So, what's this blog all about?

I am not a 'natural born blogger' and NEITHER believed on the possibility to find spare time to write one. Yet, some people insisted I should try out. So, be it, then.

In brief, I am going to explain the idea behind it.

Colombia is one of the largest and most complicated humanitarian emergencies around the world - with little or no international media coverage whatsover - It's a truly forgotten crisis -

Since Colombia seems to be getting in the news only for coca trafficking, the idea would be to give some kind of visibility and to try generate an interest among the public or whoever wants to follow this blog. Also, I intend to give some ideas about life in urban Colombia and get rid of that stereotype...

Unfortunately, in some parts of Colombia, mainly in rural areas, the situation is very serious indeed and its getting worse every day. The conflict is deeply engulfed in a situation that has so far led to mass displacements, expulsions, mobility restrictions, selected homicides, landmines victims etc. What´s worse here is that even ordinary Colombians know very little about the real situation since national media also pretty much ignore what's going on.

There are many reasons why the humanitarian situation in Colombia does not get international coverage. Politics apart (there is too much to talk about, later then..) in Colombia there aren't the refugee camps or genocides of Rwanda or Darfur taking place to grab the headlines. But neither the armed conflict in Colombia grabs the headlines of the likes of Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iraq...

Nevertheless, I can tell you that the armed conflict in Colombia has had devastating effects on civilians. A large number of displaced persons, especially from ethnic minorities, have over the years moved into cities, town outskirts or crossed over national borders. Many people have been forced out or confined, many youngsters are forcibly recruited into guerrilla ranks, sexual violence, threats and selected killings are some of the other major impact on communities. Colombia has the highest number of new victims in the world. Colombia ranks second in the number of landmines concentration in the world and ranks first for victims as a result.

Colombia´s displaced people are thought to be around 4 million. All these numbers continue to rise. That's not less than Darfur...

The business of plastic surgery and pimpineros

Now, close your eyes and imagine Colombia. I bet you see remote mountains, guerrillas and narcotraffic. A dangerous place. True. In some areas. Many parts of Colombia also look like these - Modern shopping centres, trendy bars, restaurants, prestigious hotels and luxury cars - Essentially, in some parts of Colombia there is money or "plata" as they say over here. Lots of plata, in fact. Where is the money coming from, well, that's another issue. Oil, coal and narcotraffic, illegal profits that needs to be reinvested.

Here's a sample: A litre of petrol costs 30 cents (Euro) over here. In neighbouring Venezuela, you can fill your tank (60/70 litres) with 30 cents !!!!! A bottle of water costs more than filling your tank with petrol. No wonder every day there is a massive traffic jam at the border. The so-called "pimpineros", people filling up on the other side using a well established corrupted system and passwords to allow a safe return journey at the frontier. Petrol business is so huge, cars cross over 20 times a day to refill. They don't just refill their tank, they have a system where petrol is filled in the entire car, even through inner doors. A multi-million business, indeed. I leave the narcotraffic business for my next off-topic post.

Anyhow, when approaching the border with Venezuela, the edge of the street gets very crowded with people flashing banknotes for those wishing to change their money as Venezuela offer cheaper prices at the duty free area with many goods like fashion clothing, liquors and mixed products.

Beauty farms and plastic surgeries are also very common both in Colombia and Venezuela. Someone visiting these areas gets the feeling women are kind of "well-manicured". That's because virtually anyone can afford to change their nose, boobs or doing a liposuction treatment for the ridiculous price of 350 Euro.

Recommended reading: Cien años de soledad (1oo years of loneliness), Gabriel García Márquez

"Los minutos"

Like elsewhere, in Colombia you have phone boxes (see picture at the very background). Like elsewhere, phone boxes are in decline because of the extensive use of mobile phones. Unlike elsewhere, In Colombia you have a mobile phonebox. "Los Minutos" is someone sitting in the middle of the road with a few mobile phones available for those who needs to make a quick call. That's simple enough. A good idea in fact, if you do not own a mobile phone. However, it is very likely that those people using los minutos actually have their own mobile phone. And that's because it is actually cheaper than calling from your own phone, it's only 200 pesos per minute (about 7 cents of 1 Euro).

All Colombians, at least in urban areas, have a mobile phone. I have also seen people with 2. However, if you see someone on the phone while walking or shopping or working you can bet they are receiving and not calling out.

Remember, in Colombia people make calls at "los minutos". The fact that's officially illegal is another story...

Colombia's Soccer Team

Sorry, but had to begin this journey in a good mood.

A real soccer icon, Carlos Alberto Valderrama is without a doubt Colombia's most popular former footballer, who started his long career at Unión Magdalena in 1981. The midfielder led the national team at three World Cups (1990 to 1998) and represented teams as Millonarios, Deportivo Cali, Nacional de Medellín, Junior and Tampa Bay. He retired from professional football in 2002, when playing for the Colorado Rapids. Rather than his flamboyant playing style you could easily recognise his unique hairstyle...

Saturday 6th of June: Colombia play Argentina in a crucial World Cup qualifier. And all you hear about is when they beat Argentina 5-0 in their own ground and celebrations went on for days. Hoping for a memorable 'doblete'.

Where the road begins...

COLOMBIA: A SHORT INTRODUCTION

The 45-year old conflict in Colombia is extremely complex and its roots go back in history. Several political, economic and social causes continues to be the cause of a protracted humanitarian crisis that weighs heavily on civilians. Continued armed confrontations between the National Army and insurgents groups like FARC and ELN, and rearmed holdouts of paramilitary groups known as the 'new armed bands' continue to pose massive hazards to vulnerable communities, particularly indigenous people and afro-descendants. Struggles for territorial control have so far displaced about 4 millions people over the last 20 years. Colombia has the highest rate of new victims worldwide caused by the armed conflict as well as the second highest concentration of landmines in the world. Breaches of human rights and international humanitarian law are part of everyday life in some parts of Colombia. While forced recruitment of young adults and kidnapping continues, an unknown number of communities trapped by minefields and crossfire are often inaccessible, resulting in shortages of food and medicines.

The Government of Colombia is effectively the major provider of humanitarian assistance. However, the current administration do not acknowledge the existence of an internal armed conflict or humanitarian crisis. The crisis is not visible because the official discourse has deliberately opted to refer it as a ''terrorist threat' or as a ''situation of violence''. This is very significant for the purpose of attracting foreign economic investments and in creating a sense of stability. On the other hand, the humanitarian crisis is constantly overshadowed by the emergence of illegal economies such as narcotraffic that normally attracts the attention of both national and international media. The current military offensive on the ground seems to be very much part of the government political and economic agenda other than humanitarian.

Like all nation-states, it is the Colombian authorities that are eventually responsible for the protection and security of its own people. The UN and other international humanitarian organisations simply complement this process of humanitarian assistance.

This brief introduction is meant to give a general overview of the main, national context. However, it is not so black and white, especially at regional and local level.

There is more to follow, so stay tuned...

Welcome and hasta pronto