What is Happening to Colombia?
BY: Sara Vasquez & Maria Alejandra Bernal
According to ´´El Tiempo´´, only in Bogota, fifteen women are attacked with acid every year. Victims get completely or partially disfigured when the chemical makes contact with their skin, leaving a psychological and physical mark.
The perception of insecurity in the city is generalised because according to some of the people interviewed, they fear that reacting to a robbery or an assault in the street can lead to an attack of the same sort being directed towards them.
On the other hand, those interviewed do not feel any confidence towards the police, for they have seen cases in which aggressors are released shortly after being arrested and go to take revenge on those who denounced them. In general, they consider that the justice in this country is inefficient and fails as an institution. For this reason, people would like to see stronger laws that control the distribution of these substances, and more suitable punishments to stop the attacks from happening. ´´If there is no justice, the problem will keep getting worst every day. If you do something wrong and do not get a punishment then you will do it again.´´ Said a concerned citizen, who wishes to remain anonymous.
Some of the women interviewed think that behind these attacks there is a hidden sexist attitude from men as well as women. They say that women underappreciate men saying that they are ´´stupid´´, and on the other side, men think they have the right to ´´punish´´ a woman for leaving or offending them.
Even though these aggressions generate a lot of anger, most of the people interviewed do not agree with the popular saying of ´´an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth´´. They consider that reciprocating the attack will not fix anything; it would only contribute to the current violence in our country.
After speaking with two police men, they manifested that the institution is doing campaigns to endure the people´s sensibility when it comes to this situation. They also say that those campaigns are specially directed towards the acid sellers, so they sell the right amount and register the buyers´ data.
The police are also conscious that they have to work with the community to change the current ´´revenge´´ culture. ´´You know that in this community, here in Bogota, people see someone being robbed and they do nothing. Not even the community collaborates nor helps.´´ expressed the police men when asked about the matter.
It is shown that this situation has various angles that should be noticed by everyone so a solution can be built. Colombian society needs to get over the violence that is holding it back from developing and improving into a better country.
7C
Bogota - Colombia
Bogota - Colombia
