Colombian Independence Day

A thought worth repeating from last year:

Today my neighborhood is festooned in these colors:

This is the Colombian flag, and although the official Independence Day is July 20, today at nearby Flushing Meadows Corona Park the Colombian community, a significant part of the ethnic makeup of Queens, has been celebrating Colombia's Independence today.

With all the troubles the country has it is easy to forget that Colombia is a land with a lot to offer. There are more species of birds found in Colombia than anywhere in the world. Colombian Spanish is arguably the most musical and pleasing to the ear in all of Latin America. It is the only country in South America with a Pacific and Atlantic coast and it's territory encompasses, the Andes, the Caribbean, and the Amazon basin.

Colombian music is as varied as its ethnic background: it encompasses Cumbias, Salsa, the Vallenato of Artists like Carlos Vives and who can forget Shakira?

Colombia also is the home of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, possibly Latin America's greatest writer.

There is so much more to this country than drugs and violence. So for the people of Colombia proud of their country and yearning for peace, let me say this:

Deseo para la justicia, la paz y la prosperidad muy pronto para toda la Colombia.

Comments

[Christian Gomez]

Randy,

Thanks for that great post. As a Colombian-American, I grew up with my peers always asking if my father was a drug dealer. The reputation Colombia has in the US has prevented the country from developing a mass tourism industry, which could be quite advantageous to its development. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the country without the hordes of gringos.

[Glenn]

What a contradiction! You want tourists, but yet Christian you have insulted the ones you want. Moreover, it is not just in the US that Colombia's reputation is questionable, many travel websites and books post warnings about the high street crime. Colombia needs to settle is civil war and create a true social safety net for its citizens that will curtail the vast poverty afflicting the country now. A New Deal with real social programs and meaningful labor laws would help greatly.

[ProudtoColombian]

Thanks for the great post Randy.
A todos mis compatriotas Colombianos.....felicidades en este dia tan Bello!
Que viva Colombia, el aguardiente, la cumbia, salsa y sobre todo CALI PACHANGERO!!!!!!!!!

[Randy Paul]

Y las mujeres tambien! ;-)