This October 12 marks the 531st anniversary of that historic event that led to the meeting of two worlds, two cultures or two civilizations that dates back to the year 1492, when the Spanish, through Christopher Columbus, arrived on the American continent.
By tradition, on this date people had been talking about the Day of the Races or Hispanic Heritage, but in the opinion of our historian Simón Martínez Ubarnez, “October 12 is celebrated as the day of the meeting of two civilizations. We cannot talk about races, science has shown that races do not exist, there are ethnic differences marked by pigmentation, skin differences and what was founded to sustain the ideology of slavery during the modern era was precisely the idea of races,” explains about.
The truth is that this date marked the course of world history. In Colombia, as in other Latin American countries, this celebration serves to take a look at the world’s progress towards diversity and inclusion, but it is essential that we review the meaning of this day in the Colombian, Vallenato and Caesarense context.
It cannot be ignored that October 12, 1492 was a crucial moment in the history of humanity; it was the meeting of two previously isolated worlds: the old European world and the new American world. The fusion of cultures that was triggered from that event left an indelible mark on the history of Colombia and all of Latin America.
The people and idiosyncrasy of Valledupar and Cesar, a region characterized by its ethnic and cultural diversity, is the result of this historical mix. Various indigenous, Afro-descendant, European and mestizo communities coexist in its territory, each contributing their cultural legacy to these territories.
It is the date then to recognize that the Vallenato and Cesarense identity is a mosaic of influences, one could say that Cesar is Colombia in miniature because within its territorial delimitation there is all that diversity that exists throughout the Colombian geography.
However, in the midst of celebration, we must also be aware of the deep wounds left by conquest and colonization. Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples were subjected to exploitation and oppression for centuries. The fight for equality and the recognition of their rights continues to be a challenge in contemporary Colombia.
Martínez Ubarnez is emphatic in reminding the new generations that this meeting of two cultures also had negative consequences, which is why he states that “here there was scientific development, here there was science, writing, but the Europeans destroyed everything, they destroyed temples, they burned books, they killed the wise men because they considered them witches. Here there were highly developed studies in hydraulics, engineering, and astronomy. For example, the Mayan calendar was the most perfect that all of Europe knew; the construction of the pyramids of the Mayan culture and the Aztec culture”.
By removing ourselves from history and returning to the current moment, the invitation to continue moving towards a society in which all its citizens are treated with equality and respect, regardless of their ethnic or racial origin, is valid. It is an occasion to value and preserve the cultural wealth of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, to unite as a nation, recognizing our differences and working together towards a more inclusive and equitable future.
