Let’s talk about racism in Colombia

[Judi Lynn]

Let’s talk about racism in Colombia
Pablo Medina Uribe | July 31st, 2014

Last week, a classified ad appeared in a Colombian newspaper. It read, in the broken language of pay-per-word ads:

A female surgeon doctor with college degree Internship in Clinic Inscription. 25-30 years old, of white skin. Needed, a personal interview Dr. Guarín, next July, 22nd, 10 A.m.

Soon every news outlet in the country, as well as social media (including the newspaper which originally published it, El País) got wind of it, writing stories. It was universally, and rightfully, condemned.

The day of its publishing, a small crowd gathered outside of Dr. Guarín’s office to protest the racism of the ad and at least one organization, the Fundación Chao Racismo, announced it would sue the physician for breaking the country’s anti-discrimination laws. The media backlash prompted the managers of the Farallones Clinic, where Dr. Guarín has his private practice, to distance themselves. They did so first by making it clear that the doctor merely rents a space there and is not affiliated with them, and then by asking him to stop renting it.

The whole ordeal was forgotten quickly, though, with Colombia’s relentless news cycle bringing a different scandal each day. Still, it was mildly refreshing that at least this small outburst could have happened in a country where racism is rampant, yet it rarely hits mainstream conversations, where it is easily disregarded and treated as a foreign ailment.

More:
http://africasacountry.com/lets-talk-about-racism-in-colombia/

[Louisiana1976]

1. That's interesting, about "Colombia's relentless news cycle bringing a different scandal each day."

Sounds just like America's relentless news cycle. That's curious, though, about racism in Colombia. Hope they find a way to eradicate it. It will be hard to eradicate, though--it hasn't been eradicated in America after all these years.