In October 2023, I had the pleasure again of visiting my wife’s homeland, Colombia. It’s been a while since I last found myself in the country, which made the contrasts to my previous visit more pronounced. I experienced Colombia as a country in rapid change, both positively and negatively, which I will elaborate further in this newsletter.
Colombia is a wild experience for all the senses. It is 26 times larger than Denmark and has a population of approximately 50 million, with 8 million living in the capital, Bogota. You have to search far and wide to find such hospitality and openness. I met a people who carry an indomitable belief in a better future, even though their history has been brutal. I encountered a pride and a people on equal footing who gladly showcase the best their country has to offer, without hiding the obvious challenges this nation faces. From previous travels in the East, I have experienced an inequality in the interaction with the local population that almost borders on submission. That is not at all the case in Colombia.
Our journey this time was limited to the cities of Bogota, Cali, and Medellin. These cities are vibrant metropolises and provide a good representation of where Colombia stands today: divided into safe and unsafe zones and characterized by both abundance and poverty. You experience a multitude of people and street vendors selling all sorts of delights for the palate, while salsa rhythms and reggaeton blast from the speakers. Contrasts are everywhere, and they are spiced up with a chaotic urban pulse that rarely rests completely. Fortunately, we also had the opportunity to enjoy some of Colombia’s lavish nature, where the deafening inferno of the cities and their diesel fumes were replaced by the quiet rustling of the river and the exotic birdsong of the forest.
Traffic is massive in Bogota and in other major cities of Colombia. Way back in 1998, the city council in Bogota introduced what is called “Pico y Placa”, a traffic regulation measure designed to reduce traffic jams and pollution by limiting access for vehicles on certain days based on the last digit of their license plates. Thus, half of the vehicles are off the road every day, except for Sunday. However, this is hardly noticeable. Motorcycles are allowed to drive every day, making them an especially popular mode of transportation in the city. Public transportation, with few exceptions, runs on the same congested roads, so it is not a shortcut to increased accessibility.
Then there are the safety issues. When cars are stationary in traffic, they are more vulnerable to robberies in broad daylight. This also applies to public transportation. Every day, there are stories in the media about robberies and assaults, which mostly can be described as acquisitive crimes. Whether the problem is as severe as the media coverage suggests, I cannot say, but it is certainly something that concerns the population to such an extent that expensive jewelry and smartphones are hidden away before venturing into public spaces. And of course, all doors on one’s vehicle are locked. If one enters the poorer areas of the city, especially the southern part of the city after dark, it’s worth considering whether one should stop at a red light, or whether it’s better to keep the car moving and get away.
Bogota’s residential areas are divided into levels 1-6, also called ‘estratos’, a system that classifies areas based on their socioeconomic characteristics. Estrato 1 is the lowest and characterizes areas with low income and the most basic living conditions. Estrato 6 refers to the wealthiest areas with the highest standard of living and access to all conceivable services. Housing prices naturally reflect the level assigned to the residential area. Generally, the wealthiest areas (levels 4-6) are located in the northern end of the city, and levels 1-3 in the central and southern parts.
The estrato system is also used to determine prices for public utilities such as water, electricity, and gas. People in lower estratos pay less for these services, while those in higher estratos pay more. This is a form of cross-subsidization, where the wealthier help finance the costs for the poorer. The estrato system plays a central role in the social and economic structure of Colombian cities.
