The COLOMBIA Story.

Previously posted on my Facebook page. Not updated.

NEWS. “Gustavo Petro wins the Colombian election, becoming the country’s first leftist president.” News adds: “The victory by the former rebel sets the third-largest nation in Latin America on a new path.” I don’t feel any weight on “Leftist” prez whatsoever. As 21st century strode in, we blurred the ism line no matter how media continually draw/s us to paradigm stereotypes. None of that figure in my head, not anymore.

       China is capitalism with a bit of “Common Prosperity” modification in between. Russia shed its hardline apparatchik girth to sell its crude oil and natural gas a-la market economics of the West. And what about oil-rich Middle East? Or the vaunted Asian Tigers? Goodbye, cultural/religious exclusivity. Compromise, interface, rebranding work.

       Patron Petro could be a Leftist revolutionary then. But the present time requires leadership acumen that goes left to right and center and wherever in practical agility per needed. Right here and right now. And this is Gustavo’s board: GDP growth rate is 6 percent, higher than the U.S. right now. But unemployment is 11.2 percent. And other pressing issues per heightened superpower benefactors’ “war” of narcissism. 🇨🇴🇨🇴🇨🇴

LET’s cut to the chase: Colombia is, no doubt, United States’ best bet in Latin/South America, especially following the recent lukewarm Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, hosted by President Biden.

       Top leaders of the region snubbed Potus or simply were out. Mexico, Honduras, Bolivia, El Salvador, Cuba, and Nicaragua. Others sent “token” diplomatic representation. How Biden would work around these facts, and how Petro reacts and responds, are what interest me. Remember, Senor Gustavo campaigned on several promises that run counter to years of U.S.-Colombia relations.

       Yet in the background, here are pertinent facts: Colombia is 4th top U.S. oil importer, dislodging Russia out of the Top 10 due to the obvious. Colombia is the only NATO member and top recipient of US aid in the region. Clearly, Colombia has long been one of Washington's closest allies in Latin America. Pre-2022 change of leadership, Bogota could be the best Washington buddy in the Americas. 🇨🇴🇨🇴🇨🇴

BESIDES what I mentioned below in the area of trade and security, Colombia and the United States had close dealings on the Venezuelan migrant crisis and the fight against the illegal drug trade. But would these still hold with Petro on Bogota’s steering wheel?

       Consider that Petro seeks reestablishing Bogotá’s direct relationship with Caracas per the election runup. Take note as well that Petro has strongly criticized the U.S. policy in Latin America on narcos, which has focused on the eradication of crops and the extradition of cartel leaders. He instead wants to legalize medicinal marijuana and create more economic incentives so impoverished farmworkers don’t see the coca plant as their only choice for livelihood.

       Petro, a former guerrilla fighter, also proposed reopening peace talks with the ELN rebel group as another step in “peacefully dismantling drug-trafficking.” But Washington has dismissed the ELN as a terrorist organization.

       President Biden could probably explore “climate change,” which is a cornerstone of Petro's promised policies. But that’d be less priority in Petro’s agenda: He has to live up to the expectations of voters who shunned the traditional parties over worsening inequality and persistent violence. First things first.

       For Biden to still hold on Bogota? Talk about the oil. Rest the security pitch. Talk economics. Oil. I am sure Gustavo Petro would love to talk more of that. 🇨🇴🇨🇴🇨🇴

Visual: BBC. Local Travel Agency in Colombia. iStock.

HOW IT WAS.

Compiled from my previous Facebook posts. 

Old fan magazines in the Philippines. The most popular was called Kislap (sparkle). Showbiz gossip. The “better” read was Liwayway because this komiks-magasin also featured short stories and illustrated, serialized novels. Entertaining though. In those days, many categorized Kislap etcetera as “bakya” or low-class. Let’s fast forward to present times: “Gossips” are tossed via the internet. Then shared as silly, juvenile memes on Facebook. Tell me then, what is “low class.” 📰🇵🇭📰

Do you still iron your pants? Or clothes? Years ago, I did so diligently. My pants would have a neat “fold mark.” And so whenever I walked, I was like a robot-walkin’ lest my pants would get crumpled. In the Philippines, before drying or ironing (freshly laundried) pants and polo shirts, we soaked them in “gawgaw” or water thickened by cornstarch or cassava powder. Dried under the sun, then mom would iron them. Voila! Well-pressed pants!👖👔👖

These days a singular soda brand has many “incarnations.” Coke Classic, Coke Zero, Diet Coke etcetera. Then, when I was a little boy in the Philippines, the most popular was Cosmos Sarsaparilla. Aside from rivals Coke and Pepsi, others were Sarsi, Merinda, Uva Canada Dry, Royal Tru Orange etcetera. But soda were special drinks or treats-only when we had extra money. We usually drank “samalamig” or cold drinks concocted from fruits and coconut. 🥤🍼🧋

I used to obsessively watch all awards shows on TV: Oscar, Grammy, Emmy etcetera including beauty contests, a family favorite. I even kept a notebook of lists: Whoever won. But times have changed, indeed. I lost interest in awards shows, all of them. Judges seem to line up nominees and winners per diversity quotient, not because of aesthetic merits. Hosting is insulting. How many Oscar Best Picture nominees? Ten? Everybody’s happy. Uh huh. 🎬🎭🎼

“Songhits” was a publication that featured lyrics of popular songs. I used to save up from my school allowance to get me Songhits, especially when there were new pop hits on AM radio. And since I was already collecting vinyl records at that time, singing along with my fave cuts was sheer fun. My pleasures: “Il Mondo” by Engelbert Humperdinck, “I (Who Have Nothing)” by Tom Jones, “Walk Away” by Matt Monro, and Beatles and Bee Gees songs. 🎼🎼🎼

Santacruzan is a Catholic pageant held on the last day of the Flores de Mayo or “Flowers of May.” It honors the finding of the True Cross by Helena of Constantinople a.k.a. Reyna Elena and Constantine the Great. Its connection with May is the May 3 date of Roodmas etcetera. Highlight is the parade of village queens: Reina de las Flores, Reina Elena, and Reina Emperatríz. We walked alongside, singing: “Dios te salve, Maria. Llena eres de gracia…” Memories. 💐✝️💐

Share food with neighbors. Those days? The Reyes’es and Smiths could smell your seafood paella or beef bourguignon, Shared some! These days: People are suspicious of people. Worse, in case they see a sticker in your car, decor in your yard, or breed of your dog that suggests you’d be conservative or liberal, forget it. Or if you offer your neighbor air-fried chicken feet or squirrel casserole, ask first if they’re vegans or wellness personages, okay? LOL! 🍲😋🥘

Familiar with “Letter to the Editor,” Uh huh? (Print) newspapers of yore? Letters should be no more than 200 words. “Be sure to state your main point in the subject line and in the first sentence of the letter.” Brevity. Still, letter-senders were edited further per available space and subject’s current significance vis a vis current events. These days, we have Facebook et al. We write/post whatever zips along in our noggin, 24/7. Yet we whine per the First Amendment. ✍️📰✍️

“Inuman ng barkada.” Or drinking socials. Drinking alcohol wasn’t always done alone or in the solitary confines of one’s house. It was a sociocultural function. Drinks were equally shared. One round, one bottle each. Or via “tagay,” everybody drank on the same glass in a round interval/process. No one overdrank otherwise everybody overdrank, which was seldom. Jokes and songs were obligatory, no arguments, no unfriending. Everybody laughed. 

       Staple in “inuman ng barkada” is “pulutan,” finger foods while drinking with your homies. Examples of pulutan: grilled shrimp, raw oysters, “kinilaw” (ceviche), fried calamari, green mangoes, bacon skewers, fishballs, corn-dogged quail egg (“kwek-kwek”) and other street foods, including “balut” (you know what that is). 😊🍻😜

“Talipapa” is a temporary makeshift market selling food (in the Philippines), with easily removable stalls under inclined flat sheds. These spots are usually located in small villages, complementary to the bigger open market (“palengke”). Talipapas are put up in either private lots owned by a generous resident or an idle government property. My dad used to work (pro bono) for City Hall permits for a talipapa in our Quezon City suburban village of Project 6. 🍆🍞🥦

Photo credit: The Falcon Press.