Regionalism in Colombia - the culture of us vs. them.

Re·gion·al·ism

• Loyalty to the interests of a particular region.

• A feature, such as an expression, a pronunciation, or a custom, that is characteristic of a geographic area.

• The use of regional characteristics, as of locale, custom, or speech, in literature or art.

Before coming to Colombia, I was of the simple but perhaps overly immature and naïve impression that Colombians were all the same. Looking back at this now, makes me want to cringe…massively! Please, don’t judge me too much just yet. Obviously I understood and respected the fact that with such a huge country and population that there would be an unlimited number of cultural, linguistic and ethnic differences between them, nonetheless I never quite expected to encounter such a degree of regional identity as that to which exists within Colombia.

Obviously, a lot of this regionalism comes down to simple stereotyping. What one Colombian may say about another is the same as what we do back in Europe. It’s like saying all French people are arrogant, romantic, smell and love cheese and wine and that all Italians are ‘tax dodging, Berlusconi-style Latin lovers and mummy boys’! I have to say that I have both Italian and French friends either of which smell or avoid taxes (of which I know!)

Like in Northern Ireland and the UK in general, there is an extremely strong sense of regional identity in Colombia and it’s only through getting to know Colombians and travelling around this magnificent country that you start to understand it. Each region of Colombia seems to be marked by certain characteristics both culturally and linguistically and whilst on a global scale, Colombians will tell you that they are the happiest, friendliest people on earth, on a regional one; they will happily make you a list of the reasons why they dislike other Colombians from other regions, towns and cities. 

Bogotanos talking about Paisas (from Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city)

Medellin, Bogotá’s little sister and the ‘city of eternal spring’ is famous for its good weather and beautiful women (and men if you ask me!). The Paisas (the name for those Colombians from Antioquia) are renowned for their big bums and big boobs, and Medellin is claimed by some people to be plastic surgery capital of South America. Whilst Paisas are generally proud of their city (despite its dark history surrounding Pablo Escobar and the drug cartels) Bogotanos are often quick off the mark in slagging them off. I have friends here who will not hesitate to make clear their disliking towards Medellin and its inhabitants. This may have something to do with the fact that Medellin is an arguably cleaner and more cosmopolitan city that is easier to get around than its brute of a brother…Bogotá (thanks to the metro system). On the other hand, many Bogotanos will state that their accent is horrible, they are all uneducated and the women are ‘sluts’. 

Bogotanos talking about Costeños (from the Caribbean coast)

I personally love the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Well, what is there not to really like? Sandy white beaches, beautiful men and women, good nightlife, a warm climate, a stronger fusion of Hispanic and Caribbean culture and much more... The costeños (or people originating from the Caribbean coast) are stereotypically happy, fun-loving and enjoy drinking rum and partying. Nonetheless they are often described as being lazy and uneducated. Furthermore, according to many Colombians they take a relaxed view on Catholicism and Politics and speak Spanish in a terrible accent, not pronouncing the r, s or d amongst other things. The fact that Barranquilla, the industrial portal hub of the Colombian coastline hosts the world’s biggest carnival only seems to worsen their image of being lazy and unable to work, given that residents of Barranquilla are given a week off work to simply party and soak up that Carnival spirit!

Everyone talking about the Bogotanos 

In the same way that people from Bogota enjoy talking about their fellow Colombian countrymen and women, everyone else in Colombia is more than happy to say a few harsh words about the Bogotanos or Cachacos as they are often referred to in Colombia. Many Colombians will try to tell you that all Bogotanos, are cold (like the city’s climate), unfriendly, legalistic and overly status conscious. I suppose this has something to do with the fact that as the country’s capital, the people are given a bit of a rough time…in a similar way that Londoners do back home. 

Bogotanos talking about themselves! 

Firstly, Bogotanos (according to Bogotanos) speak the best Spanish in Colombia, in South America and possibly even the world! They are hardworking, politically-minded, family orientated and the primary breadwinners in Colombia. In reality, in response the stereotype that all Bogotanos or Rolos are cold and unfriendly, think of it like this…Bogotá is a city of 8 million people, people are busy, tired, stressed and spend lots of time commuting across the city to and from work … (I can definitely speak for myself on this one – you should see my face after commuting an hour on the transmileno, it is definitely not friendly or approachable!) 

Of course not every stranger you meet on the street will be the friendliest Colombian you will ever meet…they have probably just finished working a full day of 9 hours or more and want to see their friends or family. It also may have something to do with ‘desconfianza’ or the mistrusting nature of many Bogotanos, which I picked up on pretty quickly during my time in the City. It wasn’t too long ago that Bogota was an extremely unsafe, dangerous place to be. You didn’t trust strangers on the street, and so, try not to be too offended if someone ignores you or looks at you with an air of mistrust when asking for directions.

The stereotyping doesn’t end with the big cities. It seems to carry on through into other, more rural areas of the country. During your stay in Colombia, you might hear that Pastusos (people from Pasto) are unintelligent, speak in a soft, silly-sounding accent and are often the brunt of jokes. People from Cali (The Worlds Salsa Capital) are all born natural salsa dancers and that those from los llanos (the plains) are farmers or cowboys!

Unfortunately, my experience of Colombian regionalism doesn’t stop at a local level. I remember talking to a friend about a Colombian guy that we were having a conversation with and saying…’is there anyone that he does like? This followed a conversation in a bar in which our new Colombian friend for the night had decided to tell us about his hatred for not only anyone non-Bogotano but the Spanish, the Americans and the Argentinians. Thankfully for me, nothing was said about the Irish! He hated the Spanish for obvious reasons of colonialisation and their ‘horrible accent’, the Americans for their loudness and arrogance and the Argentinians for their sense of National pride. I didn’t obviously engage in a conversation about National pride with this guy! I opted to sit, smile and nod, acknowledging that the Colombians were the friendliest of the Latino world population and of them Bogotá was the best city to live and work in.

Not only are many Colombians I have met regionalist in terms of Colombia, many of them are extremely regionalist regarding Colombia’s place in the world. They claim to be the friendliest Latinos in the world, have the best Spanish and of course the best cuisine! This has come as a bit of a shock to me, since personally I feel the need to attack all Colombian dishes with garlic, ginger or chilli in an attempt to bring some flavour to their beloved national dishes. I’m not saying I dislike Colombian food, I’m merely stating that somehow I don’t think it’s up there with Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian or French cuisine to name but a few!

Part of me simply accepts this regionalist attitude of Colombia and part of me questions the reasons for its existence. I guess both the political and geographical division of the country has something to do with it given the fact that administratively the country is divided into 32 departments and one capital district. Geographically, three mountain ranges and two major rivers further divide the country into four regions. With each region having its own government, there is always going to be some level or rivalry between departments. Many of the Colombians I hear making such remarks about people from the coast or Medellin have never in fact even been to these locations. They have never met locals, or experienced the other culture for themselves. In an attempt to defend their own culture (which being Irish, I completely understand!) they automatically seem to reject another.

Perhaps due to restrictive travel and the difficulty in obtaining visas for many Colombians (an issue which really grates on me) many Colombians simply never have the opportunity to travel and experience a culture completely different from their own.

Unfortunately, for these reasons, amongst many others there seems to be a strong sense of rivalry and even at times hatred between regions, instead of an appreciation for a linguistically and culturally diverse country. Obviously this is not true for all Colombians, but it definitely something that I have noticed during my time here living and working in Bogotá.  

They say that learning about another culture can often help you to appreciate your own and even learn more things about yourself. I have to agree with this in acknowledging that like with most things I learn about in Colombia, it is safe to say that we have a pretty similar situation back home in the UK.

I don’t think anyone can deny that in the UK we’re often quick of the mark to slate each other for whichever reasons. What’s more, we love a good stereotype don’t we? Londoners slag off Northerners, Northerners slag of Southerners, everyone from Yorkshire is a farmer, Geordies are all loud and love to party, no one understands the Liverpool accent, the Scottish are STILL fighting for independence (literally), the Irish are STILL fighting with one-another (literally) and no one really seems to give a shit about the Welsh. They’re happy singing in their valleys, looking after their sheep…

How many Paddy English man, Paddy Scottish man and Paddy Irish man jokes have you heard? Frankly I’ve heard too many. I think they’re s**t, most of the time. When we’re not cracking jokes about each other, I do have to wonder to what extend does taking pride in our own local culture and being proud of our own regional identity prevent us from seeing past our own noses and appreciating diversity and multiculturalism? 

Of course regionalism is going to be extreme in a country the size of Colombia, given its social, political and geographical divisions. Therefore, whilst every day I hear about another Colombian stereotype, I guess you have to learn to take these things with a piece of salt. My advice: get out there yourself, make your own opinions and love the world for what it is!