July 20: Colombian Independence Day

Although without as much tradition as the 4th of July (making me appreciate barbecues, fireworks, and home-made ice cream), Colombians usually celebrate the day with a military parade and family activities. However, as you might have seen through international media, on Sunday Colombians used the national holiday to coordinate worldwide Freedom Marches in the major cities here in the country as well as abroad in Paris, Mexico City, and others. Here in Medellin, the Interact clubs of the city joined together (and included me) to peacefully march in solidarity against the FARC, kidnappings, and the return of violence. We all met wearing white shirts in the Plaza Botero and started chanting among large Botero sculptures, white balloons, proud Colombian flags, and press cameras. Continuing along a main avenue, we chanted "Uribe, amigo, el pueblo esta contigo" (Uribe, friend, the people are with you), "No mas FARC", and "Los queremos libres, saludables, y vivos" (We want them free, healthy, and alive--referring to the 700+ captives still in FARC posession). Eventually we ended in one of the main plazas for a public concert with local groups and a popular Colombian band, although I unfortunately could not tolerate the tropical heat nor clausterphobic crowd after standing for five hours straight and so left before the main act started. It was intoxicating to be part of such an important cause, and although people seem to think that the demonstrations do much to alter the activities of the FARC, it does show international rejection of them as terrorists.