Upright like a human statue, with its back to the door that has been the entrance to the traditional La Romana restaurant in Plazoleta del Rosario (downtown Bogota) for over 50 years, ‘Banderita’ is immersed in reading ‘Once upon a time there was a girl in the neighborhood’, ‘La Chilindrina’, a biography of María Antonieta de Las Nieves.
‘Banderita’ is happy with everything about the adventures and fun characters of ‘El Chavo’. He saw and repeated his Surahs over and over. If Roberto Gómez Bolaños had known him, he would definitely have taken him to his neighborhood in Mexico City. because ‘Banderita’ contains something about the crazy innocence of ‘Chespirito’ and the ridiculous creatures of the unforgettable comedian.
At the dawn of a new year, on a cloudy and earthy morning, ‘Banderita’, a tradition for 30 years, is in the center of the capital from 7 am.He pays attention to a television camera to enjoy something else that makes him extremely happy: dunking the screen.
(You may be interested in: Angulo grandparents: twenty years trapped on Holy Wednesday).
arguably ‘Banderita’ equals in television appearances Fernando González Pacheco, Jorge Barón, Hugo Patiño, Amparo Grisales, Yamid Amat, Minute of God cross diary and Consumer Bulletin Tal Cual.
The common settings for their appearances are the movement’s corner with the EL TIEMPO newspaper building and its surroundings, the Carrera Séptima and Plaza de Bolivar, the epicenter of concerts, marches and mass protests; The National Capital, the Mayor’s Office, and the Casa de Nariño, where scoops of political and government activity are cooked daily.
If an innocent passerby wandering in the center of the capital wants to know the news of the moment, there is the air of ‘Banderita’ because he lives on a Walkman who learns about the terrible events from 5 in the morning. Complaints and political scandals broadcast by the ‘Alerta Bogotá’ news program and the ‘W Radio’ station.
-What’s the news today, ‘Banderita’?
“Former Senator Gustavo Bolivar condemns trafficking of female workers for sexual purposes in congressAnd now they’re accusing him of not impeaching him when he was a senator.
Give him a clue for the info, this is what reporter ‘Banderita’ with the Colombian tricolor on his head is experiencing, a streamer he’s holding with a plastic clip gave him what appears today in any of the more than 30 covers he’s been saying: one of the bank employees association. Republic.
“The flag is my citizenship card because of my great love for Colombia, its fauna, flora, people, the beauty of its women. That’s why violence kills me, the displaced, the innocent, extreme poverty, starving children like those in La Guajira, femicide, robberies.” , it all makes me sad. And it scares me,” explains Banderita.
Over the last three decades, most Colombians have seen ‘Banderita’ trespass on television cameras anywhere in Bogotá, anytime, in the rain, the sun or the lightning, but perhaps they don’t know her full name, how old she is, where she is. Does he live and what does he live with, where does he come from and where does he go…
(Also: This was the purge of the Police in Bogotá: 59 people were expelled for corruption).
-At your discretion, attention, verb… appear civil!
”John Frady Gómez Zuluaga, born 53 years ago in Cocorná, Antioquia, single, straight, residing in the town of Kennedy, in the neighborhood of RomeI live with my father, who is a retired police officer, and my mother, who is the lady of the house; I am the eldest of four brothers, I was so forgetful that I studied until the fifth grade; I made a living by selling sweets and trinkets on the street, on errands given to me by people who knew me for many years; My little mom gives me her TransMilenio card to top up every day. Are you going to spend anything?”
-Sure, where?
‘Banderita’ says it’s “there”, in Jiménez with the fifth, where they knew him and gave him red wine in the morningat the bakery of Doña Clementina Hurtado Rodríguez, the ageless matron of the bakeries in downtown Bogotá. There I discover that another thing that makes the ‘Banderita’ happy is with the budgerigar (do not confuse) bread. Two, three, four cups and their own rolls, but count the ‘Banderita’, what the Child God brought you, how you spent Christmas Eve and the New Year.
“Changing clothes, underwear, socks and shoes. I went to bed early after lunch on the 24th and 31st. I got up at 3am to wash and work, so I’m too lazy to stay up late. I’m already out to catch SITP,” he says.
-Why did you come to the center so early?
“I like walking, seeing who from acquaintances are offered something, a job, a job, drinking bread and coffee. Cameramen who already know me. First they made me ugly, now most of them are friends.”
I tell him I saw him dunk in Egypttown at the Three Kings celebration.
screen and laughing interrupting my trip yes he was very happy on saturday
which Monday holiday They gave him a brioche of red wine, and it was published in three newsletters:
“Snail”, “RCN” and “CityTv”.
(We recommend: Festival Centro 2023: dates, venues and artists invited to the event in Bogotá).
I ask him how much the ‘Chilindrina’ biography cost him and he says it’s 5,000.
pesos, and reaffirms that he loves to buy books and movies about God and the Bible,
catechisms, Bible interpretation guides, devotionals.
-Does he like to watch ‘Banderita’ porn?
“Yeah, but they removed the channel I was watching at midnight.”
-So which operator do you have?
“It’s at the house where they go to Claro, but she doesn’t watch porn.”
-And you didn’t regret switching from a God movie to a pornographic movie?
“No, but if it’s not a sin, if it’s not haram, and one is having fun.”
– And what is sin for you?
“To steal, to kill, to curse, to be arrogant, to covet your neighbor’s wife and property.
foreign”.
Did you have girlfriends?
“Yes, in Cocorna, the town where I was born, but that was a long time ago.
friends, but it’s no more from there. I’m the only woman I’ve cried for
Mom, poor thing, she slipped in the bathroom once and hit herself so hard, I didn’t.
knows what to do”.
-We’d better talk about politics, ‘Banderita’. how did you like your mission
Peter?
“I find it very confusing. Things are getting very hot.
market and complete peace, I don’t know how this will turn out. If you have seen that the ELN is already
did he ‘pa tras’ himself?”.
(Keep reading: Does not having a military ID prevent you from getting a job?).
Would you like to be a journalist?
“No, because they too are persecuted and threatened for reporting.
actually. I would like to be an artist. When I was a kid, I used to dress like a little clown or a bird man. Or like a singer Nelson Ned, Johnny Rivera or Darío Darío from ‘Muñeco de vitrina’. I saw them on display at Media Torta and once saw Nena Jiménez leaning on my arm, who asked me to help her get down to her car because she was wearing heels. ‘Thank you, my love,’ she said to me, gave me a kiss on the cheek and gave me 20,000 pesos.”
-How do you imagine yourself as an old man, ‘Banderita’ while it’s cooked?
“I didn’t dream. Wait and see, what God wants to do with me.
Fear is a disease. I am now being treated by a nutritionist because
Nap And I have a date with the psychologist next week because I can’t sleep well. Let’s see if he’ll give me some pills for ‘sleep'”.
– But you, zero liquor and debauchery, right, “Banderita”?
“Nothing. All this scares me. I like to eat, walk, read.
Bring me the big tape recorder I have and turn on loud dance music and
walk at full speed to make people happy but I didn’t take it out again because
I’m afraid they’ll steal it.”
Pauses ‘Banderita’ story, looks at Chinese carrion clock and warnings
it was half past one in the afternoon and he had to go because of his little mother.
wait with lunch at home.
-Wait, I’ll take more photos upstairs. In La Concordia, in El Chorro de Quevedo,
there is color, graffiti…
“No! I’m not going there, I’m afraid of being robbed or kidnapped; this way
Where I move, where they know me, we see each other in the neighborhood because
I’m hungry, goodbye.”
And ‘Banderita’ takes a long and firm stride along its circumferential Axis.
the rhythm of a walk that only resounds in your brain, in your playful imagination
His alter ego from the neighborhood is ‘Chavo del 8’; plump, innocent, harmless, with it
pennant waving in the strong wind. Ah ‘Banderita’, hopefully a ‘Chilindrina’ will come
Your measure that speaks to your ear and protects you in the cold dawns of years
incoming.
History of the visit to the heart of the only nuclear reactor in Colombia
Bogota ‘Madonna’ Ciudad lives in Bolivar and fights for LGBT rights
‘These people want to kill me, they are the police; Please help me’
RICARDO RONDON CHAMORRO
Exclusive to EL TIEMPO
Source: Exame
