But Catalonia is not the first region to buried by law the traditional fiesta brava. The first prohibition was ruled in the Spaniard archipelago of Canaries following a regional law for the protection of animals that was established in 1991. The process of Catalonia was observed with attention by those countries were bullfighting is also considered a sport and cultural tradition, among them France and Portugal.

It brought a long discussion among those who fight for the protection of animals and those who see bullfighting as an art and an ancestral tradition. By sure, the discussion will encourage groups of animal protection groups in other Spaniard regions and countries with bullfighting tradition.

In Colombia, the main cities have big plazas for the traditional bullfighting like Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Manizales. There is also internationally recognized bullfighters like Pepe Cáceres and César Rincón. There has been even female bullfighters like Berta Trujilla, known as La Morenita del Quindío.

Photo: Major Moreno holding a 1910´s map of Bogotá that was inside the centennial urn.

Major Samuel Moreno could not hide his expectation, as many in Colombia after caring a urn that was closed in 1910 with the order of the municipal council to be opened only on July 20, 2010.  In the ceremony was also the president of the republic, Álvaro Uribe Vélez and other personalities.

When the urn was closed on October 1911, Bogotá was practically a town of 9 barrios and 115 thousand inhabitants. Now, as a vehicle of time keeping messages from a former generation, it opens its door to a different Colombian reality in a capital of almost 10 million inhabitants.

The municipality gave the record of things that were found inside the urn: an album of photographies of the Colombian presidents between 1810 and 1910, an album of 60 drawings of national traditions of Ramón Torres that were edited in Leipzig, 63 photographies of Bogotá as monuments, ceremonies and personalities that were during the 1910 anniversary of the independence, a map of Bogotá of 1910 made by Alberto Borda Tanco, the letter of the National Anthem, a view of Bogotá from the Church of Egypt and a copy of the Act of Independence.

There was also the minutes of closure of the urn by the Council of Bogotá dated October 31, 1911 with the notice that it must be opened only on July 20, 2010. It is signed by the councilmen and Manuel María Mallarino, major of Bogotá in 1811.

The documents were well preserved, as they were new. The urn survived the events of April 9, 1948, known in the Colombian history as El Bogotazo, when presidential candidate of the Liberal Party, Jorge Eliecer Gaitán, was assassinated and the city was attacked by angry hordes, especially in its administrative buildings.

Bogotá is thinking what to put in the next urn that should keep the message of this generation for the 22th century… if there is anybody around by then…

A group of scholars directed by the Bogotanean writer Andrés Ospina and the support of literature student Paula Moya (Javeriana University) and fine arts student Laura Peralta (Jorge Tadeo Lozano University), will launch in July a research on the evolution of Spanish language in Bogotá. The work has the title Bogotálogo: usos, desusos y abusos del español hablado en Bogotá (Bototalogian: uses, disuses and abuses of the Spanish spoken in Bogotá.)

Photo Colombian Academy of the Language, the first and oldest academy of the world dedicated to the Spanish language. Photo by Pedro Felipe

Colombia, as the second largest Spanish country after Mexico and first than Spain, has also the fame as the best spoken Spanish of the world for its diction and grammar following. Víctor García, director of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language in a summit in Medellín in 2007, said in an interview to Caracol Radio that such fame is true. García said that the Colombian Spanish has kept the tradition because it was the will of the Fathers of the Independence and their worry to preserve the language.

During the Independent movements that took place in 1810, the leaders were fighting rather for autonomy from the Spaniard Iberian authorities than against the Spanish culture itself. The ideal was that the Spanish Americans and the European Spaniards were equal and then speaking the best Spanish language was a way to demonstrate that Americans were not inferior to Europeans at all.

This cultural process, so important as the battles against the royal armies, conducted to the foundation of the first world academy dedicated to the preservation of the Spanish language. It was the Colombian Academy of the Language founded in 1871 by the prominent linguistics Rufino José Cuervo and Miguel Antonio Caro.

A country of dialects

However, there is not either a Colombian Spanish. In a huge territory, twice bigger than Spain, with the survival of several ancestral American cultures and the influence of African tribes brought by the slavery colonial markets, you can discover different kinds of dialectal Spanish in the many Colombian regions. What we call the Colombian Spanish with the good fame of the best is the one that comes from urban regions like Bogotá, Medellín, Bucaramanga, Cartagena de Indias and isolated rural populations with strong linked to the ancestral Spaniards.

But even in cities like Bogotá, there are very original idioms and the evolution of the colonial Spanish to what is own of the Colombian identity. However, modern times have contributed to a common unification of the European and American Spanish through massive media like music and soft operas. Thanks to it, the different national Spanish dialects can be understood for most Spanish speakers around the world.

In this sense is legitimate to compare Spanish with English: talking about European Spanish and Colombian Spanish is as talking about British English and American English. The difference is that the American Spanish will mean a more huge variety of versions from Argentina to Mexico and even United States than what we understand when we mention American English referring only to the US.

The importance of works like a Bogotanean Spanish

The Secretary of Education of Bogotá and the Institute for the Cultural Patrimony of the capital of Colombia, are the main sponsors of research works like the one of Andrés Ospina and his team.

Bogotá, es the ancient colonial capital of the Vice-royalty of New Granada, plays a big part in the preservation of the Colombian Spanish. Studying its evolution, idioms and tendencies is a great contribution to the language of Cervantes. The study means also a conception of the city as an alive organism with 500 years of history.

File: Drug trade map by DEA

The authorities declared that the operation to end the criminal band began two years ago. They criminals, who send cocaine and heroine to Spain, had as center of operations the capital of Colombia.

The authorities declared also that the chief of the traffickers was Óscar Gordillo Díaz, who coordinated the recruitment of personnel to be used as cocaine and heroin transporters to Spain.

Other recent operations

The Colombian Police arrested also 11 members of another trafficking band last February in Bogotá. They were dedicated to send heroin to US through contacts with the Mexican drug cartels to the New York drug markets. Three of the arrested drug traffickers were asked in extradition to US.

The traffickers used human drug transportation like drug ingesting or hidden the drug in the clothe, laptop computers, false-bottomed suitcases and shoes.

The three persons that are required by American authorities are known by their criminal nick names like Don R, who was the chief of the criminals, El Negro, who managed the transportation and distribution of the drug and a woman known as La Negra, who was the contact with the Mexican mafias. The District Court of East New York asked them in extradition before the Colombian authorities under charges of drug trafficking.

Trafficking operations

Although the big amount of funds dedicated to the global War of Drugs leaded by United States, Colombia stills one of the main platforms for international drug traffickers of cocaine, heroin and others to European and US consume markers.

Traffickers use to engage persons, especially from poor communities, to be human transporters of drugs. Oppressed by unemployment and lack of opportunities in their developing countries, many of them accept the criminal offerings to bring drugs to rich nations with the illusion of improving their standard of life and the one of their families.

The generic label of Colombians as traffic dealers by some international authorities, make that the mafias look for transporters of other nationalities, including citizens of European countries.

The global discussion on the legalization of drugs as a way to end the mafias power still on the move. Recently, Colombian President Álvaro Uribe declared that legalization is not the solution and that it could lead only to an augment in consume. However, the Dutch case still to be analyze, while thousands of persons are assassinated, kidnapped, threatened or terrorized by the influence of the drug gangs in countries like Colombia, Mexico and the same US.

Cali.

Photo Colombia en London

United States and Spain still the main destine for Colombian migrants. Most of them went to those countries in order to work, save money and return, but things do not go so easy. It is usual that parents let their small children and partners, while trying to make a living in hard works in most industrialized nations. The saving is sent back to Colombia to support studies, housing and other economical needs of their love ones.

The 2008-2009 financial global crisis made things difficult for migrants. In Europe, the raising of unemployment hit especially Spain and many Colombians had to return to their country home, many of them without a cent in the pockets. At the same time, the families that remained in the country became dependent of the regular economical support that used to come from abroad.

According with the research of El Tiempo, the Colombian states that receive most of the money orders from abroad in the last years were Valle del Cauca (28.6%), Antioquia (16.6%), Bogotá (15%) and Risaralda (12.2%). But though the financial crisis, many Colombians are still looking for best opportunities in other countries, according with AESCO, a Spaniard – Latin American Fund for cooperation. AESCO says that 1,300 potential migrants in Cali consulted the database of the foundation looking for opportunities of employment abroad. Only 30 Colombian migrants subscribed to the Spaniard program “Volunteer Return” (Retorno voluntario). It consists that the migrant applies to the program in order to return to his/her country and the Spaniard government gives them some benefits.

By its part, Colombia has some programs to receive the returned migrants. The Risaralda state – which capital is Pereira -, created an office to attend the migrants, because it is also one of the Colombian regions with more persons abroad (130,000). As for the Valle del Cauca, the local government signed an agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AESCO and official RCI channel.

Send us Money

The families of the migrants are the first beneficiary of their effort in the foreign country. While the migrant has to sacrifice many things in order to get the expected Euros or Dollars, their families in Colombia receive a good income that gives life and progress. This practice became in the last decade an important share in the GDP of Colombia. According to the studies, in 2008 Colombians living abroad sent to their country a total of 4,848 million of dollars. It means, for example, that migrants are sending to the Colombian economy more money than what it gains from coffee exports.

The secretary of government of the State of Valle del Cauca said to El Tiempo that it is very important to give advice to migrants through organizations like AESCO and the mass media.

‘Hay cantidad de compatriotas en condiciones difíciles, sobre todo en España. La idea es que cuando se toma la decisión de abandonar el país, por lo menos la gente esté informada, se requiere el compromiso del Estado’

‘There are a number of countrymen in difficult conditions, especially in Spain. The idea is that anyone who decides to abandon the country, at least gets a good information and it is necessary the compromise of the government.’

By other hand, Jorge Alberto Marín López, manager of the official RCI (Region International Channel), said that the 50% of Colombians abroad are in United States (La Florida and New York-New Jersey-Connecticut), Spain and Venezuela. Canada and Ecuador are second in number for their program of asylum (also Venezuela) and Argentina receives Colombians for studies.

Marín López underlines that the 30% of Colombians who abandon the country are professionals, a situation that is worrying, because most of them will not return.

But migration generates several problems as it has its benefits. In most of the cases, the migrant causes a familiar disintegration. According to the study, many of them let their small children with other relatives, a situation that causes side effects in the children like disobedience, depression and the feeling of abandonment. Many children of migrants have a low performance at school and the dialogue with their parents is reduced to Chat and phone calls.

In the black continent to be albino is not easy. They can be persecuted for their condition by magicians who consider their body as an amulet. Cases of killing of albinos have been reported in several countries and even there are organizations for their protection and rights.

The young African decided to flee his original country because he fears for his safety due to his condition, he said to the Spaniard authorities in Canarias.

Moszy said also to El Mundo newspaper that his body was looked by magicians to be used in rituals, a declaration that shocked the public opinion in Spain. His request of political asylum will be considered by the Spaniard Commission for Refugees.

According to popular believes in huge regions of Africa, parts of the body of albinos can bring fortune, a reason that put in danger their life and generate persecution. Moreover, the solar radiation of tropical lands is the other foe of the albinos.

The Spaniard magazine, a virtual media between politics, fashion and society in the European country, said that the “brand” president (as the magazine wrote), dressed up a design of the Colombian Miguel Caballero, a very popular fashion designer in Latin America and specialized in bulletproof vests.

For his security, there was not only the shielded limousine, but many other measures to protect a president who likes to be among the people, something that makes more difficult his protection.

To design a bulletproof vest is not just create a strong material like the Middle Age armors. It must be slight to avoid easy movement, for example in a dance.

Although the secret service did not confirmed the information to the Spaniard magazine, it speculates that the vest should be made with a material similar to Kevlar, able to resist a shoot of 9 millimeters.

During the dance at the White House, Obama wore a custom gala, also made by the same material.

The comment of elconfidencial.com ended with an appreciation for the work of Caballero with a little fun:

By the way, this Colombian has an infallible control of quality: he shoots an employee to proof the quality of the final product.

The government of Rodríguez Zapataro kept a prudent distance from the government of president George Bush. Zapatero analyzed the first speech of Obama in his possession as president of the United States. The Spaniard president said that the idea of the reduction of the role of the State in the public sector was a dogma of the US policies. In his opinion, Obama has a sign of identity of pure social democracy that is Liberalism in US terms and that defers from what it is in Europe.

Guantanamo, a place under the US administration in the Cuban island, has 250 prisoners captured in Iraq and Afghanistan as suspects of terrorism. The prison was a part of the Bush program against global terrorism. Guantanamo became a black spot in the foreign US relations. Several organizations have accused US of torture and violation of the human rights in Guantanamo.

Although many of the prisoners have been classified as real dangerous, most of them have not charges. If any of them could be linked to a criminal activity, their ruling would be declared illegal because most of them have been tortured.

The discussion about Guantanamo will be at its high level next 26 of January when the foreign ministries of the European Union will talk about the issue.

The judge stated that President Uribe of Colombia has worked for freedom and has opposed strongly to situations of terrorism and its consequences like the hostages of groups that use terror as a weapon to fight their political proposals.

The municipality of Cádiz recognized the improvement in safety in the country, fighting terrorism in Colombia with the support of the police and military forces. The judge stressed the personality of President Uribe and his strong character to defend the rule of law and freedom in his country.

Cádiz, the capital of the Cádiz Province in the Andalucía Autonomous Community, keeps strong links to the history of the Latin American nations since the Conquest of South and Central America by the Spaniards. In 1812 the city was the place where members of the resistance against the France of Napoleon, signed the first Spaniard constitution in union with Latin American leaders. The 1812 Cádiz Constitution was a model for most of the Latin American new-created republics of the 19th century.

The Cortes de Cádiz (Cádiz Courts) for Freedom, was created to prepare also the 200 years Anniversary of the 1812 Cádiz Constitution that involved the history of Spain and Latin America.

The report concluded that the increase in the number of permanent residents increased 2.5% in comparison with 2007. Most of the persons who received Spaniard resident come from Europe itself, especially Romania with 29.017 citizens.

Argentinians, Bolivians and Ukrainians were the less number of foreigners accepted with permanent residence with numbers less than thousand persons.

The 41.4% of accepted foreigners come from Europe, the 29% from Spanish-speaking countries, the 20.4% from Africa, the 6% from Asia and the 3% from non-Communitarian European countries.

Romanians, with 715,750 persons, have the biggest number in Spain followed closely by Moroccans with 681,929 persons. The third group of foreigners in Spain is made by Ecuadorians with 387,927 and the fourth of Colombians with 259,946 persons.