Historical Study: Medellin Cartel

In anticipation of our recent trip to Colombia, I've made a deep dive into Colombian culture and history the past month. Sadly one of Colombia's biggest claims to fame is their history of drug trafficking, much thanks to the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar. From 1976-1993 Pablo Escobar operated one of the largest and most profitable drug cartels in the world. His organization was based out of the city of Medellin, Colombia. Their specialty was in the production and distribution of cocaine, but they also branched out into other criminal dealings as well. In order to sustain power the Medellin Cartel often used corrupt bribery, violence, and terrorism to keep their operation flowing. It is believed that over 4,000 people were killed in relation to the Medellin Cartel.

There can be no question that Pablo Escobar only cared about money and power. However it does bring into question the character of this man who was able to operate an illegal business for over 20 years. At one point Escobar was the 7th wealthiest person in the world thru his drug trafficking empire that managed 80% of the world's cocaine distribution at one point. His operation was based throughout Colombia but also parts of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and into America (notably Florida, California, and New York). Also worth noting is that he did pour a lot of his finances into the infrastructure of Medellin and Colombia. Many locals considered him somewhat of a Robin Hood for his contributions to the poor, schools, and building projects. 

I've watched the Netflix show Narcos twice now and find it be one of the best produced television shows about Latin American history. The setting provides a very insightful look into the rise of Escobar and the Medellin Cartel, as well as the sweeping landscape of this beautiful city. One thing I came to understand from the show, was that it was thru American intervention that finally brought Pablo down. There was simply to much money coming from this operation and that considered the higher ups in America. So without further ado I want to understand two aspects to this topic. Who was Pablo Escobar and how did he create such a successful illegal operation that rivaled some of the most famous Mafia organizations. Also who were the other key players of this Medellin Cartel and what was it's operating structure.

The Rise of Pablo Escobar

Quite interestingly Colombia was slow to the cocaine business and first known for it's marijuana trafficking throughout the 1960s. It was actually Chile, Argentina, and Brazil that had become the first major cocaine distributors in South America. When Augosto Pinochet came to power in Chile in 1973, with the backing of the United States, who led a violent campaign against the illegal drug production. This led to many Chilean cocaine traffickers to flee to Colombia and set up a new operation there. While Chile had mastered the art of cocaine production they needed new Colombian smugglers and traffickers to work with.

Pablo Escobar was born in Rionegra, Colombia in 1949 and grew up in the city of Medellin. As a young teenager he quickly turned to a life of crime trading cigarettes, fake lottery tickets, stealing cars, and other smuggling activities. By the early 1970s he had established a network of smuggling trade routes thru Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. It was the success of his smuggling operation that brought him attention by the Chilean cocaine distributors looking to traffic their product. In 1976 Escobar established the Medellin Cartel with other prominent drug dealers with cocaine as their primary source of trade. 

The Medellin Cartel

While Pablo Escobar was the undisputed leader of the organization he established an alliance of other prominent Colombian drug lords. This included the Ochoa brothers (Jorge Luis, Juan David, and Fabio); Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha, aka El Mexicano, known for his routes and partnerships in Mexico; and Carlos Lehder, an experienced pilot and drug trafficker. Escobar had much of his family involved in his operation including his brother Roberto as the cartel's accountant. Also there was his right hand man and chief advisor, his cousin Gustavo Gaviria who controlled most of the financial aspects of the organization. It can be disputed that Gustavo was the brains of the operation, however he kept a low profile in contrast to Escobar's natural charisma and leadership qualities.

One of the keys to success for the Medellin Cartel was their creative methods of illegal distribution. One of their biggest methods to easily distribute their product was thru corrupt bribes of local officials. However they also had other transport methods such as hiding the cocaine in balloon pellets that could be transferred by mules to carry thru international customs. For bigger loads they incorporated smaller private jets to arrive at loading drop zones, which could then be transferred to trucks. The Cartel also used advanced strategies of decoy routes and even misinformation to confuse heightened attention from the authorities. And of course when all else failed and their route was interrupted then violence would take into effect. 

The operation quickly began to thrive and brought about a cocaine boom from the late 1970s to early 1980s, throughout Latin America and into Florida. The cartel was smuggling tons of cocaine worldwide and at it's height was bringing in $200 million a day. However this major boom of profit suddenly concerned the United States government, specifically since Miami had become a new major hub for drug dealings. While the Medellin Cartel was bringing in massive profit, they had to simultaneously establish a paramilitary organization to fight off their various enemies such as the United States, Colombian authorities, other criminal cartels (such as the Cali Cartel), and even guerilla organizations such as M19.

Muerte a Secuestradpres (Death to Kidnappers)

In 1981 the Medellin Cartel established a paramilitary organization to defend their economic interests against their many enemies. This was referred to as Muerta a Secuestradores "Death to Kidnappers". The MAS ushered in a new era of violence throughout Colombia where anyone who tried to bring down the cartel was answered with terror. Escobar used this new form of muscle to assassinate any political or prominent leader who sought to oppose him. Heavy funds from the Medellin cartel were poured into this branch to recruit fighters, weapons, communications, and even propaganda against new waves of Communism brought on by the M19 guerilla groups. Another branch of this organization was the Oficina de Envigado, a collection agency that used violent tactics to settle unpaid debts. 

While Escobar began to pour heavy funds into his military organization he also contributed heavily into the infrastructure of Colombia. This included new building projects of roads, bridges, parks, schools, football stadiums, and health clinics. He quickly became popular with the general public thru these financial contributions and even considered a run for political office. He assassinated various political opponents who sought to bring down his cocaine empire such as Rodrigo Lara and Luis Carlos Galan. By 1984 Escobar was forced to withdraw from the public political life after he was accused of various murders and an arrest warrant was issued against him by the United States.

By the mid to late 1980s Escobar's public image quickly began to decline as he ramped up his acts of terrorism against political opponents. At this point both the United States (DEA and CIA) and Colombian authorities were actively pushing for his arrest. In an effort to stay ahead of them Escobar made unlikely alliances with the M19 terrorist organization and the Cali Cartel. In 1985 Escobar funded the M19's assault on the Supreme Court of Bogota which killed 43 civilians. He also organized the bombing of a domestic flight in 1989 in an effort to assassinate the presidential candidate Cesar Gaviria who was not on the plane. The bombing killed all 107 passengers onboard. Escobar also bombed the Department of Security 9 days later in another failed assassination attempt, that still killed 63 innocent civilians.

The Downfall of the Cartel

By 1991 Escobar decided to surrender to the Colombian authorities on the terms that he could be self-imprisoned. He promised to cease his operations at his new "prison" residence of La Catedral overlooking Medellin. However it did not take long for authorities to realize that Escobar was still managing his cartel and committing crimes. By 1992 Escobar was forced to go into hiding as a national manhunt began for him by the Colombian Search Bloc, the US Authorities, and the Cali Cartel. The Medellin Cartel quickly began to collapse at this point while Escobar hid from the authorities. Escobar had many chances to flee his country at this point, but he proudly chose to stay there hoping to strike a deal that would restore his prominence. 

On December 2nd of 1993, Escobar was located in a residential neighborhood in Medellin with intel provided by the United States secret service. The Colombian Search Bloc carried out the mission to arrest Escobar at the scene, however a gunfight ensued. While trying to escape on the rooftops, Escobar was shot and killed in the head. His death marked the abrupt end to the Medellin Cartel and the quick takeover by the Cali Cartel. Escobar's death was met with mixed reaction, and some 25,000 people attended his funeral. While most saw him as a ruthless violent drug lord, others saw him as a Robin Hood who gave much of his wealth back to the poor.   

Colombia Trip 2024

This past week I finally set foot in my mother's home country of Colombia for the first time. As part of my heritage, this country has been on my bucket list for some time now.. While my mother grew up in Venezuela, she was actually born in Segovia, Colombia. I've visited Venezuela three times throughout my life (the last time being in 1998) but have never been to Colombia. We planned the trip about a year ago, my mom, dad Ofelia, Andres, and Gabriel. It certainly was an adventure with many ups-and-downs, but ultimately it was a success with many great memories. 

Colombia is a country that often gets a bad reputation due to it's history with cocaine trafficking. However it's arguably one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen due to it's endless green mountains. I remember Costa Rica had a similar terrain of rolling green plantations, but not to the scale of the Andes mountains. Almost every place we went to, every village to every turn on the road had a heavenly backdrop. Not to mention the people were very friendly and the food was as delicious as I expected. 

Day 1- Traveling to Colombia

We set out on from my house on Wednesday October 3 to catch our flight at 6am. We took Andres' car to the economy airport parking and had to check into the front desk to get our boarding passes printed. I remember one of the older ladies working for American Airlines was not very friendly. We however boarded the plane fine and made it to Miami by about 9am. There we met up with Gabriel and had some breakfast at a hot-dog stand called Nathan's. 

Our flight to Medellin left at about 10:30 am and took a good 3 and a half hours. I was stuck in the middle seat and surrounded by a group of drunk Colombians. I however put my headphones on and watched the movie Frida to make things go by quicker. When we arrived to Medellin, and left the plane outside to walk towards the airport I instantly got a feeling of Deja Vu, reminiscent of arriving to Maracaibo in 1998. However this feeling of excitement quickly simmered when we had to wait for over 2 hours in the migration line. I don't think I'd ever been in a slower line at the airport and made for a rather exhausting experience.

However things only got worse, once we finally cleared all the customs inspections. Our car rental reservation thru Alamo was no longer available. It appeared they just gave it away which I found to be quite shocking and devastating. We were in a state of panic for a little bit, trying to come up with a plan B. My mom wanted to take the bus to Medellin, but it would have been difficult with all our luggage, and then to find a connection to Sopetran. My dad was then able to find a different car rental place, that had a more expensive Chevy Tahoe available. We decided it was our best and only option, however we then ran into bank errors. Luckily the car rental people there were very friendly and allowed us to put down a $500 deposit and return the next day so we could figure out our bank issues.

So finally by around 5pm we had a car to leave the airport and make our 2 hour trip to Sopetran. Gabriel bravely volunteered to drive us thru the hilly roads, and rush-hour traffic of Medellin. This was some of the wildest driving and traffic I had ever seen, with motorcycles everywhere! The motorbikes would weave all around cars, often cutting right thru the middle lanes. Once we cleared the city traffic, driving up-and-down mountains, around tight corners, and steep hills made for more challenging driving. We ate dinner at a highway stop by around 7pm, I ordered some steak, potatoes, an arepa, and my first Colombian beer Aquila. The final approach to our BnB  on country dirt roads was also challenging, but we finally found it by around 8:30pm. We took a quick swim before crashing to sleep.

Day 2- Guatape 

That morning we all woke up quite early to catch the sunrise, and get the first daylight view of our BnB. Gabriel picked an amazing hotel, with a pool and a heavenly view of a valley surrounded by endless green mountains. The neighborhood was surrounded by many animals such as cows, chickens, and all kinds of dogs. Our first step that day was to return to the airport to pay off the car rental. I was still a bit frustrated that morning due to Alamo's car failure, the bank card errors, and also that I couldn't get my mom's international phone service to work (mine did however work). I came up with the idea to visit Guatepe, since we would be driving eastward towards the airport. 

On our way there we first stopped at another highway restaurant for breakfast. I had my first cup of delicious Colombian coffee there as well as an arepa with cheese and shredded beef. I was amazed with the delicious cheese flavor there, which my mom told me was not available in the United States. After breakfast we arrived to the airport and met up with the car rental people. The payment went thru this time, and it was a done deal which was a great relief. We then pressed on to the iconic Penol rock of Guatape, while it began to rain. The rock soars an impressive 656 feet above ground, surrounded by a vast reservoir. This was actually my preferred destination to stay, but I was still quite satisfied with staying at Sopetran.

My dad, Gabriel, Andres, and myself climbed up the 708 steps of the Penol rock and got some high views of the area. I bought some souvenirs before we returned to the car, and it was now my turn to drive since Gabriel was tired. I first drove us to the nearby city of Guatape, which was loaded with tourists. We could not find parking and I had to drive thru the busy streets of Guatape, which was very challenging in the massive Tahoe SUV. We finally did find some parking and walked around the beautiful colorful city. For lunch we had some empanadas, pastelitos, and pastries (which were quite average but still satisfactory). On the way home we stopped at a highway station to buy some beer and wine for dad. We arrived that evening at the BnB and took a nice swim in the pool.

That evening for dinner we went to Sopetran and ate at a nice Mexican/Italian restaurant. I ordered some very tasty tacos and a beer. Everyone enjoyed their meal. We then walked around the main plaza for a little bit at night, and found some desserts as well as a grocery store. The plaza was a typical busy Latin American scene, with the church at it's focal point, a park in the middle, and a square of shops and restaurants. We once again went to bed quite early that night by around 9ish all very exhausted from our busy day of exploring.

Day 3- Sopetran

Probably one of our wildest days occurred on Saturday in Sopetran. My mom had wanted to visit the town market that day and also had planned to visit a local doctor. Andres also made personal plans to get a haircut. The town market was actually quite disappointing and small with maybe no more than 20 small stands. I ordered some empanadas while the others ordered some hallacas. I found a store that sold some coffee and talked with some local women there for a little bit. We then found Andres' barbershop which took over an hour. While this happened, Gabriel, mom, and myself explored the local streets and found the house of the doctor mom had planned to visit later that day. Her appointment was not until 12:30 that afternoon, so after Andres' haircut we decided to visit Santa Fe de Antioquia.

We drove straight to the iconic bridge of Santa Fe known as the Puente Colgnate de Ocidente. It was a long walk from the parking lot to the bridge, which Gabriel, Andres, and myself made while mom, dad, and Ofelia took a small taxi. The bridge was pretty cool, over the Cauca River, which only allowed pedestrian traffic and not automobiles to cross. After we crossed it we ordered some tasty drinks, I got a mango juice. Before returning to Sopetran, we realized Ofelia had lost her purse which led to another distressing moment. Ofelia and Mom were able to take a taxi back to the cafe where we ordered our juices and luckily they found her purse there with the store owner.

By around 1pm we dropped mom off at her doctor's appointment and decided to get some beers and lunch at the Sopetran plaza. We sat outside a bar, surrounded by loud music, amongst the rest of the Sopetran locals conducting their daily business. This quickly became a drunken fest mostly of me and Gabriel testing all the different Colombian beers. We tried about 8 different beers a piece, and decided the Pilsen and Aguila were our favorites. Although the bar did not offer any wine for dad, the bartender was able to provide some spiked juice from a nearby store. Dad also bought us a round of empanadas, pastelitos, and pan con queso and then I did as well. Andres also dropped in on us from time-to-time and bought us some pastries. I remember at that moment realizing how cheap everything was but also how honorable all the people there were. 

We were quite drunk by around 3pm and having a spontaneously good time, but unfortunately mom was not. Her appointment took far too long then she expected and she had to withdraw more money to pay the doctor and also buy some expensive medicine. Dad, Ofelia, and myself went to church at around 5pm while Gabriel went home to rest, and mom and Andres shopped around the plaza. For dinner we went to a restaurant nearby overlooking a hillside. I ordered a typical Colombian dish of chinchurron, eggs, rice, arepa, chorizo, and bean soup. Gabriel said his burger was the best he ever tasted. Unfortunately mom had a light soup and left early since she was not feeling well. That evening at our hotel we swam at the pool for a little before crashing.

Day 4: Medellin

On Sunday morning we drove out to spend the day in the busy and chaotic city of Medellin. My plan was to navigate us thru the town using the metro system. On our way in we stopped at another highway restaurant with an amazing mountain overlook. I ordered a very tasty arepa with cheese and chorizo. It was a rainy morning, but we all enjoyed the setting, the food, our energetic young waitress, and the incredible balcony views. We then continued our drive, and found parking as planned in the Poblado district, a safer more wealthy neighborhood. From there we made a 10-min walk to the metro and bought a balance of 12 fares. 

We took the metro north from Poblado to the Parque Barrio stop at the heart of the city, where the famous Plaza Botero was. It was here we saw the iconic Rafael Uribe Palace of Culture, with it's chess-like architecture. In this plaza are 23 sculptures donated by the famous Colombian artist Fernando Botero. All of the sculptures are made of bronze and have a unique style of obesity. The plaza was loaded with tourists, street performers, but also many beggars. So we moved rather quickly around the main Cultural museum, taking pictures of the sculptures, getting some street food, and then back onto the metro.

We took the metro further north to the Universidad stop to visit the Botanical Garden, one of Ofelia's requests. From the metro stop was a good 15-min walk to the garden, which was free but a rather dull visit. We then searched the area for some street food and made our way into a food court near the metro station. The place was packed and we all went separate ways within the court to buy food. Gabriel and Andres ordered Chinese food, and I settled for some chicken wings and French fries which were not all that good. We found a table upstairs, and dad was raving about this hot dog he ordered, so we ordered some more from a different place. But the hot dog was cold and one of the worse I had ever had. 

After a disappointing time at the garden and lunch, we bought 12 more fares to continue our exploration of the city. I led us south on the Metro line to connect at San Antonio which was packed with soccer fans going to watch the Independiente Medellin match. I had really wanted to see the game, but nobody else did, so I knew that idea was out of the question. We took the metro west to it's last stop at San Javier, then transferred to the cable cars which offered incredible views. These cables cars were used by the lower class residents to reach their homes in the mountains. We took the cable ride all the way around, back to the San Javier metro, back to the San Antonio connection, and back south to Poblado without even having to buy an additional fare.

We then walked back to our parking lot in Poblado, and I had hoped we could have dinner and drinks at this lively social scene but mom and Ofelia were too exhausted from the day. We then returned to Sopetran that evening, and rested and swam in the pool for a little bit. That night mom and Ofelia stayed in while the boys went out for dinner and drinks in Sopetran. I remember we all felt a little out of place without having mom as our key translator. Some of the drunken locals were even making some jokes at us, but we all brushed it off without any problems. We got a beer outside the plaza for a bit, then found a restaurant on the 2nd floor overlooking the plaza. I ordered some steak, rice, and salad and a beer. We also ordered some to-go food for mom. We then bought some desserts and some more beer at the grocery store before returning home for the night.

Day 5- Jardin

That morning I was quite disappointed when I heard mom randomly wanted to visit Jardin for the day. I knew this would be a 3-hour trip in the car we would have to take both ways. She also made plans to paraglide in Jardin, which was something I would have rather done in Medellin. The drive was once again quite difficult, on a one-lane road with continuous sharp turns. We found an empanada store for breakfast along the road and they were actually quite tasty. We finally made it to Jardin by around 11am and it was actually a pretty town. It had colorful buildings similar to Guatape and a beautiful church. The town had a much more peaceful vibe to it, compared to Sopetran, perhaps due to it's abundance of plants in the plaza.

After we found our parking, mom was able to speak with the clerk there and get information on the local paragliding business. The clerk then called in two taxis for us, and we rode them thru town to the paragliding store. There we made reservations at 1:30pm and then Dad, Andres, and I walked back to the town plaza. For lunch we found a store outside the plaza and ordered the usual fried food of empanadas, pastelitos, pan de queso, juices, and coffee. As usual we were joined by begging dogs, I remember this one in particular had such a jovial demeanor about him. After lunch we walked around a bit, and I bought a bag of coffee beans to take home with me. 

We then went back to the paragliding store as our appointment was approaching, but we waited for quite some time. The tour guides finally arrived at around 2pm, and brought us terrible news that the clouds were too unsafe to jump. This was upsetting to all of us, but especially mom who had been looking forward to this for some time. I then took to the wheel to make the long drive back to Sopetran. I remember getting out of Jardin was once again challenging to get thru the narrow streets of pedestrians, while it began to rain. Driving on the main ride was also quite difficult for it's sharp turns, but more so having to pass slower trucks in oncoming traffic. 

For dinner we dropped in on the town of San Geronimo (where our house cleaner was from). I felt like it had quite an Asian (Saigon) feel to it. We went into a supermarket to buy some items, I bought some snacks and such. For dinner we ate at a large steakhouse, called El Mamut which happened to be the best meal we had yet. I ordered churassco "steak" with salad, potatoes, and a bear which was some of the best steak I'd ever had. Our waiter was a chatty young guy, who happened to be from Segovia. For dessert I ordered some incredible ice cream at a store near the restaurant. After this we went back to the BnB to swim a little before bed.

Day 6- Medellin

That Tuesday was to be our last day and I was eager we make it back to Medellin one more time to see Comuna 13. Mom convinced us to drop in once again on the town of San Geronimo for breakfast. Gabriel dropped mom, Ofelia, and myself off at a store while he found parking. From the store we walked around the plaza and found a breakfast restaurant where the other guys joined us. The restaurant was within a hotel and was a nice experience. I once again ordered the arepa, cheese, and chorizo combo with some coffee, and mango juice. After breakfast Gabriel drove us all into Medellin. My plan was to park in Poblado once again for safety reasons, but Gabriel boldly sought parking in Comuna 13 district.     

This region was renown for it's poverty and crime, and I had read it would be best to stay on the main tourist path. We spent some time trying to find parking in this neighborhood, and at one point we almost hit a dead end. We finally got lucky however when a local flagged us down to park in front of his house and he insisted he would guard the car. From there we walked to the main strip of Comuna 13 which was a hill of stairs and escalators surrounded by all sorts of shops and colorful graffiti. It felt like walking thru Venice Beach or something in California that really catered to the hippy crowd. While we continued to climb upward, the views got all the more incredible once again of the Medellin valley. 

I eventually ordered a Michelada drink, which had beer and liquor in it, but I felt was rather overpriced and not that tasty. Dad, Gabriel, and myself continued upward to a bar overlooking the valley and ordered some beer and shots. The trip down was even more enjoyable as we saw some breakdance performers and freestyle rappers. By this point I had a good buzz going. I bought some souvenirs, as well as managed to haggle with a street vendor on a Colombian soccer jersey. We then made our way back to the car and were glad to see it was still in good shape and paid the local a good tip for watching it. 

We left Comuna 13 by around 2pm and then drove to Poblado to visit the wealthy social district of Provenza. We managed to find parking and walked around for a bit, while it began to rain. However the area was more known for it's nightlife scene and just wasn't quite happening. We eventually found a restaurant indoor and all of us ordered the special of the day. This included some soup, rice, salad, and beef. We then walked around a little more and bought some more items, including souvenirs and pastries but did not stay too long in the area due to the rain. 

That evening we returned to the BnB for a little while, swam, and finished off the last of our beers. We then drove back into Sopetran to once again eat at the mountainside restaurant, renown for it's hamburgers. Our waitress was young but very sweet and had such a cute accent. I once again ordered a plate of churrassco "steak" which was also very tasty. Mom ordered the hamburger after hearing Gabriel's reviews but was not as impressed. We all ordered some mango juice and ice cream for dessert. We originally planned to visit Sopetran after this one last time for drinks, but instead went back to the BnB to just relax on our last night. 

Day 7: Guarne

That morning as we set off for the airport, we were quite concerned about our car drop-off (which had a knick on the mirror), our boarding passes, but more so due to Hurricane Milton. This was a reported category 5 hurricane in the Tampa Bay region, and we were unable to reroute our flight. We arrived early and the car drop off went quite smoothly and I managed to get a receipt. However on the drive we received notice that our flight from Miami to Indianapolis was to be delayed until the following day. At this point we figured we would just have to spend the night in the Miami Airport. As we then waited in line to get our boarding passes for Medellin to Miami, we got the update that this flight was also postponed to the following day. So we were now stuck in Medellin for another day. 

However I honestly saw this as okay news, and an opportunity to get a bonus day in this foreign beautiful country. Luckily I did not have any pressing engagements back at home, aside from having to schedule an extra day of dog-sitting for Max. Unfortunately that was not the case for Andres who had planned to go into work on Thursday, and could not find his car keys. Nonetheless we made the best out of a bad situation and booked a hotel near the airport in the town of Guarne. It was one of the cheaper deals I could find but really had no idea what to expect. We were in for quite a surprise. 

We got a taxi to take us to the hotel, and picked up a case of Aquila beer along the way. This hotel happened to be a hostel with a colorful façade and a botanical garden of fountains, plants, and flowers. Furthermore we had the whole campus to ourselves and the host was very accommodating. Since we were his only guests, he ensured we had a car ride back to the airport as well as helped us arrange lunch and dinner without even having to leave the site. It was a very relaxing day on what was a rather magical area. There were hiking trails, green grass, and tropical flowers of all sorts. There were hammocks all over, and various lounge spots with such unique décor of antiques and foreign flare. 

For lunch everyone ordered guisado with soup, beef, plantanos, and rice. Madre then ordered a round of pastries for desert and the host, John, treated us to coffee. We spent most the afternoon just resting and exploring the garden grounds while John played classical Colombian folk music on the speakers. I drank beer and took lots of pictures quite inspired by the plants, which included several coffee plants. John actually gave me some coffee beans pulled from one of the plants and explained to me the process of growing the beans. Although I only understood a little of it, I'm going to attempt to grow these inside my house, but know it's going to be a longshot. 

At nighttime the hostel took on a different magical element, illuminated by lights. We had arroz con pollo for dinner and John offered us a unique drink of pop mixed with beer. Gabriel, Andres, and I then went into the hot tub for a little bit which was the perfect temperature. We tried to go to sleep early that night knowing that we would have to wake up at 3am to get to the airport. It took me a couple hours to finally fall asleep on the top floor of our family cabin. Dad woke us up around 1am, clearly concerned about the flight situation, and it was hard to fall back asleep after that. 

Day 8: Return Trip to Indiana

We all got up and out to the exit of the hostel by around 3am as planned, where the taxi driver would pick us up. It was a long walk however up a very steep hill with our luggage. Furthermore it was raining and the taxi driver showed up a good 20 minutes late. The car was too small to fit us all, so we had to get a 2nd taxi to carry the rest. We got to the airport by around 3:45am and waited at the American Airlines front desk for a little while. It then took an additional long wait for the front desk clerk to get us all checked in with our boarding passes. 

Going thru security was quick and easy, however we once again ran into problems at the Migration checkpoint. Madre was unable to go thru since her Colombian passport was expired. Although her American passport was valid, since she was born in Colombia she also had to present a Colombian passport which was expired. She had to visit the migration manager at the airport to get clearance to leave. Once in the gate we had some pastries and coffee for breakfast. Ofelia was feeling quite sick at this point, and Andres and Gabriel got pulled aside for a random security check which really delayed their boarding. Thankfully however we all made it onboard fine and departed by around 6am happy to be returning home. 

I sat by the window and watched as we departed this beautiful country as it rained. I then watched the movie Fall Guy on the plane, starring Ryan Gosling, which was quite funny. We arrived to Miami by around 10am local time and once again had to go thru various immigration checkpoints. I remember being a little nervous about my coffee beans passing the foreign security check. This was not a problem however and we all got thru fine. For lunch we went to TGI Fridays and most of us ordered good ole fashioned hamburgers, while mom and Ofelia ordered some ribs. After lunch we parted ways with Gabriel, who was on a separate flight to Nashville. 

We had a good 3 hour layover until our flight left for Indianapolis. This included various gate switches, some photo uploads, and some snack and drink purchases. I bought a coffee and everyone a round of tasty guava pastries. Dad also later bought a round of pastries, and drinks for the plane ride. I remember sitting around the Miami airport, seeing more attractive Miami women then Colombian women. (I had expected to be blown away by the beautiful Colombian women as I was in Maracaibo, but that was not quite the case on this trip). Surprisingly the weather in Miami seemed quite fine despite the ongoing hurricane Milton nearby. We finally boarded our plane by around 3:30pm. 

The plane ride was one of the most empty rides I'd ever been on, which was nice and spacious for a change. I watched the movie Monkey Man, which was good but very violent. We arrived at around 6pm, and Andres was on the spot to get his key situation figured out. Unfortunately he was never able to find his car keys so he had to call in a locksmith to create a new key for him. I joined him on the shuttle ride to the parking lot airport, where the contractor was already waiting for us with the key. Although this cost him a lot of money, thankfully it resolved his problem, and got us all home okay. This essentially brought an end to our week long trip to Colombia. It was no doubt an adventure full of many ups-and-downs with challenges galore, but I think that made it to be one of the more memorable trips in a very long while. I was simply blown away by the beautiful landscape of this country and hope to visit it again several more times. 

Historical Study: United States Influence on Latin America

I now divert back to my Latin American appreciation phase in preparation for our family trip to Medellin, Colombia. At the beginning of the summer I made deep dives into Cuba and Mexico and last fall made a deep dive into the Dominican Republic. I have already written about Colombian Culture, but intend to make a deeper historical dive concerning the Medellin Cartel in a separate post. In this blog I want to better understand the American influence (and intervention) of all Latin American countries. So in essence this will be a study of modern Latin American history (not so much regarding their early independence). 

It's no question that the United States has been involved in the affairs of Latin America since these nations broke free from Spain in the early 1800s. Obviously it's a geographical concern for safety and security, but also quite the imperialistic grab to maintain global supremacy. The United States has been involved with nearly every Latin American country in various efforts to sway leftist politics and amass new wealth. They have downright intervened militarily in several countries such as Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Cuba, Bolivia to name a few. I'd like to just run down the list and get a brief understanding of these nation's political history and their relations with the United States. 

Mexico

Starting with America's closest southern neighbor, Mexico has always been at odds with the United States since it's independence in 1821 (see Mexican History). Quite often the disputes have been over territory and the border. The United States actually swallowed up much of Mexico's territory after various disputes in Texas. The Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 settled this dispute which granted the United States the new territory of Texas, California, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. A new line was established along the Rio Grande River. This essentially divided the United States from Latin America. 

Throughout the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920 the United States first supported the regime then later the rebels. Their role was not very involved despite defending their territories from what they considered bandit raids led by Pancho Villa. They briefly occupied Veracruz in 1914 after several Americans were detained by Mexican rebels. Following the Mexican Revolution, the relations have stayed peaceful. However the border crisis of illegal immigration has become a political hot topic for the past twenty years. Surpisingly however the majority of immigrants aren't Mexians, but rather people from poorer nations such as Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador. 

Cuba

Probably one of the most well known examples of American influence and intervention in Latin America of which I have recently studied, see Cuban History. Cuba actually did not achieve independence until 1902, much thanks to the assistance of the United States during the Spanish-American War of 1898. From that point on Cuba had no longer become a Spanish puppet state but rather an American puppet state. For nearly 50 years it served as an American hotspot for tropical tourism, hotels, and casinos, most notably under General Batista during the 1950s. From 1953-1959 a leftist uprising spread throughout Cuba led by Fidel Castro to successfully overthrow Batista and break free from American influence.

Once Cuba had won it's revolution, political tension with America reached an all time high much due to Cuba's alliance with the Soviet Union. In 1961 the CIA led a failed invasion of Cuban exiles known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion. That same year Cuba became the staging ground of a nuclear standoff with the Soviet Union, known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Despite many other sabotage and assassination attempts Castro maintained a solid grip of his communist regime for nearly 50 years. Since his death in 2008 political restrictions have loosened and the doors for American tourism have once again been opened.     

Dominican Republic

Moving further into the Caribbean, this island that was once a hot spot for Spanish explorers and later became a hot spot for American interest. We visited the island about a year ago and I made a deep dive into their history, see (History of Dominican Republic). The Dominican Republic achieved it's independence from Spain in 1844 however struggled over territory with Haiti for many years to come. The United States first diverted it's attention to Dominican Republic during both World Wars and occupied the island so that their enemy could not use it as a naval base. 

 From 1934-1961 Dominican president Rafael Trujillo had established a powerful right-wing dictatorship which concerned America. The CIA took part in a plot to assassinate the president with intentions to transform the island back into a democratic state. Following his assassination the country broke out into Civil War and the United States once again sent troops to quell the conflict. The American interests were strongly against the Socialist leader Juan Bosch and helped bring a swift end to their rebellion.   

Guatemala

Back into Central America, the once thriving capital of the Mayans, Guatemala gained independence from Spain in 1821. By the early 1900s the nation had become a booming resource for America thru it's United Fruit Company. This dispossessed much land from the ingenious Mayan people in favor to the wealthy which led to the Guatemala Revolution of 1944-1954. By 1951 a new progressive leader was elected, Jacobo Arbenz who worked to restore more rights and land for the Mayans and lower working classes. In response to these new laws that threatened their business, the United States supported a civil war to overthrow Arbenz. The Civil War waged on for many years from 1960-1996, during of which there were terrible massacres and genocides of the Mayan people. By 1996 many of the leftists guerilla organizations transformed into political parties. 

El Salvador

The small Central American nation of El Salvador won it's independence from Spain in 1821. Throughout the 19th and early 20th century the nation found it's economy to thrive around the production of indigo. This ushered in an era of wealthy landowners and oligarchs that controlled the nation for nearly a hundred years. By 1931 a military dictatorship came to power on par with that of the DR. The Fascist leader, Maximiliano Hernandez Martinez ruled from 1935 to 1944 and committed many massacres of the working class peasants. Martinez resigned in 1944 due to a coup attempt and was later killed in 1966 while in exile. He was followed by various other military dictators throughout the 1960s-1970s, with not as much control.  

In 1979 a coup d'etat occurred to restore a totalitarian state, with the support of the United States. Due to this the Salvadorian Civil War broke out waged by a coalition of Leftist Guerilla armies supported by Cuba and the Soviet Union. The assassination of the popular outspoken bishop Oscar Romero, caused further unrest among the working class peasants. President Jose Napoleon Duarte governed El Salvador with the support of America, and committed many massacres and crimes against humanity. The conflict waged on for nearly 12 years and resulted in over 75,000 deaths.    

Honduras

On par with many other nations throughout Central America, Honduras also achieved it's independence in 1821. Throughout it's establishment the nation of Honduras had various disputes with it's neighboring nations of El Salvador and Guatemala in hopes to establish a united Central American state. Of all the Central American states Honduras sought for unity more than any others. By the 1890s the United States began to show economic interest in the territory, primarily in the market of plantations and the banana industry. The Standard Fruit Company was established in 1924 and became one of the largest producing fruit companies next to the United Fruit Company. Throughout the Banana Wars, the United States often had to intervene militarily to protect it's tropical market.     

Nicaragua

The nation of Nicaragua (which I visited in 2009), also achieved it's independence in 1821. Throughout the 1840s-1850s the country underwent civil war between liberals and conservatives. In 1855 the nation was conquered by an American mercenary named William Walker who ruled the country until he was ousted during the Filibuster War in 1857. At the onset of the 19th century the United States began to intervene more frequently in the affairs of Nicaragua. The US military occupied various parts of Nicaragua from 1912-1933 and even considered building it's canal there, before deciding on Panama. 

During the Nicaraguan Civil War of 1926-1927 the United States supported the conservative government against the liberal rebels. Anastasio Somoza Garcia became president and his family established a dictatorship for the next 50 years with the backing of the United States. In 1979 a leftist uprising occurred led by Daniel Ortega and his socialist party known as the Sandinista National Liberation Front. The Nicaraguan Revolution waged for nearly 30 years as yet another proxy battle between the USA and the Soviet Union. This time however the leftist army was able to prevail over the conservative Contras and overthrew the Somoza government. To this day Nicaragua remains a socialist state and I definitely noticed the impoverished state of that nation when I visited.       

Costa Rica

Probably one of the most peaceful nations in the Central American region when it comes to any America dispute or influence. I visited this nation back in 2009 for 3 months and found it to be such a neutral state when it came to political affairs. The nation also achieved it's independence in 1821 and coffee quickly became one of it's major economic exports. In 1855 Costa Rica sided with Nicaragua during the Filibuster War to oust the radically mercenary William Walker who sought to restore slavery. By 1869 they had established a democracy and rarely underwent much civil disputes or entanglements with America. They did however experience a brief civil war in 1948 when Jose Figueres Ferrer overthrew the leftist government, with the support of the United States.  

Panama

This nation has been a vital territory of American influence and occupation up until the 1980s. My dad was actually stationed there in the army for some time when he met my mom in Venezuela. The nation achieved it's independence in 1819 as part of Simon Bolivar's Gran Colombia. Quite interesting that Panama was first associated to South America, before it became a part of Central America. By 1830 Panama briefly broke free from the Republic of Colombia then once again reunited in 1831 to establish the Republic of New Granada. This was essentially the territory of Panama and Colombia from 1831-1858. For most the 19th century Panama was essentially in the shadow of Colombia. 

However in the 20th century after the Spanish-American War, the United States acquired several new territories in Latin America. President Theodore Roosevelt pushed for the construction of a canal in the narrowest strip of land in Central America to expedite sea trade routes. This project led to many political and financial disputes with Colombia, however with the backing of America, Panama was able to become it's own independent nation in 1903. From this point on Panama had become an American puppet state, especially after the completion of the canal in 1914. 

The nation was controlled by American-supported oligarchs throughout most of it's modern era. However by the 1980s the military general Manuel Noriega was able to rise to power and quickly caused new tensions with the United States. At first Noriega worked as an operative of the CIA throughout the 1970s. He provided America information on Cuba and the Sandistas in support of the right-wing Contras. However this relationship came to an abrupt end when Noriega rose to power in Panama thru drug-trafficking with Colombia. In 1989 the United States invaded Panama to oust Noriega whom was declared a criminal and against American business interests.           

Colombia

Now we enter South America, thru the gates of Colombia (my mother's home country). I've dabbled into some Colombian history in the past (see Colombian Culture and Spanish Wars of Independence) but am now more fascinated with it's modern history. Colombia became the center of Simon Bolivar's war of independence against Spain. In 1819 Colombia had achieved it's independence and established the territory known as Gran Colombia consisting of Panama and Venezuela. It later evolved into the Republic of New Granada and the Republic of Colombia. Colombia first came to odds with the United States over the ownership and finances related to the Panama Canal.     

Throughout most of the early 1900s Colombia has been torn by civil war between liberal and conservative coalitions. The Thousand Days War (1899-1902) and La Violencia of 1948-1958. Following this Civil War, Colombia instituted a joint government of Liberals and Conservatives known as the National Front Regime. Despite this collaboration however resistance continued on both ends, notably from leftist guerilla factions such as M-19 and the FARC. Surprisingly however despite all this civil conflict, the United States really did not intervene in Colombian affairs until the rise of the drug lord Pablo Escobar. 

By the late 1970s drug trafficking had emerged as a new booming market for Colombia giving these illegal operations new sway on political affairs. The Medellin Cartel of Pablo Escobar had established the largest global network of cocaine distribution in the world. The amount of wealth being poured into this operation obviously concerned the United States, and thus Ronald Reagan declared a new "War on Drugs" in 1982. Throughout the 1980s Escobar was the most powerful man in Colombia who promoted many economic projects but also oversaw a very bloody and violent operation. During this time the United States put their CIA, FBI, and DEA at work to infiltrate and sabotage this market from within. By 1992 Escobar was captured, arrested and later killed by the Colombian police (much thanks to the intel provided by America).   

Venezuela

My mother's home nation where she grew up, and I myself have visited twice throughout my lifetime. The nation was actually the birth place of the great liberator, Simon Bolivar and thus became the starting grounds for his war of Independence. Venezuela was the first South American nation to achieve it's independence in 1811, although the conflict would wage on until 1823. By 1830 Venezuela became it's own nation free from Gran Colombia. From that point on the nation became a military state that underwent various waves of civil wars. 

The Federal War of 1859-1863 was another bloody conflict between liberals and conservatives over the distribution of land, wealth, and governing administration. After 5 years of war that resulted in the death of approximately 100,000 Venezuela, a new treaty was declared by both sides to establish a new democratic form of government. Nonetheless Venezuela came at odds with Europe over foreign debts and a naval blockade surrounded Venezula from 1902-1903 until the United States interceded. After this the military general Juan Vicente Gomez ruled the nation for nearly 30 years. Although he was considered a typical dictator he also helped establish an infrastructure and economy within Venezuela. Also at this time Venezuela discovered it's oil deposits which ushered in a new economic boom. 

Venezuela underwent various military dictators until 1958 when a stronger democratic constitution was adapted. In the 1960s it established the global oil network of OPEC creating an alliance with other major oil producers such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. Despite this booming wealth from it's oil market, the United States hardly intervened much in Venezuela affairs but were quite concerned by the Bolivarian Revolution of 1999. The socialist general Hugo Chavez was elected president in 1998 and for nearly 15 years transformed the nation into a socialist state. This also ushered in a wave of leftist governments throughout Latin America known as the Pink Tide.

The effects of Hugo Chavez's socialist revolution however have taken a sour turn from about 2010 till present leading to inflation, starvation, sickness, and total crisis. In the 2019 presidential election, the United States took it's boldest act yet against Venezuela by threating military intervention if the socialist leader Nicolas Maduro did not stop down. Juan Guaido became the first elected opponent of the Bolivarian Revolution in over twenty years. However despite this American regime change it only lasted four years, and in the 2024 elections Maduro returned to office and thus the crisis continues worse the never in Venezuela.   

    

Ecuador

Ecuador began it's fight for independence in the Quito Revolution (1809-1812) nearly ten years before they joined Simon Bolivar's campaign. It was not until 1822 that they achieved independence from Spain. They then became a member of Gran Colombia from 1822-1830 until becoming their own nation in 1830. Similar to most of Latin America during the 19th century they also underwent civil war between liberals and conservatives as well as territorial disputes with Peru. However all-in-all the conflicts were not quite as bloody and the nation has really never had much influence or intervention from the United States. Since the 1990s however the country has experienced similar economic problems as Venezuela.       

Peru

Known as the home of the Incas, Peru began it's war of independence in 1809 and were finally liberated with the help of Jose de San Martin in 1821 (yet the fighting continued until 1826). The Peruvian Republic was thus established in 1821 (which included Bolivia) but was separate from it's northern neighbor of Gran Colombia (however Peru was involved in military disputes with Colombia, Bolivia, and Ecuador throughout the 1830s. This eventually snowballed into a greater civil conflict known as the War of the Confederation from 1836-1839. Following this conflict Peru and Bolivia became separate states however military disputes continued frequently for Peru such as war with Ecuador (1857), war with Spain (1865), and war with Chile (1879-1883). In the 20th century minor civil conflicts continued for Peru, but never serious enough to get the attention of the United States. 

Bolivia

Bolivia became recognized as an independent state in 1825 named after their heroic liberator Simon Bolivar. It however spent most of the 19th century at war with it's neighboring countries of Peru and Chile, and was later merged with Peru from 1836-1839. In the War of the Pacific in 1879-1883 Bolivia and Peru fought and loss against Chile. As a result of this Bolivia lost access to the Pacific Ocean and became a landlocked country. It continued territorial disputes into the 20th century which led to an eastern conflict with Paraguay in the Chaco War from 1932-1935 (which once again lost Bolivia territory). 

After many years of poverty, Bolivia finally experienced a social upheaval leading to their peaceful National Revolution in 1952. Supported by a leftist/communist push a new constitution was passed that granted more rights and land to the lower classes over the ruling wealthy elite. Although the new state was considered closer to communism, the United States supported this transition and did not intervene (most likely because they did not see Bolivia as a threat). However in 1964 it is believed they did support a coup d'état that established a more conservative military state. In response to this Ernesto Che Guevara left Cuba to lead a guerilla campaign in the mountains of Bolivia. However with the support of the American CIA, Guevara was captured and executed. The US later supported a second conservative coup in 1971 and gave military aid to General Hugo Banzer.  

Chile

The Chilean War of Independence went on from 1812-1827 and was not led by Simon Bolivar but rather the great Argentine leader Jose de San Martin. Once established as a republic the nation underwent a conservative era for nearly 30 years notably under the leadership of General Joaquin Prieto. From 1861-1891 the country then turned to 30 years of liberal leadership during which it achieved victory over Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific to acquire more territory along the western Pacific coastline. In 1891 a brief civil war broke out in Chile, which helped establish a new parliamentary democratic system.     

In 1970 however Chile underwent a major political shift when the socialist leader Salvador Allende was elected president. This suddenly became a major concern of America, who feared there would be significantly land reform that would seize their mines and business operations. The US began to infiltrate and sabotage Allende's administration, who in response turned to the Soviet Union for support. By 1973 with the support of Richard Nixon and the CIA, the military general Augusto Pinochet led a successful coup d'etat which overthrew Allende. Pinochet established a military state (with the support of the United States) for nearly 20 years (and persecuted many political opponents during this time).      

Argentina

During the Spanish Wars of Independence the Argentine liberator Jose de San Martin helped declare independence in 1816 and achieve victory by 1818. An Argentine Confederation was formed by 1830 however was plagued by various civil wars, territory disputes, and social upheavals. Under the leadership of Juan Manuel de Rosa, he waged war against the indigenous tribes, fought against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation, and later joined the Uruguayan Civil War of 1839-1851. This eventually resulted in a naval blockade by France and England in 1845. By 1862 the country finally was unified under the liberal liberal Bartolome Mitre.  However by the 1880s Argentina shifted to a more conservative state as it underwent major industrialization.    

Throughout the 1920s Argentina became a breeding ground for radical leftist, communist, and even anarchist movements. President Hipolito Yrigoyen a member of the Radical Civic Union became president twice during this period and labeled himself as the father of the poor. However by 1930 at the onset of the Great Depression, a military coup forced Yrigoyen from power in what would later lead to the Infamous Decade. In the midst of economic depression a new conservative regime took hold and persecuted many leftist organizations and anarchists. The Infamous Decade came to an abrupt end with the June Revolution of 1943 that brought an end to the military dictatorship.

The popular leader Juan Peron became president in 1946 ushering in a new era of centrist/socialist ideals known as Peronism. His wife Eva "Evita" was also very popular with the people deemed as the Spiritual Leader of the Nation. She fought for labor and women rights and even considered a run for political office herself, until she suddenly got sick from cancer and died. By 1955 the Peron leadership was then overthrown during the bloody Revolucion Libertadora. A conservative military dictatorship once again came to power under President Eduardo Lonardi and Pedro Aramburu. Liberals briefly regained power, but were overthrown a second time during the 1966 Argentine Revolution. 

Surprisingly the United States did not intervene in Argentina until the 1976 election. By the 1970s the left parties had begun to regain strength and Peronism had returned to the forefront. With the support of Cuba and Chile (under Allende's presidency), Juan Peron won his 2nd term as president in 1973. Juan died however a year into his presidency and his wife Isabel assumed the office to become one of the first female heads of state. Despite this however Isabel was inexperienced in politics and the nation quickly fell into chaos which led to the 1976 military coup by General Jorge Rafael Videla (supported by the United States).      

From this point on Argentina underwent a National Reorganization Process to rid the streets of leftist radical organizations. This campaign was heavily supported by Gerald Ford's administration and led to a rather violent ten year period referred to as the Dirty War. Throughout the late 1970s to early 1980s Argentina once again became a military state. In 1981 President Leopoldo Galtieri tried to seize the Falkland Islands from England but failed. By 1983 president Raul Alfonsin helped establish a democratic government that still operates today.  

Uruguay

What was once known as the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata consisted of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil. This region declared independence in the May Revolution of 1810 in Buenos Aires. In 1828 led by the Thirty Three Orientals, Uruguay split from Brazil and Argentina to establish it's own independent nation. However just like every newly established nation it did not take long for civil war to break out between liberals and conservatives. The Uruguay Civil War waged on from 1839-1851 and was won by the liberal party known as the Colorados. However after ten years the conservative faction known as the Blancos regained power of the nation. A second civil war broke out in 1864 in which Brazil and Argentina came to the aid of the liberal Colorado party. Uruguay then joined Brazil and Argentina in the war against Paraguay from 1864-1870.

Throughout the 1870s-1890s Uruguay turned to a militarized state whilst modernizing their nation in the midst of the industrial revolution. During this time waves of European immigrants poured into Uruguay and it's capital of Montevideo became a melting pot of culture. Throughout the 20th century Uruguay has undergone various dictatorships yet all of which were brief and not as tyrannically as some of their neighboring nations. For the most part Uruguay has maintained a peaceful and neutral stance in global affairs and for this the United States has never intervened.        

Paraguay

Paraguay was originally a territory of Argentina during the Spanish wars of independence however broke away from Spain and Argentina in 1811 to declare it's independence. Under the leadership of Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia a military dictatorship was established to create a nationalist state until 1840. His leadership was followed by Francisco Solando Lopez who dragged the nation into a territorial dispute against Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay during the Paraguyan War of 1864-1870. As a result Paraguay lost 40% of it's land and it was one of the most bloody conflicts in South American history costing up to 500,000 deaths. Paraguay did win back some land in the Chaco War of 1932-1935 against Bolivia. From 1954 to 1989 General Alfredo Stroessner established a conservative military dictatorship in a period known as El Stronato. He eventually lost power and to this day Paraguay is a peaceful democracy in which the United States has never intervened.        

Brazil

Latin America took advantage of the Napoleonic Wars to begin their campaigns of independence throughout the early 1800s. During this dispute the Portuguese royal family fled to their colony of Brazil but were later exiled by the ensuing war of independence from 1822-1825. Under the leadership of their liberator Pedro of Braganza, Brazil established an Empire (one of the few American nations to do so aside from Mexico and Haiti). This vast plot of land took up nearly 50% of South America and produced half the world's coffee. The nation also made good fortune in the production of rubber. Pedro II reigned over the empire for 58 years until he was overthrown by a political faction of constitutionalists. This brought an end to the Brazilian Empire replaced by the First Brazilian Republic in 1889 also known as the Old Republic.      

At the start of the 20th century, Brazil was the most wealthy South American nation ahead of Argentina and Chile. The nation was ruled by a network of wealthy oligarchs of coffee plantations who controlled the government thru it's financial influence known as Coronelism. Throughout the 1930s-1940s there were various coup attempts by leftist Communist factions and right factions known as the Brazilian Integralism party. In 1964 the United States got involved in Brazilian affairs by overthrowing Joao Goulart and replacing him with a conservative military dictatorship. Known as Operation Brother Sam, this was considered the most significant grabs of Latin America during the Cold War. This dictatorship under American influence lasted for 20 years committing strict censorship and persecutions. By 1985 the dictatorship folded and was replaced by the present day democratic government.   

Artistic Study: Vincent Van Gogh

I remember I first came to understand the artwork of Vincent van Gogh while I was in college. It was my roommate P-Rod who put a poster of the famous painting Cafe Terrace at Night in our living room. I wasn't too familiar with art at that time, but I thought the image had such a soothing appeal to it. It had a blurry mysterious quality to it, amidst a starry night, with people sitting outside a restaurant, while others walked in the cobblestone streets. I just loved this blurry style that I later came to understand as impressionism. I then became familiar with van Gogh's other famous works such as the iconic Starry Night, and my all time favorite Starry Night over the Rhone (I had this painting as a desktop wallpaper for a good portion of my junior year in college).

When I look at his paintings I see such a surreal illusionary image that is almost like a dream. It's like being in an altered state or subconscious where you see something, but it's not entirely clear what you see. In using the art form of impressionism (or post-impressionism) Van Gogh applies a brush stroke technique that creates a broken image with gaps in it. While it seems messy and incomplete it enhances the artistic quality with a cryptic style. After all by this point in history, the visual arts had outgrown the simplicity of clear beautiful painting. It had now become a subjective form of interpretation, where a painter could create a beautiful image with a unique technical application of the colors.

As I wrote in my previous study of the evolution of western art, this recent phase was brought on by a trip to the Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Furthermore I just watched the film, At Eternity's Gate (2018), starring William DeFoe as the Dutch artist living in Arles, France. Although the actor DeFoe was much older than van Gogh at the time, I thought the portrayal of his insanity was quite insightful. We've always known that infamous story of van Gogh cutting off his ear, but what was the true purpose behind it? In looking at his many portraits and even many of his paintings, it's clear to see that van Gogh suffered from mental illness. He did not achieve any fame or glory during his lifetime, but I believe it's due to his brief and troubled life that his artwork has now been celebrated as masterful. 

Early Life as a Wanderer

Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30th, 1853 in the small town of Groot-Zuendert, Netherlands. His father was a Christian minister while his mother came from a wealthy family. As a child van Gogh displayed a serious, intelligent, and unhappy personality where he developed an interest in art.. encouraged by his mother, this appreciation for art was clearly omnipresent in the family as Vincent's 3 brothers would also later become art dealers. In 1869 the teenager Vincent found work at an art gallery in the Hague where he began studying and applying the craft. He displayed great skill and was soon collecting some profit on his works. However he later suffered heartbreak and became more isolated and withdrawn. 

In his early 20s he traveled various towns of Holland, England, and Paris working various jobs as a teacher, painting, or at a bookstore. He became very religious, studying the bible intensly, did not eat meat, and made plans to become a minister like his father. In 1877 He attended the University of Amsterdam to study theology, however he failed his exams. He then once again traveled across Europe as a wanderer looking for various religious posts but eventually returned home to his parents for several years. Vincent had begun to show signs of mental illness at this point, and his parents felt he should be committed to an insane asylum.  

Life as a Painter

In the fall of 1880 van Gogh returned to the town of Cuesmes, where he decided to become a fulltime painter, with the support of his brother Theo. Vincent studied under Dutch painter Willem Roelofs and later enrolled at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Belgium. During this time he once again grew infatuated with a woman, his cousin who rejected his overly persistent approach. He then spent time with his other cousin, Anton Mauve, who had become an established painter in the Hague. Van Gogh learned alot from Mauve, including new painting styles of charcoal, pastels, watercolor, and oil techniques. Vincent soon however cut ties with his cousin Mauve, due to various disagreements and he began to date a prostitute for some time.

However once again due to poverty, heartbreak, and depression he returned to his parents in 1883, who were living in the Dutch town of Nuenen. With funding from his parents, Vincent was able to fully focus on his paintings and completed one of his first notable works The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen. He fell in love with a neighbor briefly, but once again his parents did not approve of the relationship. Vincent's father died in 1885 of a heart attack. He then began a new phase of still-life and peasant depictions using dark watercolor undertones. He sold some of his first works that year including the Potato Eaters, Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette, and Head of an Old Farmer's Wife in a White Hat.    

He then moved to Antwerp, funded by his brother Theo, where he continued life as a struggling impoverished painter. His diet consisted mostly of alcohol, tobacco, bread, and coffee. While in Antwerpt van Gogh developed a newer appreciation of colors and would spend time in museums studying the work of Peter Paul Rubens. Van Gogh also became fascinated with Eastern Japanese art and their use of woodblock prints. He studied briefly at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp however quickly clashed with the art instructors.   

In Paris during the Bella Epoque

In 1886 he moved in with his brother Theo in the Parisian art district of Montmartre. Vincent began painting portraits of friends and local Parisians as well as a more colorful and brighter style of still-lifes and urban landscapes. He amassed a great collection of Japanese art and demonstrated an original style of Japanese influenced impressionist art, which he described as Japonaiserie. Van Gogh's painting of the Courtesan after Eisen (1887) was his finest example of this Japanese woodblock artform also known as ukiyo-e. 

During this Bella Époque of Paris he joined the circle of many famous artists such as Australian John Russell, Emile Bernard, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Cezanne, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, and one of his closest friends Paul Gaugin. He joined these artists in the new artistic movement of post-impressionism and pointillism. During his two years in Paris, van Gogh painted over 200 works. However while he had received admiration among the artist community, including the elder Camille Pissarro, he still had yet to achieve any financial success from his works. In 1888 he decided to change scenes to move from an urban setting to a rural setting in southern France.

Arles: His greatest works

Encouraged by his friend Paul Gaugin, Vincent decided to move to the coastal city of Arles, France. Here he experienced his greatest inspiration yet in this far off rural land with sweeping landscapes of rivers, hills, and forests. He painted with newer vibrant styles of light and colors depicting the French countryside. Van Gogh sought to create a community of artists in this southern district and encouraged his best friend Gaugin to join him. Paul eventually joined him for nine weeks at an art studio they described as the Yellow House. In anticipation of this visit Van Gogh painted various works of sunflower still-lifes which was a favorite theme of Gaugin.

During Gaugin's visit in the fall of 1888 Van Gogh painted some of his most famous works including the Bedroom in Arles, the Night Cafe, Cafe Terrace at Night, Starry Night over the Rhone, and the Still Life Vase with Twelve Sunflowers. Van Gogh admired Gaugin greatly and had hoped that he would stay in Arles indefinitely. However Gaugin was a more established painter and had a greater ego then Van Gogh. Soon the two began quarreling over paint techniques and Gaugin's growing boredom with the town. Van Gogh began to display panic outbreaks, bouts of schizophrenia, and mental collapses due to their various disagreements.

In what is regarded as his most infamous panic attack, Van Gogh decided to cut off his ear with a razor in December of 1888. He then bandaged the wound and presented the cut ear to a prostitute, asking her to deliver to Gaugin. While the stories are often unclear, it seems Van Gogh had experienced a mental breakdown and committed this self-inflicting harm, to change Gaugin's mind of leaving. Gaugin did not visit Van Gogh in the hospital and left the town of Arles shortly after. While in the hospital van Gogh painted his famous Self Portrait with the Bandaged Ear. When he finally left the hospital his mental state continued to weaken with continuous bouts of hallucinations and schizophrenia. After meeting with a doctor he voluntarily decided to enter an insane asylum in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. 

Insane Asylum and Death

In May of 1889 Van Gogh committed himself to the Saint Paul Asylum in Saint-Remy de Provence (on the outskirts of Arles). While in this institution he continued various great artworks depicting the gardens and his view from his window. It was in the summer of 1889 that he completed his famous masterpiece The Starry Night. A beautiful mysterious image that clearly depicts Van Gogh's darker and maddening state. During this time his subject material was limited and he adapted the works of others such as his revisioning of Gustave Dore's illustration Prisoner's Round as well as variations to his portrait of L'Arlesienne (depicting the owner of the Arles Cafe van Gogh would frequently visit).

By 1890 Van Gogh had finally begun to receive some public acknowledge of his works and was even welcomed to a new avant-garde circle of painters from Brussels. He left the insane asylum and moved to the town of Auvers-sur-Oise (on the outskirts of Paris) seeking fresh air. He lived near the psychiatrist Dr. Paul Gachet whom frequently treated Van Gogh. Gachet was an admirer of Van Gogh's work and was later the subject of a famous portrait. In his final weeks in Auvers his paintings began to reflect his older memories of Dutch life and landscape. His painting of the Church at Auvers was another famous painting of this time. 

He began to write letters to his brother Theo, that described his growing depression, loneliness, and hopelessness. At that point it became clear that his end was near, as he even stated in a letter that "the prospect grows darker, and I see no happy future at all". On July 27th, 1890 Van Gogh shot himself in the chest with a revolver while painting in a field. He was able to walk back to the inn he was staying at, however quickly needed medical attention. His friend Dr. Gachet was there that night to provide surgical care. The next morning Vincent's brother Theo arrived, and the two shared some encouraging conversation. However Van Gogh's condition quickly began to worsen and he died the following day on July 29th. His final words were "The sadness will last forever".   

Van Gogh's Most Famous Paintings

• The Potato Eaters (1985)
• Skull of a Skelton with Burning Cigarette (1886)
• Self Portrait (1887)
• 
  Sunflower Series (1888)
• The Cafe Terrace at Night (1888)
  
• The Bedroom (1888)
• The Night Cafe (1888)
• Starry Night over the Rhone (1888)
• The Red Vineyard (1888)
• The Yellow House (1888)
• Fishing Boats on the Beach (1888)
• Van Gogh's Chair (1888)
• L'Arlesienne series (1888-1889)
• Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889)
• The Starry Night (1889)
• Wheat Field with Cypresses (1889)
• Saint Paul Asylun, Saint Remy (1889)
• Ward in the Hospital (1889)
• Prisoners' Round (1890)
• Church at Auvers (1890)
• Portrait of Dr. Gachet (1890)