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Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and events from around the hemisphere with AQ's Panorama. Each issue, AQ packs its bags and offers readers travel tips on a new Americas destination.
Bogotá is 8,500 feet closer to the stars, or so goes the city motto. But Bogotá boasts more than just beautiful Andean views and year-round spring-like weather. The array of cultural and gastronomic offerings makes the city one of the best-kept secrets in South America.
1) Salseando. For the un-initiated, Bogotá’s club scene—a mix of swinging hips, aguardiente and hot rhythms—may be intimidating. Get a taste at hot spots like Bodeguita del Centro or Son Salomé.
2) Go out to the sabana. At nearby Suesca, a paradise for rock climbers, take a break from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Enjoy great hiking, astonishing views and river rafting.
3) Dance until dawn. Party at the capital’s favorite spot for going loco. Located 40 minutes from Bogotá, the 25-year-old Andrés Carne de Res is a visual delight in its own right, with more than 1,000 knickknacks and art pieces.
4) Avoid traffic jams. Hop on Transmilenio—the first mass transit system in the world to be considered a clean diesel system, as defined by the Kyoto Protocol. Take the J line to the dazzling Museo del Oro or the B line to the stunning Parque Virrey.
5) Lace up your sneakers. On Sundays take a long run on the Ciclovía, the term used to describe the 70 miles (112 kilometers) of streets officially set aside for pedestrians (and cyclists).
6) Toma chocolate. Recharge your battery with a warm cup of chocolate santafereño and try it with pan de yucas (yucca bread), almojabanas (cheese bread) and tamales. Two authentic places are La Florida and La Puerta Falsa in the city’s historic center.
7) Travel back in time. Visit La Candelaria, Bogotá’s historic district—a center of bohemian life, with cafés and art galleries. Don’t miss the Plaza de Bolívar, the presidential residence (Casa de Nariño) or the Quinta de Bolívar museum.
8) Eat Ajiaco Santafereño. If you think you’ve eaten potato soup, think again. There is nothing like this thick green soup with chicken, corn, avocado, and the traditional guascas herb.
9) Enjoy the Iberoamerican Theater Festival. An outdoor, 17-day carnival with hundreds of artists and free concerts. Plan ahead for the 2010 event, which will be held around Easter.
10) Shoppers beware. Souvenirs abound in the Zona Rosa, the former red-light district that is now a favorite hangout for expensive shopping and foodies alike. Go straight to the Centro Comercial Andino or have a bite at any restaurant in the Zona T.
With every passing year, Latin American media confront more restrictions on their freedom. While outright state censorship has declined since democratization (though intimidation by private groups such as the Mexican drug cartels has grown), governments are increasingly influencing which stories are reported and how they are covered. This worrisome trend is the subject of The Price of Silence: The Growing Threat of Soft Censorship, an August 2008 report released by the Open Society Justice Initiative and the Buenos Aires-based Asociación por los Derechos Civiles. Available in English and Spanish, the 200-page study uses research conducted from January to October 2007 in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru, and Uruguay to reveal how governments, especially at the local level, use advertising placement as a carrot to secure favorable news coverage. Peru officially bans such tactics—the only country of those studied to do so—but the law has not been enforced. “Countries appear to be more democratic, but soft censorship is less visible and more insidious,” says Justice Initiative legal officer Darian Pavli.
When Colombian journalist Marcella Echavarría wrote to Donna Karan Inc. with a novel proposal, she didn’t expect an answer. Her idea, aimed at creating fairer terms of trade for the Southern Hemisphere, was revolutionary: bring traditional crafts to luxury markets while supporting artisans’ socioeconomic development. But the top fashion house was intrigued and bought the first collection, allowing the 35-year-old Echavarría to launch SURevolution in 2005.
Targeting the luxury market, SURevolution puts a spin on responsible consumption. Products—ranging from fashionable necklaces to home furnishings—are inspired by the native cultures of Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, and countries outside the hemisphere. Each item is sold along with a story about how and where it was made...
Across the U.S., the Mexican immigrant community faces countless daily challenges. One of the most pressing is the lack of access to financial services and advice. Just half the nation’s Hispanic population has a bank account and less than 10 percent hold stocks, bonds or mutual funds.
Now, foreign-born workers in New York City have some additional help. Qualitas of Life Foundation was established in November 2007 as a bridge between the unbanked immigrant community and financial service organizations. The goal of Qualitas is simple: “We want to have an impact on the life of immigrants,” explains Qualitas Director Adrián Franco—a former educational consultant who was working with immigrants when he met Qualitas-founder Marcela Rovzar...
Latin Americans are migrating to Europe in increasingly larger numbers. As a result, immigration has come to loom large on the European public policy agenda—much as it has in the United States. Experts have warned that, as the numbers continue to grow, European government policies are likely to get less “immigrant-friendly.” At a December 2008 meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, the Euro-Latin American Network of Governability for Development (REDGOB) examined the implications of this increased migratory flow on political stability.
Members of REDGOB, which links European and Latin American research and academic centers, focused in particular on the June 2008 directive passed by the European Parliament that encourages the voluntary return of undocumented immigrants and examined the impact of expatriates on their home countries...
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AQ's coverage and post-trip analysis of the President's May 2-4 visit.
