture out into unfamiliar places, amongst strangers, to get the story. Probably there'll be less of that now, which will mean a loss for society. It will also mean suffering for Muslims and other immigrants across Europe, since right-wing, xenophobic protests like those last week in Germany will undoubtedly intensify.

Those offended by Charlie Hebdo, like those who hated satirist Garzón, had lots of reasonable alternatives, including filing a lawsuit, marching in protest or just closing the magazine and tossing it into the trash.

The Committee to Protect Journalists lists 45 Colombian journalists murdered since 1992. Those murders have inevitably had a muting effect on media investigation and reporting. Freedom House ranks Colombia's press as only 'partly free.'

During recent years, Colombia has had many scandals, including the parapolitica, government spying and the horrific falsos positivos murders. We can only speculate about how much wrongdoing would have been reduced or even prevented had Colombia had a more vigorous press.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Who Murdered Jaime Garzón?

A mural on Calle 26 memorializes assassinated radio comedian Jaime Garzón.

A conspiracy involving the military and right-wing paramilitaries, according to the most recent investigations.

Jaime Garzón and his duck. 

Yesterday, a court finally filed charges a military officer in the 1999 killings, perhaps finally bringing closure to one of Colombia's most notorious political assassinations.

Jaime Garzón was a popular radio comic and critic of the wealthy and powerful. In his youth, he had been a radical leftist and briefly a member of the ELN guerrillas. Before his contract-style killing, committed by a motorcyclist one morning in Bogotá's Quinta Paredes neighborhood, Garzón had been advocating peace negotiations between the ELN guerrillas and the government.

So, many signs pointed to right-wing forces, altho some speculated that the rival FARC guerrilla group could be behind the killing.

But, over the years, evidence including released U.S. documents has added evidence that the paramilitary and military paid to have Garzón killed. Paramilitary leader Carlos Castaño was charged for the murder, but he was killed by rival paramilitaries.

Yesterday's charges against Col. Jorge Plazas, who is on the lam, might finally mean that one of the conspirators in one of Colombia's most notorious assassinations gets punished.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Remembering Jaime Garzon

People admire decorated shoeshine boxes representing Garzon's work.

Garzon and his quacking co-star. 

Journalist, comedian and peace activist Jaime Garzon is being memorialized this weekend on Plaza Bolívar. Aug. 13 was the 12th anniversary of his assassination near Corferias in central Bogotá, apparently by right-wing paramilitaries.

The most famous character created by Garzon was a shoeshiner who interviewed and challenged the nation's most important personalities. Undoubtedly, that made enemies for Garzon.

Despite Colombia's great violence at the time, the murder of this mostly-apolitical humorist shocked the nation. According to testimony by ex-paramilitaries, AUC leader Carlos Castaño had order the killing.

A tent on Plaza Bolívar memorializes Jaime Garzon, 12 years after his assassination.

12 years of impunity.

Simon Bolívar's statue seen thru a shoeshine box's handle. 

One has to give one's life for a cause.

Garzon looks a lot like Che Guevara. 

A creative shoeshine box, behind barbed wire. 

Nearby, an evangelical group announced the end of the world.

A mural in the National University celebrates Garzon.

Statue of Jaime Garzon outside Corferias, near the spot where he was assassinated. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours