Colombia Calling - The English Voice In Colombia podcast

1:10:51

This week on the Colombia Calling podcast, we speak to Lorena Estupiñán-Pedraza, a professor of international relations and political science from Boyaca, but resident in the southern city of Cali. In a far-ranging conversation, we discuss Lorena's PhD studies public policy implementation in Boyaca, local problems with global impacts and all about what it means to be from Boyaca and to understand the Boyacense idiosyncrasy and culture. Tune in to this, the Colombia Briefing with Emily Hart and subscribe to the podcast.…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
555: "The World is Sick," a New Documentary on the Ancient Healing Medicine of Ayahuasca 1:05:12

14天之前1:05:12

1:05:12

A new documentary, in the making, seeks to document the sacred nature of an ancient medicine. We're all familiar with vivid tales of projectile vomiting and the complete loss of bodily functions during an ayuahuasca ceremony but who, amongst us, has really explored the benefits of a ritual? This documentary seeks to educate us, through a carefully curated journey from the lands of the Taitas (shamans) in Putumayo, the process of creating the ayahuasca (also known as Yage), to the preparation of the ceremony, the ritual itself and then a reflection of the ceremony and its outcomes. The documentary maker: Sam Lipman-Stern is an Emmy Nominated Filmmaker with a passion for the visual arts that dates to his early days as a graffiti artist. In August 2023, HBO released Telemarketers, a 3-part limited documentary series created, executive produced and co-directed by Lipman-Stern. Time Magazine called it, "One of the Most Exciting Docuseries in Recent Years!" Sam Believ founded LaWayra retreat together with his wife Estefania in 2021. LaWayra was born as a passion project from the desire to drink medicine from our home and share medicine with some friends and slowly grew to become one of the best Ayahuasca retreats in the world. At the retreat they provide a world class Ayahuasca experience and stays for affordable prices. Check out: https://ayahuascaincolombia.com/ The Colombia Briefing is reported by Emily Hart View her Substack: https://harte.substack.com/ And please consider supporting the Colombia Calling podcast: https://patreon.com/colombiacalling…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
554: Lies, Damned Lies and Disinformation in Colombia 1:10:49

21天之前1:10:49

1:10:49

Jonathan Swift, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it.” … never truer than in 2025 This week on the Colombia Calling podcast Emily Hart and Richard McColl tackle the issue of disinformation and fact-checking in Colombia and fortunately, we don't have to take on this task alone but are joined by two experts in the field. Laura Sarabia Rangel is the Editor of El Detector de Mentiras at La Silla Vacia and Jose Felipe Sarmiento joins us from ColombiaCheck and we get to pick their brains about the need for fact-checking, disinformation in Colombia and how one undertakes the process of finding the truth. There have been so many circumstances where people and politicians have been saying things that are simply untrue, in Colombia specifically, about the health reform, the stigmatisation of indigenous communities or the denialism of the False Positives, to name a few. So, we get to hear how Laura and Jose Felipe work, put some rumours and untruths to bed and discuss what readers and consumers can do to make sure they’re consuming high quality media. The Colombia Briefing is reported by Emily Hart.…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
553: From the Indian Plains to the Andes Mountains 52:11

28天之前52:11

52:11

Sometimes, it's just fun to have an agreeable conversation, and this is why I enjoyed chatting to Vivek Jayaraman. Vivek was born in Tamil, India and in the way life takes its unusual routes has ended up living in northern Bogota and with a love of mountains - he's from the plains - and a firm desire to know and understand the regions of Cundinamarca and Boyacá, Colombia. In his words: "Thus was born Project Boyacá and Project Cundinamarca. The idea being that I visit all the 123 and 116 municipalities atleast once. "People associate this part of the world with drugs, violence and the remote jungles. My attempt is to try and change this perception, taking into account that Colombia is my wife's home country. "I got fascinanted by small towns having grown up in similar places back in India. It was equally impressive to see names of the towns that can trace their origins to the indigenous culture of Muisca that dominated this region - Guachetá, Guachetá, Machetá for example - Chetá refers to farmlands. The indigenous origin is not too appreciated here I also wanted to create awareness of these. "My wife is from Guachetá, Cundinamarca which is believed the town of the Son of Sun - Goranchacha, which she did not know before I met her. "Eventually I want to have a repository of these travels in a website with photographs, Instagram being an easy way. I have made 100 posts each year 2022 onwards. I was this close to create a calendar last year with photos from specific regions, then it was too expensive and too late. This being, the idea of India through the eyes of India." What a wonderful story, you'll agree. The Colombia Briefing is reported by Emily Hart.…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
552: The Myth of the Narco 1:17:14

5 weeks之前1:17:14

1:17:14

In order to understand the issue of the cocaine trade in Colombia, we need to look at three factors: 1. Drugs Policy as a Geopolitical tool. 2. Markets: A Political Economic issue. 3. Narratives: the Myth of the Narco. On the Colombia Calling podcast this week we speak to Estefanía Ciro Rodríguez, expert on drug politics, the cocaine economy and the Colombian armed conflict. We discuss la Escombrera in Medellin, Pablo Escobar, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Arms trafficking by the Sinaloa cartel and the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación to Colombia, genetically modified coca, cocaine seizures, the price of cocaine, and why Colombia as a nation needs to look in the mirror. Check out: https://alaorilladelrio.com The Colombia Briefing is reported by Emily Hart. Support her on Substack: https://substack.com/@ehart and Support us on: https://www.patreon.com/c/colombiacalling…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
551: Following in the footsteps of Roger Casement in Colombia 1:10:00

6 weeks之前1:10:00

1:10:00

Brendan Corrigan has had multiple jobs in his time in Colombia (dating back to 2011), and his most constant has been that of a contributing writer of acerbic observations for the El Tiempo national newspaper, with an office job in marketing thrown in for good measure and some forays into the acting world by way of a telenovela (soap opera) appearance here and there. However, there's been an ever present itch and it has been his desire to get out into the wilds of Colombia to see and experience some of the ground covered by "the forefather of human rights," Irishman Roger Casement. Aside: Who was Roger Casement? Roger Casement was commissioned to undertake a report on the reported abuse of workers in the rubber industry in the Putumayo basin in Peru. The report was published as a parliamentary paper (1911) and had considerable impact, gaining Casement international recognition as a humanitarian, his contribution being acknowledged with a knighthood. Anyhow, Brendan being an Irishman in Colombia has felt the strong urge to pursue some of the history surrounding his countryman and this led him to travel to La Chorrera in the department of Amazonas in Colombia where Casement had worked. We hear his tales from the road in Bogota, San José del Guaviare and la Chorrera. The Colombia Briefing is reported by Emily Hart.…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
550: Erin Donaldson in Colombia's Coffee Region 1:01:02

7 weeks之前1:01:02

1:01:02

As there are now a growing number of people considering moving to Colombia, and where better than the country's enticing Coffee Region, we decided to focus on this topic for this week. Known for its natural beauty and landscapes, lush countryside, friendly and hard-working people...it's an easy sell. But what happens when you are ready to take the next step beyond internet research and start the actual process of moving your life to the cities of Manizales, Pereira or Armenia or a pueblito nearby? This is where Erin Donaldson comes in! A long-time immigrant to the Eje Cafetero and now resident in Manizales, Erin knows the whole area like the back of her hand and can furnish anyone with all the information necessary:...taxes - no problem, healthcare - easy days, travel and transport - piece of cake. She'll help you make that transition from expat to immigrant. Enjoy this engaging conversation and check out her website: https://coffeeaxistravel.com and there find links to all of her other social media platforms including her YouTube channel. The Colombia Briefing is reported by Emily Hart.…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
549: Travel Trends in 2025 1:00:29

8 weeks之前1:00:29

1:00:29

Have you heard of "destination duping," "rosy retrospection," "JOMO," or "trailblazer hotels?" Well, with Colombia of course in mind given that this is the Colombia Calling podcast, we leap into 2025 with an upbeat episode discussing travel trends for this year. We mull over each of the aforementioned phrases with Bruce Mclean, travel expert and owner of BNBColombia Tours. Hear us talk about how Colombia may just return to being an "emerging tourism" destination again and stepping beyond this to establish itself as a global player...there's still a way to go, but it can happen and things are looking good for both 2025 and 2026. Oh and "JOMO," means "Joy of Missing Out!" Can you travel this way? Check out: https://bnbcolombia.com…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
548: Jazz for Peace with Rick DellaRatta 53:02

12 weeks之前53:02

53:02

Well, where to start with this interview?! It's that time of year when we endeavour to discuss more hopeful and positive episodes and then an email hit my inbox from Rick DellaRatta and Jazz for Peace. And thus the episode came into being. Rick DellaRatta is a multi instrumentalist, pianist, composer and founder of Jazz for Peace and we discuss what can be done to try and use music as a common ground for good. Rick shares the story of how Jazz For Peace began and what he is doing with it, We discuss Colombia, Brazil, India and then Rick plays some jazz on his keyboard live for us during the episode, can you guess the tracks (only available on YouTube: )? Check out: jazzforpeace.org…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
547: Tu Fiel Amigo, Colombia: the Colombia Calling podcast Christmas Appeal 2024 41:52

13 weeks之前41:52

41:52

We've never done this before, but heck, why not?! So, here is the first ever Colombia Calling Christmas Appeal in our 11 plus years of being on the air. Cartagena Paws and their supported Foundation of Tu Fiel Amigo in Cartagena have been on our radar for some time and a certainly deserving of some welcome help. We speak to Maureen Cattieu about the work of Cartagena Paws and Tu Fiel Amigo. Cartagena is home to nearly 400,000 street animals and the population is ever growing. As a way to help combat the overpopulation and contagious illnesses, Cartagena Paws has begun conducting large scale spay and release clinics, in addition to vaccine clinics in and around Cartagena. Spay and Neuter clinics serve two purposes: wide scale vaccination of both pets and strays and spay/neutering of stray animals. Maureen Cattieu founded Cartagena Paws in 2015, when she was living and teaching abroad in Cartagena, Colombia. Maureen spent over 10 years in Colombia working to help save the animals on the streets while focusing her instruction in the classroom on teaching empathy and compassion for all animals and living things. She currently lives and teaches in Key West, Florida, but continues to run Cartagena Paws, Inc. to the fullest of her abilities and saves countless lives throughout the years. She is dedicated to continuing out her lifelong mission to create positive change and awareness in the community and construct the first ever Educational-Based Animal Rescue Center in Cartagena, Colombia. There's WishList of Amazon if you feel like contributing. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3C93C87TISSII?ref_=wl_share…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
546: Torah Tropical in Cali: How Far Would You Go to Find God? 1:01:55

14 weeks之前1:01:55

1:01:55

The journey of making Torah Tropical began in 2021, in the midst of Colombia’s historic civil unrest. Despair at the Duque government’s policies and botched implementation of the Peace Process boiled until erupting into the tumultuous National Strike of April 2021. The uprising was the defining moment for a generation of young Colombians, a time those of us in the streets remember as an expression of hope, of a shared dream for a just society where a young person can aspire to a fulfilling, violence-free life. So, this week, we speak to Ezra Axelrod and David Restrepo about this new documentary and what making it meant to them and where it took them and the protagonists in terms of the great questions in life, religion, identity and place. Description of the Documentary: In a tropical paradise turned dystopian by the Drug War, a struggling Colombian family in the city of Cali, reinvent themselves as Orthodox Jews who believe God is calling them to the Promised Land. Over the course of year in which reality and religious parable collide, they risk everything in an attempt at making Aliyah to Israel, putting their faith and family to the ultimate test. Torah Tropical tells the universal story of searching for identity and belonging in the face of adversity. Through Isska and Menajem’s struggle to give their daughters a better life, the consequences of economic, racial and religious exclusion are explored with poetic intimacy, inviting audiences to fall in love with a family that defies stereotypes and inspires us to find hope in the middle of the world’s cruelest intersections. https://www.torahtropical.com…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
545: South America's Hidden Histories, a conversation with author Laurence Blair 1:14:14

15 weeks之前1:14:14

1:14:14

'Romantic, adventurous and thrilling ... remarkable' Telegraph 'Vivid, fast-paced and wonderfully ambitious … Patria teems with alternative stories of a continent’s life and peoples' New Internationalist In late 1869, Richard Francis Burton stepped ashore in Southampton, fresh from a sightseeing tour of bone-strewn South American battlefields. The most lethal conflict ever fought on the continent was still stumbling to its gory conclusion. But if the celebrity adventurer expected to be mobbed with reporters, he was disappointed. Burton was ‘mortified’ to perceive how oblivious his fellow Britons were to ‘perhaps the most remarkable campaign fought during the present century’. Tales of Dr Francia – Paraguay’s dour, iron-willed dictator for almost thirty years – had once piqued the public’s curiosity. But the country had since ‘dropped clean out of vision. Many, indeed, were uncertain whether it formed part of North or of South America.’ He found ‘blankness of face’ whenever Paraguay was mentioned, ‘and a general confession of utter ignorance and hopeless lack of interest’. Over 150 years later, the amnesia persists. If South America is a forgotten continent, Paraguay has fallen off the map altogether. Foreigners often confuse it with Uruguay, in many ways – a secular, liberal, World Cup-winner – Paraguay’s opposite. The world takes Paraguay’s drugs, beef, soybeans, migrant labourers, cleaners and midfielders, but has blanked out their distant source. In London, Madrid or New York, this might be understandable. But Paraguayans have long felt isolated and ignored even by their neighbours. In an aphorism so often repeated it has taken on the character of a curse, Augusto Roa Bastos – the country’s most famous novelist – described his nation as ‘an island surrounded by land’. So, we discuss and end up philosophising about Latin America's place in the world, Lawrence's adventures across the region, Colombia, Paraguay and his new book, "Patria, Lost Countries of South America." https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/435719/patria-by-blair-laurence/97818479246……

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
544: Gringo Tuesdays arrives in Cartagena 1:06:00

16 weeks之前1:06:00

1:06:00

It has become a cultural phenomenon in Colombia, beginning first in Bogota before branching out to Medellin, Cali, Lima (Peru) and now Cartagena...everyone knows all about Gringo Tuesdays. So, this week, coinciding with the launch of Gringo Tuesdays in Cartagena, we speak to co-founder Travis Crockett about how the business has grown, the differences in running events in each location, how they survived Covid and where they plan to expand to next...hint, two more overseas locations. This is a good news story about some entrepreneurs that took a punt on an idea and it worked, becoming one of the most unmissable nights for language exchange and then latin-style partying in Colombia. Tune in to hear about "bio pong," yes, you read that right, not "beer pong," but "bio pong," and other anecdotes from 13 years of running Gringo Tuesdays. We wish them all the best on this next venture in Cartagena. The Colombia Briefing is reported by Grace Brennan. https://www.gringotuesdays.co and support us https://www.patreon.com/colombiacalling…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
543: Returning to Macondo 1:07:39

17 weeks之前1:07:39

1:07:39

After nine years away, Tim Buendia, has made it back to the town of Aracataca - birthplace of Gabriel Garcia Marquez - and it seems timely with a new series based on the author's opus: "One Hundred Years of Solitude" due to be aired on 11 December 2024 on Netflix. Tim, an adopted son of Aracataca, is perhaps singlehandedly responsible for his tireless work in bringing international tourism to the birthplace of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Colombian Nobel Prize winning author. And it was all falling into place with tours, a steady stream of visitors and significant press coverage...and then he left. We discuss what this return to "Macondo" or Aracataca means to Tim, how he has been working diligently in the interim years to continue promoting Aracataca, about his poetry and a new art gallery he is inaugurating in the town. Check out the website: https://www.thegypsyresidence.com The Colombia Briefing is reported by Emily Hart.…

Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

1
542: Total peace, totally reimagined - Nonviolent Communication in Colombia 1:00:36

18 weeks之前1:00:36