Portfolio

Andrea Carolina Martinez Becerra

Teacher

Jesus Jose Ibarra Torrenegra

Studen

Universidad Tecnolgica de Bolvar

Cartagena Bolivar
2016

Other
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NEWS
Escobars renegade hippo strolls through Colombian town, terrifying residents
written by Lyra Bartell August 04, 2016

Locals in a town near the late Pablo Escobars Haciendo Napoles have been both
intrigued and terrified to find hippos wandering down their streets.
One of the rogue hippos was spotted in Doradal, a small village in the municipality
of Puerto Triunfo, midway between Bogota and Medellin.
This is not the first time hippos have been seen in the area, and despite efforts at
containing the rapidly growing population, it will probably not be the last.
As biologist David Echeverri Lopez of the environmental organization Cornare
explained, For many years, these animals have gotten out to the town, but they
dont do it everyday, they have defined routes, they just dont always abide by
them, newspaper El Tiempo reported.
The vagrant hippos are another living vestige of Pablo Escobars reign of violence,
living happily in the swampy Magdalena River basin in northern Antioquia.
In the early 1980s, the infamous drug lord brought four hippos as well as other
exotic animals to his ranch, Hacienda Napoles, where they began reproducing.
After Escobar was killed in 1993, some hippos were given to zoos, yet 24 very
sexually active adult hippos took up permanent residency in the river near
Escobars ranch.
There are now estimates of 50-60 wild hippos living in the region, composing the
largest hippo population outside of Africa. Theyre so content in the Colombian
climate theyve started becoming sexually active as young as three years old,
whereas the typical age in Africa is between nine and eleven years old.
At first, Colombians saw these animals as cuddly and floppy. Then the hippos
started roaming the countryside, trampling farmers crops and even small cows.

Coca Cola facing terrorism support charges in Colombia

written by Adriaan Alsema August 09, 2016
Multinational beverage producer Coca Cola is one of more than 50 companies
that will be charged with financing the now-defunct Colombian paramilitary AUC
group, a designated terrorist organization.
Several courts will reportedly forward evidence of the involvement of the
companies in financing the AUC, which killed many dozens of labor rights
defenders during its existence between 1997 and 2006, to a transitional justice
tribunal.
Among the 57 companies are other major multinationals like Chiquita and
Drummond.
Colombias state-run oil company Ecopetrol, the countrys largest soft-drink
producer Postobon and the countrys largest cement company, Cementos Argos
are also among the suspected terrorism supporters.
The companies are among a list of 120 companies named by demobilized
paramilitaries as financiers of the AUC, which committed more than 130
massacres and displaced millions.

Colombia and FARC rebels reach historic peace deal after bloody war
written by Reuters August 11, 2016
Colombias government and leftist FARC rebels unveiled a final peace deal on
Wednesday to end a 50-year-old guerrilla war, one of the worlds longest conflicts
which took the resource-rich country to the brink of being a failed state.
The two sides said they had reached an agreement to end the conflict and build a
stable peace, in a joint statement read out by representatives of Cuba and Norway,
who are mediators in the talks.
The historic agreement foresees the demobilization of the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC), whose cocaine-funded rebels fought the government
in a war that killed at least 265,000 people. Tens of thousands disappeared and
millions fled their homes because of the violence.
The deal, opposed by two former Colombian presidents, still needs to be voted on
in a referendum and signed.

Bogota homeless given poisoned food: Human rights office

written by Adriaan Alsema August 16, 2016
Bogotas homeless people are being fed poisoned food, the human rights office of
Colombias capital told the city council on Tuesday.
The capital districts human rights coordinator, Carmen Teresa Castaeda told the
council that several human rights officials have received complaints about the
allegedly intentional poisoning of street dwellers.
We know that through the indiscriminate provision of food to these people they
are being given poison and harmful substances, Castaeda was quoted as saying
by newspaper El Tiempo.
The human rights official said her office is investigating who is distributing the
poisoned food. She did not say how many people have been poisoned so far and
whether people have died.
I want to have the evidence that allow me to come out and strongly make these
claims, but in the meantime I want to call for attention, said Castaeda.
Bogotas homeless problem has become a major pain in the neck for Mayor
Enrique Pealosa, which only seems to be getting worse.
The mayor tried the hard-line approach, evicting a sector in the city center called
The Bronx that had become Colombias most infamous drug dealing area.

Pope Francis declines invitation to help pick judges for Colombia post-conflict court
written by Adriaan Alsema August 18, 2016

Pope Francis has declined an invitation by Colombia President Juan Manuel

Santos to help pick judges for a transitional justice tribunal in the event a peace
deal with FARC rebels is approved by the people.
In a statement published by the Vatican, the Catholic Church leadership said the
pope reiterates his support for the goal of attaining the peace and reconciliation of
the entire Colombian people.
However, the pope declined to take part in the justice system that will try to rule
over the tens of thousands of war crimes committed during more than half a
century of violence.
Considering the universal vocation of the Church and the mission of the
Successor of Peter as shepherd of Gods people, it would be more appropriate this
task would be entrusted to other bodies, the statement said.
The Colombian president had asked the United Nations and the Catholic Churchs
highest clergy to help pick judges for the justice system that is among the most
controversial elements of the peace deal between the government and the FARC,
Colombias oldest and by far largest rebel group.

Colombias opposition paints apocalyptic picture of post-conflict

written by Adriaan Alsema August 23, 2016
Colombias former President Alvaro Uribe, the main opponent of peace with far-left
FARC rebels, warned his country of disastrous consequences of the peace accord
presented to Thursday.
In a lengthy speech, Uribe warned that his successor, President Juan Manuel
Santos, has put the country on the path towards the respective communist and
socialist governments of Cuba and Venezuela.
This is how [former Cuban President Fidel] Castro and [ late Venezuelan
President] Chavez began. They let their people without food. Then they destroyed
the industry, the entire economy, chased away businessmen and ruined the
workers.
Former President Alvaro Uribe
Uribes increasingly apocalyptic visions of Colombias future after peace with the
Marxist FARC coincides with the increasingly probable possibility the former
President will appear before a transitional justice tribunal over thousands of human
rights violations committed under his watch.
Moreover, his brother is currently in jail for allegedly forming a paramilitary death
squad and the former president himself is implicated in paramilitary war crimes.
The former president has resisted talks with the FARC since their initial
announcement in 2012 and has rejected most of the agreements made during the
negotiations.

Pereiras Latino: Beyond Colombias typical cuisine

written by Erin Donaldson August 25, 2016
Its easy finding typical food in Pereira, the unofficial capital of Colombias coffee
region. Whats not so easy is finding a restaurant that takes the local cuisine
beyond that.
Anyone who has visited Colombia has probably tasted the arepa, sancocho and
beans. These are the typical foods and flavors of the central corridor of the Andes
Mountains.
This region is the most populated part of Colombia from Bogota to Medellin, and
Pereira. This zone is also the mainstay of food culture in Colombia too. Which is
why, travelers will benefit from the unique flavors offered by a restaurant named
Latino, in Pereira.
At Latino, travelers can now discover a taste that is beyond typical delving into the
lesser known flavors and cultures of the Pacific and Caribbean regions of
Colombia.
You almost wouldnt notice this place if you drove by. Aside from the logo, which
has been painted on the side of the building, it is very unassuming, simple and
even a bit eccentric in its ambiance & decor.