Elder and Hermanita Weatherford: Late November in Bogota

Paro Nacional

(November 22, 2019) Okay, please do not worry about us. Soon you will be reading about riots in Colombia, and I just want to reassure you that the church is being very careful and conservative with our safety. But I will say that we are on a somewhat high-alert status. Ha ha! When we thought about a small adventure in Colombia, we didn't expect this. Dad and I are pretty much confined to our apartment and the temple this week and we use a tunnel to get back and forth. With our big beautiful golden angel (as the Colombians say) we might be a target for protesters.

Police helicopters flying near the Temple

So it all started on Monday when the temple presidency told us that there would be planned demonstrations on Thursday. We were expecting three buses of participants, but two of the groups cancelled because of the protests. The only group that came is from Larry's old mission (Pereira/Manizales), about a 12-hour drive. The cute people got here on Tuesday, and we worked with them. There were about 30 women and 10 men. One guy got his own endowment at age 79. He is pretty deaf, so Larry got him head phones and Larry gave him the initiatory ordinances by speaking VERY loudly. :) I had the opportunity to go on a session with the headphone guy. Larry gave him headphones that hung on his forehead awkwardly. Then Larry turned the headphones up full blast. The guy was so small and with those headphones he looked so funny. Well, then, during the session, when people were instructed to think of something silently in their minds, this guy thought of everything out loud, and so did his deaf buddy, another guy with headphones. So during this very quiet ceremony, these two guys were talking out loud and they thought that everyone else was talking out loud, too. They reminded me of the two old guys on the Muppets, and I was struggling so hard not to laugh. The leader of the session kept swinging his hands, trying to get these guys to follow the protocol. :) During another session, Larry was trying to demonstrate how we pray for people in the temple and he looked right at a young woman getting her own endowment and held up the names of people for the prayer roll. This girl thought that he wanted her to come forward, so she did, and Larry felt bad for embarrassing her, because he had to send her back to her seat. This whole group was very new at temple work and so the week was pretty exciting. Every morning, all 40 of them would show up and need help and we would be running around like chickens with our heads cut off. This group was also very naive about the protests, and we are trying to find a time to send them home on the bus when the freeways are not closed with protests. They probably will have trouble getting home. Some of our workers are stuck here and are staying in the housing until the roads open and taxis are functioning. Thank goodness there is food in the cafeteria. Last night, the temple provided empanadas for the people who were stranded.

So today, I was working at the front desk, and all of a sudden, people started securing the windows and front doors with steel bars. All the security men and some workers went outside to watch the temple gate and fence, and the rest of us just stayed put in the temple. We were on lock down because a big group of protesters came marching by. The temple is very close to the autopista north. It was pretty exciting, and because I don't speak Spanish, I was pretty scared. Everyone was so intense. But Larry explained things to me. The temple security were being very careful because the protesters were close. In fact, we finished our work in the temple and went home. Right now from the apartment, I can hear the protesters outside, a few blocks away. Isn't that crazy? And we hear a few helicopters. The biggest problem that Colombia has is the infiltration of a minority and operatives from Venezuela and Cuba, who want to stir things up, and the protests which were supposed to be peaceful, included some looting, throwing huge rocks at police, and in Cali, 300 miles and 10 hours away from us, three people died trying to loot stores. This makes our friends here so sad. They do not want this kind of violence in their country. In fact, the missionary training center here has 40 or 50 missionaries from Cochabamba Bolivia who have been reassigned to a "safer" mission. :) We got to meet many of them a couple of days ago. Ha ha! They came from Bolivia to Colombia because it is so much safer here. I sure hope so!

So we are still doing great! We are safe. Either life here will go back to normal, or we will come home early. :) I can't imagine that Colombia will become unsafe. The people here elected Ivan Duque and they can vote for a new president in 2022. Dad and I are optimistic that life here will settle down in a few days. In the meantime, we are happy to love and support our Colombian friends who have such great hearts. Life is not fair, and sometimes I feel so small compared to the injustices in life. I suppose I can love the people I meet, pray for them, and always remember the most beautiful things in life. Those things are you -- my family!! I love you all so much. :)

Email From the US Embassy

November 21-23, 2019

Location: Bogota

Event: Demonstrations (called a “paro nacional,” or nationwide strike) are expected to take place in major cities throughout Colombia on Thursday, November 21. A wide range of interest groups, including students, transportation providers, truckers, the judicial union, and social leaders are protesting a range of policies. Many schools and universities will be closed on Thursday, November 21, and Colombia has closed land and river border crossings with Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela until 5 a.m. on Friday, November 22. U.S. citizens may encounter disturbances, heavy police presence, the use of tear gas, and/or significant traffic delays. U.S. government personnel and U.S. citizens are advised to avoid demonstrations.

The city government of Bogota declared a citywide curfew beginning at 9pm, Friday, November 22, until 6am Saturday. Bars, restaurants, and other public locations will be closed starting at 9pm. U.S. citizens should remain inside their residence after this time. Colombian National Police will enforce the curfew and anyone outside their residence after 9pm may be subject to detention or arrest.

Multiple sources are reporting an ongoing protest at the Parque Nacional (Cra. 7 and Calle 34). Police have deployed tear gas to disperse protesters. U.S. citizens may encounter heavy traffic and increased police presence in the area.

Actions to Take:

* Monitor local media for updates on demonstrations and security conditions.
* Avoid areas of demonstrations.
* Exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests.
* Plan for alternative travel routes or remain in place if planned travel is inhibited.
* For emergency assistance, contact the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy using the information below.