A Little Outraged

Today was a frustrating day. This week has been good so far, I've been very busy conducting interviews and transcribing them, but as always I have learned a lot.

Today I was waiting for a leader to conduct an interview and bumped into a couple of other leaders I had met before. They told me that at 2 o'clock there was a meeting at the city council, and that I should go. I jumped at the chance because to me those meetings are very informative, and it is also important to see the institutions and the displaced population interact.

Unfortunately, after waiting for about 30 minutes outside the city council, we were informed that the meeting was moved to August 5th. This is when my outrage started. I have seen the displaced fight for visibility and to be taken seriously, yet they keep being ignored. Today was an example of the lack of commitment on the part of the government. There were about 200 people there for the meeting, some of whom did not even have 4 cents in their pockets (literally). Some of them cannot find a job, and therefore must beg at the stop lights in the rich neighborhoods of the city. Others missed work because they wanted to be heard. This was a slap in the face. Many of the people who attended today can't even afford to pay the bus fare, and then they must turn around and come back at a later date? I am sorry but this is outrageous, at least to me.

Now, the population is arranging to do a march, a march similar to the one that took place here in Medellin last Friday. The difference is that this time they want to march from Medellin to Bogota to demand their rights in the capital. This would be an arduous march. Bogota is over 9 hours away from Medellin if you are driving, and one must go up the Andes, and then down them. It amazes me what they are willing to do to try to become visible. And it amazes me even more how they keep being ignored.