The photo appeared on the front page of national newspapers. It happened on November 1, 2014.
Left, then-Mayor of Cartagena Dionisio Vélez and his wife. To the right, then-Prince Charles of England, today King III.with his elegant wife Camila Parker is the queen consort today.
In the middle is a plaque full of gold letters that still embarrass Colombians who remember the episode.
(Also: the town where they say $5,000 energy is enough to live deliciously)
The royal couple’s visit to Colombia, invited by then-president Juan Manuel SantosHe organized several national stage tours and Cartagena was on the agenda.
Today King of England III. Before the imminent arrival of Charles and his wife, a former minister Sabas Pretelt de la Vega, Dionisio Vélez, a member of the Historic Center Company and mayor of the city, believed this was an opportunity to strengthen ties with the United Kingdom, forgive any political differences that may have existed in the past and pay tribute to the British soldiers. fell to the unsuccessful, he took Cartagena in 1741 under the command of Admiral Edward Vernon.
To do this, they immediately ordered a marble slab to be carved as a tribute to the royal visit.
(You may be interested: If it rains in Cartagena, it is not clear in Bolivar: After the rains the road remained like this)
That afternoon, in front of the emblematic San Felipe de Barajas Castle and next to the statue of Blaz de Leso and OlavarrietaThe Colombian delegation punished the Cartagena dog days by wearing white.
Journalists cornered and authorities banned cameras from shooting at the royal couple, except for the official photo.
The royal couple arrived almost 40 minutes late, but this was not an omission of British punctuality, but a result of the chaos of vehicles amid the first celebrations of the November festivities that changed the passage of the royal caravan.
(Also: Expectation before ‘total peace’ proposal in areas hit by violence)
Under the leadership of former Minister Preteld and Mayor Vélez, Queen Elizabeth II. Contrary to the succinct thank-you greetings from Elizabeth’s representative, there were extensive speeches.
A white cloth covered the plate. The statue of the Spanish admiral Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta, in the background The great hero of the epic battle of 1741 in the fiery Cartagena de Indias between the British and the Creoles.
But When the white cloth revealed the missing golden text over the marble, the anger began:
‘This plaque was unveiled by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. In memory of the courage and suffering of all those who died in battle trying to take the city and castle of San FelipeUnder the command of Admiral Edward Vernon at Cartagena de Indias in 1741. Presented by the Cartagena de Indias Historical Center Corporation.
(You may be interested: They catch a man who allegedly stole a cell phone from a tourist in Cartagena)
More than just a tribute to the fallen men, the plaque was a harsh brushstroke to history. And suddenly he forgot that more than three thousand men led by Blas de Lezo, a war-crippled Spanish sailor, had defeated the British navy, which had hitherto been the most powerful in the world to sail the seas: 180 ships were in progress. Ride 27,000 warriors in the service of the king of England.
Duration The British themselves cited this as one of their greatest defeats in history.and the Colombian port of Cartagena, known to the world as ‘La Heroica’, officials focused their tribute on the more than 10,000 British soldiers who died in the Caribbean from Creole swords and the occasional fire, to please the royal visit.
The gold letters on the marble also forgot that the British besieged Cartagena. they blocked the entry of food as a tactic of war and thousands died of starvation and disease.
It was an unequal battle The British thought they had won when they hoisted their flag on Cerro de la Popa.. So they ordered Gold coins where Blas de Lezo kissed the king’s hand on his knees.
(We invite you to read: from the street vendor of empanadas to a successful franchisee)
But victory was the fate of the people of Cartagena, who carved canals around the walls, thus preventing the British from entering the city.
(Worth reading: They investigate torture and rape at the Cartagena Police Station)
today the prince King Charles III– Queen II. After Elizabeth’s death – and his wife Camila left for England that same afternoon.
While in Cartagena The unfortunate plaque in honor of the monarchs was broken by a citizen with a monkey that same night Angrily, he sang the National Anthem as he razed the monument to oblivion.
(You may be interested: Lafaurie on the farmers’ demonstration in Magdalena: ‘Nobody was armed’)
The late Queen II. The tribute to Elizabeth’s eldest son would create a scandal that even sparked a debate over the political control of the mayor and the Historical Center Corporation for insulting Colombian history.
John Montano
THE TIME Correspondent
Cartagena
On Twitter: @PilotodeCometas
Source: Exame
I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.
