As I have previously mentioned in order to get a better grasp on local context, Im reading Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina (The Open Veins of Latin America) as written by a local historian and recently presented to Barack Obama by populist revolutionary Hugo Chavez.
Whilst many of its problems can be traced back to its colonial past, for once it seemed the British hadnt soiled their hands with the blood of the indigenous population, that particular infamy belonged to the Spanish and the conquistadores, didnt it? Unfortunately, this isnt the whole story for having expelled the Spanish from its territory in the early 18th century, the British (having commenced our industrial revolution) saw an excellent free trade opportunity and the possibility to extend the reach of its own growing empire. Whilst its true that we didnt invade South America directly, we controlled many individual nations by proxy e.g. Brazil through the Portuguese, flooding the local markets with British products and using our warships to blow away trade barriers where ever they were encountered. At the height of British imperialism, we aggravated and then sponsored a proxy war on Paraguay carried out on our behalf by Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Up to this point, Paraguay had remained the only country on the continent that operated successfully and independently beyond the control of colonial powers. Such insolence was a bad example for the rest and had to be stopped, hence a 10 year conflict that ultimately reduced Paraguay to the poverty stricken nation we recognise today. As imperial fortune would have it, the conflict also bankrupted the 3 proxy nations, leaving them equally exposed to increased colonial control. The British used similar techniques across the globe, nurturing the local elite who then turned their expanded powers on all forms of local resistance, enriching themselves whilst betraying and eliminating countless numbers of their own countrymen. Latin America was thereby reduced to little more than a collection of dependent nations characterised by gross inequality. The continent was exploited as an endless source of cheap raw material rather than a trading block in its own right and here is where much of it remains. Although my nationality doesnt embarrass me, the actions of my predesessors across the globe have been notably destructive and stubbornly enduring.
Friday once again and Joni and myself are in Poblado1 for a parents meeting at a small, private primary school; Los Triunfos. We arrived on schedule at 8.00am however the meeting was delayed until 9.30 so we made ourselves comfortable in the cafeteria opposite and watched the world go by or more accurately, watched the world watching us. Whilst neither the DoS nor the teachers have completely their own questionnaires in the period since our last visit, that didnt stop them being extremely helpful and supportive. Having introduced the subject matter, the DoS asked a couple of questions, promoted the role of educational research and encouraged the parents to get involved themselves. We collected a grand total of 17 questionnaires from Los Triunfos which is a very good return for a relatively small institution. As we were preparing to leave we got chatting to one of the mothers about the significance and causes of violence in Aguablanca and its relationship to the education system. She indicated that public schools are at a significant disadvantage, their size tends to attract the attention of the gangs leading to increased problems of drug trafficking and violence. In addition our interviewee believed that the public institutions didn’t give enough homework, consequently the children didnt have enough to occupy themselves and out of boredom would go looking for trouble. Her reasoning may or may not provide an accurate reflection of reality but parental concern for security in local schools is undeniable. A parent meeting at El Diamante (Public) for that afternoon was postponed and so the working week ended on an anticlimax.
No time to get all irritable about El Diamante however, its the holiday weekend and Ana-Lu (my landlady) is taking me to Medellin to meet her friends. Medellin holds a bit of a fascination for me, its desperately exotic and unknown and the Paisas (locals) have a reputation for being friendly and very beautiful people.
Whilst the national coaches are plush modern affairs, I dont enjoy travelling for any longer than 6 hours at a time and its even worse at night when theres no scenery to distract you from the discomfort. Despite rural Colombias dodgy reputation, the only event of note was being stopped by army/police at half-distance, naturally I was just dropping off as the lights went up for the security check. The officer went the length of the bus frisking the men and unpacking all of the luggage which of course seems to be a gross infringement of personal liberty but I dont live here. I prepared myself for examination (feeling relieved that I had packed my passport) only for the officer to take one look at me and pass me by. Now I felt irritated that I had been given some kind of preferential treatment not extended to the locals. I was tempted to accuse the officer of discrimination but why go looking for trouble.
The discomfort lasted for 10 hours and we drew into Medellin at 7.00am. We were met by Ana Lus friends, Armando and Nora who were resident in Cali but moved to Medellin 5 years ago. I believe first impressions count for a lot and as we drove through the plush southern neighbourhoods of Medellin these impressions were very positive. Medellin is the city of eternal spring, around 27-30 degrees all year round, a blessed relief compared to the oppressive humidity of Cali. As opposed to the cliched spaghetti western appearance/ambience Id anticipated, Medellin is clean and well-organised, a confident and relaxed city blending attractive high rise blocks with plenty of lively plazas and lush green vegetation. After a few hours rest we all went for a closer look, using the spanking new metro system to get to the centre of town. From here you also get a better idea of Medellins social problems.
The city is built in a narrow valley and whilst the smart areas dominate the spaces along the length of the river, the surrounding hills are a crush of slum dwellings. Contrast this with Cali which is built on a broad expanse of flat land and whilst Aguablanca is a large slum district, it cant be readily seen and can therefore be largely ignored. The slums of Medellin dont afford such a luxury, look up from any part of the city and there they are an oppressive and ever-present symbol of the inequalities that characterise this city and this country. If you want to get closer, you can even take the smart new cable car system; you float above all the chaos take a few tourist shots and return without ever having to lay a foot in bandit country.
We strolled around the centre of town for a few hours and you couldnt help but marvel at its self confidence, theres a strong sense of safety and normality here despite the immense burden on its shoulders. Cali is far more chaotic by comparison. Whilst Ive been here for a matter of no time at all, the paisas are living up to their reputation, they are friendly, service is very good and are very attractive. I may just have fallen in love with Medellin and its certainly gonna take a lot to convince me not to return here. We spend the evening in the Sabaneta neighbourhood close to home, a vibrant district with many typical paisa restaurants and bars. Of course not everything is perfect and as we settled down to dinner you couldnt help but notice the array of religious iconography that filled this particular restaurant, including a large sculpted head of an agonising Christ; not exactly the preferred appetiser with my chorizo sausage. These kinds of images remind me of the negative side of Seville, the fake piety and the conservative insularity. I just hope Los Paisas are a little more open minded than Los Sevillanos.
On Sunday, we left the Medellin for the village of Guatapec about 2 hours from the city. My hosts told me that we would be visiting a popular landmark in the form of a sacred stone, a notably understated description. El Penol is indeed a stone but one that rises more 200m above the surrounding countryside and lakes, the rural equivalent of Sugar Loaf. Whilst I dont suffer from vertigo in its extreme form, I do have a strong aversion to heights but like any tall structure, it demands that up go to the top. The climb isnt especially strenuous however the builders definitely lacked the kind of craftsmanship youd want to see upon leaving terra firma; the supporting concrete had been simply poured over the surface of the stone and the staircase laid on top, akin to the role of sticky back plastic and any Blue Peter model. Fortunately, the views of the surrounding area werent subject to the same human shortcomings.