2013, a different Colombia? The state we’re in.

There’s a reason Bogotá is called a city that belongs to no-one. The urban center attracts immigrants from across the country, those in search of work, those displaced, those in search of a better life. A capital city like many and no other.

A drawback of this lack of ownership is that it often provides a ready excuse to show disregard for a too frequently defaced and vandalized public property. Petty crime and violent acts are also “justified”  by this lack of belonging.

An incident this Christmas reveals how this disconnect feeds into a general sense of separation from the state, and the weakness at the heart of efforts to improve security in Bogotá, and throughout the country.

Christmas morning, residents of one of the city’s neighborhoods awoke to the sound of a young man in anguish – he was being beaten by his friends who also wielded machetes and knives as they sauntered off down the street. A call to 123 (the equivalent of 911 in the US) made no difference since the call woke up a sleeping operator who nonchalantly asked the location three times – still no one came to the scene. Later it was learned the fight broke out between friends over a drink and an allegedly stolen CD.

The lack of response from the emergency services exacerbates the helplessness felt by residents in the face of crime, the sensed distance from the state and the government. Most residents were too afraid even to step out into the street to help the young man. Who would protect them? Where would the state have been to defend them? Each time a call for help through the 123 system or any other government-run agency goes unanswered our faith diminishes.

One answer is private security, but this is out of reach for most citizens, the reserve of top public officials and the rich.

The other side of the coin is a Colombia in economic and tourist boom. Since 2002 tourism has risen over 300%, and the economy has doubled. Alongside this new Free Trade Agreements have been signed with the US and the EU, and other agreements are being sought with other markets. New opportunities are opening all the time, and Colombia is on the crest of a wave. A hefty $150 million WTO loan was also secured – a reflection of the government’s sound fiscal management – to assist urban development. The year closes too with peace talks ongoing with the FARC – the first since 2002, and a real measure of the nation’s leaders’ commitment to shepherding the country into new era.

So will 2013 bring the stable and durable peace that the Santos regime and the Colombian people yearn for? Will it begin to bridge the disparities in rural and urban areas?

Having the opportunity to live elsewhere, this author chose Colombia for its intoxicating atmosphere; one that envelopes visitors with warmth from people who are full of charm and hope, with music that penetrates one’s bones and leaves little option but to dance, and cities brimming with stories and adventures.

Perhaps Alex Sierra conveys the hope for the future best when he says:

“Colombian society holds the key to peace. It must look for ways to overcome the country’s deep-routed historical conflicts that only recognize antagonistic relations and the government to negotiate the deep social divide that, ultimately, is a breeding ground for violence.”