Introduction
When anyone mentions the Colombian culture, what comes to my mind is the positive outlook of life that Colombians possess. I admire how Colombians often look at the glass half full, despite the rough situations that the people from Colombia have to endure sometimes.
The main reason for this speech is to reveal more about the positive aspects of Colombia that people tend to overlook. Therefore, the purpose of this speech is to present the world with the points that explain the interesting culture of the Colombian culture from the perspective of an individual that had been accustomed to the Colombian lifestyle. This speech will enumerate three main reasons why the Colombian culture excels.
Conversations to Avoid when Interacting with Colombians
Colombian culture demands one to be respectful towards others, and most often than not, courtesy is reciprocated. However, one needs to be careful while dealing with topics considered rather sensitive for Colombians. Firstly, Colombians loathe being stereotyped as part of the narcotics trade as it is often a negative assumption people often make. Colombia is infamous for exporting Marijuana and cocaine (Muchow et al., 2019). However, it is salient to note that a significant section of the population in Colombia does not associate with the drug business.
Secondly, it is best to ignore the level of violence that Colombians have to endure sometimes. The reason is that outsiders often ask for explanations about the source of violence in Colombia, but it is an intricate topic that locals cannot summarize in a few words. For instance, I would be unnecessary to elaborate the series of events that led to the peace treaty in 2016 and the current resurgence of violence in the country (Bacha, 2021). Besides, no one wants to keep explaining too much information about a topic that is not fun to talk about.
Thirdly, it is best to never talk about the difficult life circumstances that Colombians face daily. 34% of the Colombian population lives below the poverty line (Lee, 2020). It is easy for them to interpret your concern about the challenges that Colombians face as a show of contempt because of the hardships they are coerced to endure.
The Hospitality that Colombians Folks Extend Towards Each Other
Colombians value friendships and family ties, they form useful friendships similar to the bond between family members (Suárez-Puerta, 2019). For example, it is considered extremely rude to be invited for a particular type of occasion, social function, and even for something as simple as a dinner invitation and fail to show up. According to Colombian culture, an invitation is regarded as a request for people to establish the initial bonds of friendship among individuals. Therefore, it is interpreted as dishonor if one fails to respond to such types of invites.
Colombians that term themselves as friends have a high level of respect for each other and the elderly in society. Colombians are friendly to strangers, but I am obliged to share that there are some regions of the country that may be insecure, especially to tourists (Luna-Cortés, 2021). The high poverty rate in Colombia is highly contributes to the criminal activities in the country.
Social Disparity in Colombia. Colombia has extreme cases of social disparity as the gap between the rich and the poor is extreme. There are three main social classes, the elite and narcotic dealers, the middle class, and low-class citizens (Suárez-Puerta, 2019). Social class has divided the people of Colombia into distinct groups, where the minority of wealthy citizens in the country alienate themselves from the rest.
Criminal activities in Colombia are caused by the drug cartels that seek to dominate the region. Also, the unequal distribution of resources in Colombia leads to an increase in the number of criminal activities that especially target tourists visiting the country. There are some cities that are particularly dangerous to non-locals, such as Buenaventura, Bogota, Soacha, and Cali, among others (Heidi, 2021). Colombia is a beautiful country with appealing flora and fauna but I would advise against visiting any of the aforementioned cities.
I agree that there is a significant section of Colombia’s population whose livelihoods depends on drug trade. People in Colombia have a tendency to disregard rules and regulations. For instance, Colombia has records a considerable number of traffic violations but citizens of the country can easily bribe their way out of complex situations and such occurrences have increased the prevalence of corruption in the country (Kajsiu, 2018). The corruption present in the country is part of the reason why drug cartels are usually able to survive in the country despite government efforts to eradicate them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Colombia has a rich cultural heritage that guides people’s social interactions in the country. Football is an imperative aspect for Colombians as it tries to bridge the social gap between wealthy and impoverished members of society. However, there remains a huge disparity between people in Colombia based on social classes. Otherwise, Colombia has a beautiful culture expressed through its cuisine, art, songs, and dance.
References
Bacha, H. (2021). A resurgence of violence in Colombia. Global Americans. Web.
Heidi. (2021). The 9 Most Dangerous Places in Colombia (Avoid These Cities). Journeying The Globe. Web.
Kajsiu, B. (2018). The Ideological Malleability of Corruption. A Comparative Analysis of Official Corruption Discourses in Albania and Colombia, 2010-2017. Südosteuropa, 66(3), 299-324. Web.
Lee, J. (2020). 10 Facts about Poverty in Colombia – The Borgen Project. The Borgen Project. Web.
Luna-Cortés, G. (2021). Measuring Tourists’ Stress in Colombia. Tourism, 69(1), 32-46. Web.
Muchow, F., Kuhlman, K., & Lord, B. (2019). Drug cartels and the Colombian economy.
Suárez-Puerta, B. (2019). Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Internationalization for Colombian Culture. International journal of innovation, management, and technology, 10(1), 43-50. Web.