A Naked Statement

No, these are not victims of the Ashley Madison leak, but a piece of performance art by students from the Universidad de Antioquia and the Universidad Nacional. They pulled the cart of nudes from the university's campus all the way to Plaza Bolivar today. Lucky thing the weather was warm and not raining, but hope these folks invested in sun-screen.

The perfromance, named Carga Monton Colectivo 'El Cuerpo Habla', was a protest against racism, fascism, sexual violence and all sorts of other evil things.

The bodies represent death, a student accompanying the work told me, "but we Colombians are a very lively people."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EKHcYw8wdI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1zhHn7uY58

The nude performers pass a school, drawing a bit of attention.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

The Trash Man Cometh

This colorful one-man plaza performance took place today on the Universidad Nacional's Plaza del Ché. Altho when I asked her about its meaning, one person involved shrugged her shoulders, the message carried by this masked man dragging coattails of trash seemed quite evident to me.

Dead in his trash pile.

As for Bogotá, decide for yourself whether Petro's 'Basura Cero' (Zero Trash) program has been anything more than just a slogan. 

Bogotá's paks and sidewalks have become repositories for used tires. They've held meetings about this problem, and that's about it.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Seven From The Same Mold?

All from the same mold? Candidates for rector of the National University.

The Universidad Nacional, Colombia's largest university and one of its most respected ones, is in the process of selecting its next rector, to serve from 2015 - 18. The new rector is to be chosen from seven candidates by the High University Council, which has only one student among its nine members.

As always, the selection process is generating opposition - unsurprisingly on the far-left campus. Student activists want to have vote and voice on the selection. The students will proceed to hold a vote and choose a far-left candidate - and be ignored by the university administration.

I have a suggestion for the university. Take a look at the slate of candidates: They all appear suspiciously white, male and middle-aged. Why not encourage women and minority candidates to participate (there and also on the council), and perhaps the student activists will be more willing to believing that the administration is open to new ideas.

Colombia's largest public university has serious issues of infrastructure, tuition and access to education. Perhaps by bringing in people of different backgrounds, the university can find novel answers to its troubles.

Wall art on the National University campus calls for electing leftist, one-time sociology Prof. Miguel Angel Beltran as rector. Accused of being a FARC guerrilla agent on campus, Beltran was imprisoned for two years, released and recently stripped of his title as professor. 

Encapuchados, or hooded activists, express their position about the rector selection on the Plaza del Che.

A banner by the university entrance about the rector selection. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours