Photos from 09 I should've published: La Plaza de Bogotá

In October of last year I traveled to Bogotá for work. During the trip I took a short tour of the main wholesale fruit market of the capital. It's full of all sort of tropical and imported fruit. I entered along with a receiver of the exporter where I work. It has its dirtiness and chaos, as does any fruit market in Latin America (in the north the are still crazy but a bit cleaner), but it is now a safe place. My guide for the day, who has worked in the market, or as it is referred to there, La Plaza, for more than 10 years, says today it is a safe and relatively good place to be working. Not the case 10 years ago when it was run by competing cartels.

Today it is the principal reception market for imported fruit that arrives to the port of Buenaventura.

In the photo above a worker is packaging plantains, that large banana looking fruit that is so delicious when fried. Ever tried one? They go great with pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw.

In the Headlines: Bachelet calls on Colombia to explain itself after weekend attack on the FARC in Ecuador

So the political drama unfolding between Colombia and its neighbors has been at the center of attention in Chile, where the country’s President Michelle Bachelet called on the Colombian government to explain its actions following an attack on FARC rebels that spilled over into Ecuadorian territory.

According to a report on El Mercurio’s site, Bachelet spoke with other leaders in South America and is ready in intervene as an intermediary to resolve the conflict. She called it “worrisome” and said that Colombia owes Ecuador an explanation as to how and why it crossed into its territory.

If you missed it, Colombia bombed a FARC camp located about 2km into Ecuadorian territory on Saturday, killing the FARC’s #2 man: Luis Edgar Devia, aka "Raúl Reyes." The FARC have long been suspected of hiding out in Ecuador and Venezuela to escape the Colombia military.

The attack generated strong reactions from Hugo Chavez, who has recently clashed with Colombia’s Alvaro Uribe over negotiations to free FARC held hostages. Chavez warned Uribe that it would be war if he did the same in Venezuela started amassing troops at the border. He also accused the US as having backed the attack as well.

Colombia had a shot at one of its enemy’s at it took it despite the potential fall out that we are seeing today. Authorities in the US have accused Venezuela of providing shelter to the FARC to conduct their kidnappings and use as a corridor for drug trafficking, something Chavez has denied. Granted I wouldn’t expect Colombia to take any aggressive action. Let’s hope cooler heads prevail at this point.