[Note: Ancizar Castrillon is a Colombian author and song writer who wrote this piece for a project called Andino Historico 1810-2010.   The poem has been circulating throughout Colombia and captures the lingering questions many Colombians have regarding the government-promoted bicentennial independence celebrations that took place this summer. The question for many Colombians is, “What independence have we gained?”  Many Colombians say, “We gained our independence from Spain only to inherit the imperial yoke of the United States.”  Communities that CPT Colombia accompanies commemorated 200 years of resistance and struggle this summer, and it is in that spirit the team shares Castrillon’s poem.  The original in Spanish is available at http://ancizarcastrillon.com/blog/]

Colombian Bicentennial 2010

What Bicentennial of Colombia are we talking about?
What are they telling me about, I wonder
if they are two hundred years of shattered dreams
What Bicentennial are they telling me about
if the whip only changed hands
 
Those who conquered us, never left
if even in some squares of our town
they made statues, busts and temples
that say nothing of all their abuses
 
The story has not changed in two hundred years
in our own land, we are strangers
they stole our gold and riches
and in return left us only poverty
 
Then came others ... ravenous wolves
They put colors into our thoughts
taught the people, that they had to hate us
and between red and blue, we were dying
 
The country has been injured since the start
the faith they imposed on us with new fears
with creeds and with crosses, they forced us to bow
the others, by force, displaced us
 
Those who conquered us, who did not leave,
they keep conquering us by other means
today they no longer use armor, vests and helmets
they have refined the way to make us submit
 
The others just look with complacency
as the people drown in misery
those conquistadors, who today are more modern
do not forget the greed of their ancestors
 
And with a slogan in their thinking
they seem to say: let's get the rest
... The others, with our own consent,
have been lying for two hundred years
 
Colors do not matter now, nor feelings
it has become a rainbow in our blue sky
to be honest ... does not count, because to be honest
making money is the only thing that matters
 
Between conquerors and ravenous wolves
some of the past, others modern
little by little the country, they are taking
that is why today I ask, sounding strange
WHAT BICENTENNIAL ARE THEY TELLING ME ABOUT?

--ANCIZAR CASTRILLON SANTA