ABSTRACT
For many people, Colombia is a mysterious land of cocaine and emeralds, bearing the name of Christopher Columbus, discoverer of the Americas. Known as a land of drug lords and corrupt government, it does not have a very positive international reputation, yet it is a country with a warm and outgoing population. The interesting melange of the Spanish Catholic culture with the indigenous peoples gave birth to a complex society and way of life. There are implicit rules of behavior that might be undetectable to most observers, yet are ingrained in Colombian views on life, people, and violence. Living in a country plagued by civil war, where guerrillas and paramilitary groups are constantly killing, pillaging, and kidnapping civilians, many Colombians have grown “numb” to violence. After 70 bombs knocked out power in much of Colombia, people boasted that they had gone to bed early and slept soundly (GuillermoPrieto, 2002).
