The Colombian embassy has erected a heart-shaped sculpture in the Intercultural Center and given away free flowers this week to bring attention to the country through its flower industry. The embassy’s efforts, however, elicited protests from the Georgetown Solidarity Committee which opposes the industry’s exploitative practices
The heart sculpture is one of 40 erected around D.C. as part of a campaign by Colombia to highlight its positive cultural aspects. These hearts appear the same week that Congress goes back in session, where it will resume debate on the stalled US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
The sculpture in the ICC highlights Colombia’s flower industry as a positive cultural aspect and a vital part of the Columbian economy.
On Wednesday, at a protest arried out in the ICC, the GSC spoke out against what it sees as Georgetown’s compliance with Colombia’s promotion of a violent and abusive industry.
Joe Parker (SFS ’10), an active member of the GSC, called Colombia’s campaign a “whitewash” of its ongoing abuses in an attempt to push the free trade agreement through Congress.
Parker said that the GSC was “ashamed that Georgetown would endorse such a blatant PR campaign in support of a free trade agreement that opposes the rights of working people.”
Representatives from ‘Colombia es Pasión,’ a national program for the promotion of Colombia, stressed that their organization is not a political one and aims to promote positive cultural aspects of Colombia. Though aware of the protesters, the representatives said they didn’t “know where the [protesters] got their information” regarding the exploitation of flower workers.
At the protest, members wore black and had their faces painted white to express mourning. The protesters assembled around the Colombian heart holding cardboard broken hearts with messages on them. A large banner summed up the group’s main point: “Georgetown: Your dirty politics breaks our hearts.”
Chessa Gross (COL ’10) told the crowd that Colombia’s flower trade involves dumping toxic waste into local rivers and increases poverty, rape, and military violence.
Gross voiced the GSC’s demand that the University remove the heart from ICC as it is Georgetown’s “obligation to uphold justice and human rights.” She also spoke out against the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, which, according to the group, would allow for further exploitation of Colombia’s workers.
After the ICC demonstration, the group marched to President John DeGioia’s office to demand that the University “take down an exhibit celebrating dirty politics and sweatshop industries,” according to flyers that the GSC distributed.
The sponsor of the exhibit, Georgetown’s Center for Latin American Studies, declined to comment beyond saying that it did not organize that city-wide effort to bring attention to Colombia.
The Colombian Embassy could not be reached for comment.
There is no word yet on whether the heart will be removed from the ICC as a result of Wednesday’s actions.
