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Cartagena, Colombia Cartagena is the capital of the Bolivar department of Colombia, population: 916,231. Located in the northwest of Colombia. An old port on the Bay of Cartagena in the Caribbean Sea. It exports oil, coffee, and platinum. Manufactures include leather and tobacco products, cosmetics, and textiles. Tourism is a growing industry and it’s known to be one of the safest cities in Colombia. Cartagena was founded in 1533 and became the treasure city of the Spanish Main, where precious stones and minerals from the New World awaited transshipment to Spain. Although the harbor was guarded by 29 stone forts and the city was encircled by a high wall of coral, Cartagena suffered sackings and invasions—in 1544, 1560, and in 1586 (by Sir Francis Drake). In 1741 it withstood a three-month British siege. The city was the first of those in Colombia and Venezuela to declare (1811) absolute independence from Spain. Known as the Republic of Cartagena, it was one of the bases used by Simon Bolivar to launch his campaign to liberate Venezuela. In 1815 the city was besieged and captured by the Spanish general Pablo Morillo, who inflicted savage reprisals on the population. Captured by rebel forces in 1821, Cartagena was incorporated into Colombia. After the revolution the city lost its importance and did not regain it until the 20th cent., with the improvement of communications and the laying of a pipeline to the oil fields of the Magdalena basin. Shady plazas and narrow cobblestone streets make Cartagena one of the most picturesque cities in Latin America. Points of interest include walls and fortifications from colonial times, a 16th-century cathedral, and the University of Cartagena.
In 1991 Youth With
a Mission was established in Cartagena, the goal was to establish a
pioneering mission’s work in the city that would influence the rest of the
nation. From the start, the strategic location of the city determined it
also as a trampoline to reach the nations through short and long-term
mission projects. Cartagena is a city with great historical and cultural
roots. In the decade of the 80’s it was declared a cultural and historic
patrimony of the world by the UNESCO, because of its architecture,
museums, fortresses, and for the leading role this city has played in the
ongoing process of Latin-American history. Cartagena is situated on the Caribbean Sea, 800 kilometers from Bogota, and has a beautiful bay and a climate which varies from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius all year long. Cartagena is the tourist destination of excellence in Colombia, being visited by thousands of tourists from other Latin American countries, the United States, Spain, Germany and Canada, and by a number of nationals. Cartagena is a peaceful city, where you are less exposed to the problems of violence prevalent in the rest of the country. However, if has been affected by the tension which Colombia suffers, because of being a secure city it constantly receives thousands and thousands of displaced people from the south of the department and other regions in the country, forming hot spots of misery in the outskirts of the city. Now Cartagena has the 3rd biggest slum in the continent, which represents a big challenge for those who want to develop projects of social work in the most depressed areas of the city. Cartagena is a city of contrasts, of color and lots of festivity, the friendliness of its people, the cultural wealth and the great affluence of tourists make it a land of special opportunities. For its heroic character, and strong ancestral roots, we believe that this plays a role in today’s history. In 2004, YWAM Cartagena ran the first mini-art school, a one month training program for those interested in the arts. In 2004 a second school covered the areas of dance, drama, drawing, painting, clay modeling and photography. We had an attendance of over 60 students from several parts of Colombia, other Latin American countries, Europe and the US. It was great to see the desire to learn in the students, their creativity taking big leaps and their hearts burning with a stronger passion for art, truth and beauty. We celebrated at the end with presentation of dances and dramas created by the students and an exhibition with the painting made during the weeks of teaching and practice. We as a team also had the opportunity to participate in a special event at the “Alizanza Francesa” a center for studies in French language, know in the city for its cultural events. I was invited to do a mural painting while a group of musicians improvised with indigenous and foreign primitive instruments. The theme was the birth of a new Colombia. The crowd was highly motivated and received the message quite encouragingly.
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