Colombia's Abortion Issue

An illicit abortion clinic in central Bogotá advertises itself as a women's health clinic.

In 2006 Colombia's supreme court legalized abortion in cases of rape, incest, danger to the woman's life and when the fetus has some severe deformation, making Colombia's one of the most progressive abortion laws in Latin America.

Since then, 649 legal abortions have been carried out, 61 percent based on fetal deformation, 20 percent on danger to the woman's life and 19 percent because the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

After three years, 650 legal abortions is an absurdly tiny number in a nation of 45 million people, where gender violence is relatively common and maternal mortality is high.

Nevertheless, for the procuradora general that number is apparently too high. In any case, she's been asking why the percentage of legal abortions justified by fetal deformity is so high. Is this disguised eugenics? Abortion for convenience? Neither of those explanations is likely, since even when they have a legal justification to abort, girls and women encounter many obstacles, in particular from doctors and hospitals who profess Catholic values. Rather, those looking for abortions of convenience will simply go to the many ilicit abortion mills which continue doing lively business across Colombia.

In contrast to the apparent crackdown on legal abortion is the Colombian legal system's great tolerance of drunk drivers - even including those who kill people. In recent years, with few exceptions, many drunks who injured and even killed people have been given house arrest - sending the message that drinking is all good, innocent fun, that it's not really their fault and that it's no big deal, anyway. Is there a pattern here? Perhaps it is that it's women who get pregnant, so why not make them responsible, while it's generally men who drunk and drive, who we'll laugh it off.

This blog written by Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours

Chicha Wars!

El Portal de la Chicha, with protest signs.

Chicha, a drink made by fermenting corn, is Bogotá's most traditional brew. It's said that in past centuries so much chicha was made in La Candelaria that they used it to put out house fires.

Chicha has survived centuries of time and lots of opposition - including even deadly street battles against beer and liquor sellers. Today, commercially-made beer and whiskey have cut into chicha's market share, but the drink is still consumed in small bars all over the city - and particularly those along La Candelaria's cobblestone Callejon del Embudo, where university students crowd the small, dark chicha bars until late at night.

A mural goes up in el Callejon del Embudo.

But now Bogotá has plans to renovate and upscale the city center, and the chicha bars apparently are an unpleasant eyesore which the city wants replaced with sush bars and nicely-painted botique hotels. Tradition - who cares? Police have given the chicherias just a little while to shut down. 

But the bar owners are organizing to defend this most Bogotan of Bogotá drinks.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours

No more 'bases gringas'?

After the U.S. handed over the Panama Canal , the Panamanians also kicked out the U.S. military base there. Washington looked around, and finally rented a space on the Ecuadorian air force base at Manta to use for what it said were solely anti-drug flights. But then Ecuador elected leftist Pres. Rafael Correa, and he ended the U.S.'s rights to use the Manta air base. So, Washington looked east and found Colombia, with which it signed an agreement giving the US's military landing rights on seven Colombian military bases.

The US-Colombia agreement generated lots of

controversy, especially among leftists, who denounced the arrangement as 'US bases' and an example of US imperialism. Venezuelan Pres. Hugo Chavez suggested that the US and Colombia would spy on his country and were even preparing to invade Venezuela.

Yesterday, Colombia's high court ruled that the agreement was invalid because it had not been approved by Colombia's Congress. That appears unlikely to happen, unless Colombian Pres. Juan Manuel Santos is willing to rile up the Venezuelan government.

What's the lesson in this? First of all, the US doesn't look like much of an imperialistic power - not when tiny nations like Panama and Ecuador have evicted US soldiers without firing a shot.

And the decision shows once again that Colombia is a democracy with an independent court system - with a backbone.

At the same time, the US should find a lesson in this: Its war on drugs is unpopular in Latin America, where it is widely seen as an imposition. What's more, despite billions of dollars spent and many thousands of deaths, the war has produced little progress against the drug trade.

Perhaps a change of strategy is in order.

This blog written by Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours.

A Nasty Reminder

A car bomb exploded this morning in Bogotá's Chapinero neighborhood, targeting Caracol radio's office, and injuring nine people, none of them seriously. The time of the explosion indicates that the bombers meant to attack the radio station, which has a conservative reputation, rather than kill people, altho an early riser on their way to work could easily have been blown to bits by the 50 kgs. of explosives.

Judging by history and their capacity to do damage, the most like perpetrators of this attack were the FARC guerrillas. But, whoever it was, they need to ask themselves: What's the point? Sure, you've shown that you can cause mayhem. Sure, you've shaken up Caracol Radio. But your revolution is no closer. All you've done is forced the state to shift more money from schools and soup kitchens to security. You've justified more expenses on weapons, and given another boost to the right-wing parties.

Think again. What's the point?

Authorities might also reflect that this is more evidence that the guerrillas, altho battered and weakened, are still there. Perhaps someone should consider trying a new strategy besides war. That could mean more education and other benefits for the poor. But it could also mean a radical strategy which might pull the rug out from under the guerrillas by taking away their main source of income: Drug decriminalization.

Blogged by Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours.

Santos and Chavez Bury the Hatchet

Best Buddies?

Presidents Hugo Chavez and Juan Manuel Santos made up yesterday and apparently buried their differences. That's a dramatic turnaround, since just a few weeks ago Colombia was accusing Venezuela of harboring anti-Colombian guerrillas on its territory and Chavez was calling Colombia a puppet of the United States.

Chavez, with his economy slumping and his international image looking progressively more bellicose and authoritarian, Chavez needed good relations with his country's second-biggest trade partner, as well as a good photo opportunity. Santos wanted to start out his presidency on a positive note, to mark a break with Uribe and to end the economic crisis along the border.

Thankfully, the buddying up also pushes back the threat of a border growing into violence.

Unfortunately, it won't last.

Despite Chavez's statements, and even any policy changes he might make, the guerrillas will continue using Venezuelan territory. The border is simply too long to control and Venezuelan officials are too corrupt to impose any genuine controls, even if Chavez wanted to. But, it's hard to believe that Chavez, with his romantic fantasies about revolutionary guerrillas and paranoia about Colombia and the United States, really wants to.

Chavista true believers demonstrate in central Bogotá. Have they reflected that demonstrations and free speech aren repressed in Venezuela's allies like Belarus, Cuba and Iran?

So, the guerrillas will remain a sore point between the neighbors, and Colombia will continue being a convenient enemy for Chavez when he wants to distract attention from his country's many domestic troubles.

This blog written by Mike Ceaser of Bogota Bike Tours

Kite-Flying Month!

In Bogotá, August, usually sunny and windy, is known as kite-flying month. Simón Bolívar Park is probably the favorite park for kite flyers. This year has been unusually rainy, but today the weather gave us a repeal. Simón Bolívar Park was standing-room full in many areas - despite showers!

Buy a kite!

A sky full of kites.

Look, up in the sky - kites!

In a shower, a kite makes a handy umbrella.

Kung-fu kite.

Uribe the Second? It doesn't look like it

Handing off.

Even before taking office, new Colombian Pres. Juan Manuel Santos made clear several policy differences with outgoing Pres. Alvaro Uribe.  That's an argument in favor of changing presidents every once in a while. (And if that sounds like a dig against neighboring Venezuela, it is. The temptation to criticize Venezuela wouldn't be so strong if its government didn't act so damn boastful and self-righteous while turning into a semi-dictatorship.)

Many people expected Santos, who as minister of defense ordered the bombing of Ecuadorean territory in order to kill FARC guerrilla leader Raul Reyes, to be even more right-wing and militaristic than Pres. Alvaro Uribe. Santos was just inaugurated today, but his preliminary signals have been more conciliatory. Even as Uribe has polarized relations with Venezuela by presenting evidence that Venezuela harbors Colombian guerrillas, Santos has said that he seeks to normalize relations with Colombia's leftist neighbor. Venezuela even reciprocated by sending foreign minister Nicolas Maduro to Santos' inauguration.

Santos has also made at least one other 'leftist' gesture by promising to make the environment ministry, which had been merged together with the housing ministry, an independent ministry again. In fact, Santos' environment-ministry designee is a sort of alternative lifestyle hippie type.

Santos may yet surprise!

Written by Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours