[Note: Ancizar Castrillon is a
Colombian author and song writer who wrote this piece for a project called Andino Historico 1810-2010. The poem has been
circulating throughout Colombia and captures the lingering questions many
Colombians have regarding the government-promoted bicentennial independence
celebrations that took place this summer. The question for many Colombians is,
“What independence have we gained?” Many Colombians say, “We gained our
independence from Spain only to inherit the imperial yoke of the United
States.” Communities that CPT Colombia accompanies commemorated 200 years
of resistance and struggle this summer, and it is in that spirit the team shares
Castrillon’s poem. The original in Spanish is available at https://ancizarcastrillon.com/blog/]
Colombian Bicentennial 2010
What
Bicentennial of Colombia are we talking about?
What are they
telling me about, I wonder
if they are two hundred years of
shattered dreams
What Bicentennial are they telling me about
if
the whip only changed hands
Those who conquered us,
never left
if even in some squares of our town
they made
statues, busts and temples
that say nothing of all their
abuses
The story has not changed in two hundred years
in
our own land, we are strangers
they stole our gold and riches
and
in return left us only poverty
Then came others …
ravenous wolves
They
put colors into our thoughts
taught
the people, that they had to hate us
and between red and blue, we
were dying
The country has been injured since the
start
the faith they imposed on us with new fears
with creeds
and with crosses, they forced us to bow
the others, by force,
displaced us
Those who conquered us, who did not
leave,
they keep conquering us by other means
today they no
longer use armor, vests and helmets
they have refined the way to
make us submit
The others just look with complacency
as
the people drown in misery
those conquistadors, who today are more
modern
do not forget the greed of their ancestors
And
with a slogan in their thinking
they seem to say: let’s get the
rest
… The others, with our own consent,
have been lying for
two hundred years
Colors do not matter now, nor
feelings
it has become a rainbow in our blue sky
to be honest
… does not count, because to be honest
making money is the only
thing that matters
Between conquerors and ravenous
wolves
some of the past, others modern
little by little the
country, they are taking
that is why today I ask, sounding
strange
WHAT BICENTENNIAL ARE THEY TELLING ME ABOUT?
–ANCIZAR
CASTRILLON SANTA
