My Colombia

Those of you who have followed my “Gorgeous Colombia Series” might have asked yourselves why such a project. This Journal seeks to explain why and to place most of the photos from the series in one easily accessible area. My beautiful Colombia is perceived as one of the ugly ducklings of world affairs. Have YOU ever felt like an ugly duckling? Ask yourself what you know about Colombia. How does your list of pros and cons balance out? I bet you mostly bad stuff: drugs, violence, corruption, kidnappings. But what you know DOES NOT correlate with reality entirely. For instance its capital, Bogotá is a model for all developing cities. Colombian citizens are struggling courageously to stabilize our democracy. It is utterly worthy of respect that, even though caught between the tension of drug cartels, guerilla violence and paramilitary massacres, nonetheless Colombian citizens have not let their country succumb to utter chaos. Many have died to try to allow Colombia its fragile freedom. Those who have sacrificed themselves because of their political decision to fight for Colombia –---names such as Galán, Gómez, Pizarro, Betancourt, among too many others----- have little or absolutely no resonance in international circles.

The aim of my Series is therefore political; it aims to counter this prevailing view. I am a trained Political Scientist currently working on my PhD thesis. But here I will simply bring together most of the photos from my “Colombia Series “ so that you can see another side of Colombia. And besides, given that DA is a community of artists, I am sure all of you can truly understand that it is in times of profound personal and political struggle that the greatest of artworks are born. (Van Gogh’s lack of peace has allowed us to perceive beauty.)

I myself have tried to capture the prevailing tension in Colombia in my painting “Nuestra bandera en la mira” (Translation: “Our flag targeted”.)



Here are 20 of the 24 photos I have submitted. These are only a very small reflection of Colombia’s beauty. If you have any questions whatsoever about my dear Colombia, please DO let me know.

1. Our map


2. Our flag


3. Our national tree


4. Famous Juan Valdez


5. A coffee Hacienda


6. Laguna de Guatavita; la vieja


7. Radio Colombia


8. Chocó


9. Magdalena River


10. Small Coffee Town


11. Puente de Boyacá: Rethinking our Liberty


12. Laguna de Guatavita


13. Old Colonial Church in Cartagena


14. Virgilio Barco Public Library


15.Salto del Tequendama


16. San Felipe Castle


17. The Andes


18. Cartagena: walled-city


19. Parque del Café


20. Path to peace


(All the previous photos come from old photos taken with an average camera and therefore manipulated with PS. This exercise is dedicated to my father who ----–in spite of having had the possibility to live in ANY country in the world---- has chosen to live his life as a Colombian citizen fighting for the stability and happiness of his country.)

Some links about Colombia:

Tourism in Bogota [link] Tourism in Cartagena [link] ; Tourism in San Andres [link] ; A Newspaper [link] ; Government [link] ; The famous Gold Museum ; [link] On Simon Bolívar
[link] ; Virgilio Barco Public Library [link] .