{"id":1939,"date":"2020-10-29T18:28:14","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T18:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?page_id=1939"},"modified":"2021-01-23T17:10:16","modified_gmt":"2021-01-23T17:10:16","slug":"gustavo-carvajal","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?page_id=1939","title":{"rendered":"Gustavo Carvajal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Gustavo-Carvajal-769x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1943\" width=\"288\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Gustavo-Carvajal-769x1024.jpg 769w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Gustavo-Carvajal-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Gustavo-Carvajal-768x1022.jpg 768w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Gustavo-Carvajal-1154x1536.jpg 1154w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Gustavo-Carvajal-1539x2048.jpg 1539w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Gustavo-Carvajal-800x1065.jpg 800w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Gustavo-Carvajal-135x180.jpg 135w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Gustavo-Carvajal-scaled.jpg 1923w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px\" \/><figcaption>Gustavo Carvajal, Dallas, TX<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gustavo was born in Cucut\u00e1, Colombia. He has a BA in Philosophy and Literature from the UPB in Medell\u00edn, Colombia as well as a MA in Art History from the Brooklyn College in New York. He is a composer for the indie-rock Neoplatonics band (<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/neoplatonics.bandcamp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/neoplatonics.bandcamp.com\/<\/a>). Also, for the past 10 years he has been &#8220;pretending&#8221; to be a writer and shamelessly collaborating with different publications both in the United States and in Colombia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gustavo Carvajal naci\u00f3 en C\u00facuta, Colombia. Es licenciado en Filosof\u00eda y Letras de la UPB de Medell\u00edn e Historiador del Arte del Brooklyn College en N.Y. Es compositor de canciones para la banda de indie rock Neoplatonics (<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/neoplatonics.bandcamp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/neoplatonics.bandcamp.com\/<\/a>) y desde hace 10 a\u00f1os viene pretendi\u00e9ndose escritor y colaborando sin pudor en distintas pubicaciones de Estados Unidos y Colombia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamuseum1.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1967\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamuseum1.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1967\" class=\"wp-image-1967\" srcset=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamuseum1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamuseum1-300x144.jpg 300w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamuseum1-375x180.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">THE GREAT NATIONAL MUSEUM OF COCA OPENS ITS DOORS IN MEDELLIN<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And our magazine (<em>La Emboscadura<\/em>) was there to speak exclusively with its director.\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Gustavo Carvajal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colombia\u00b4s fortune, for better or worse, is inextricably intertwined with the coca plant. By the time the Conquistadors arrived to that part of the Andes, the indigenous peoples had already been harvesting coca for thousands of years. It was not only a source of sustenance and vigor \u2013 it was an essential pillar of their civilization, not too different from other sacred plants of the Americas such as corn, yucca or tobacco. During colonial times, Spaniards used coca as a bargaining chip by virtue of its universal demand; indeed, one could pay one\u00b4s taxes to the King in coca leaf. As it is widely known, during the 20th century the plant acquired an execrable reputation due to the ban on cocaine \u2013 one of its most promising extracts, discovered in the previous century. As a result of this and other circumstances, Colombia became the hub of the alkaloid\u00b4s illegal trade, as well as the theater of the long, tragic, and failed \u201cwar on drugs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the dark age of prohibition is coming to an end. The current state of the coca market in Colombia allows this country to contemplate its future with promise and optimism for the first time in many decades. Colombian society has undergone an extraordinary transformation during the last twenty years, both economically and spiritually (what economists have called, with fantastic lack of imagination, \u201cthe green miracle\u201d). As a result of this transformation, Colombia has experienced an admirable reduction of the violence which had historically crippled the country. Perhaps there is no other monument today that better symbolizes this unlikely shift than the National Museum of Coca in Medell\u00edn. As a Colombian expatriate who has lived in exile for the past two decades, I am filled with great satisfaction to be one of the first journalists to interview Hilda Rivera, the executive director of this novel and daring institution, which as of last week, when it first opened its doors, expects to serve not only the local public but also the hundreds of thousands of tourists who are projected to visit in the coming years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thus possessed, as it were, by a rare patriotic enthusiasm, I took the metro this morning from Laureles, the neighborhood where my hotel is located, to the Avenida La Playa station in the center of the city. Not far from there, overlooking Avenida Oriental, stands the building \u2013 designed shortly before his death by eminent Dutch architect Rem Koolhouse \u2013 which houses, with utilitarian elegance, the main collection, greenhouse, and offices of Colombia&#8217;s first coca museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I must note at this point that this was the first time I visited Medell\u00edn in twelve years, and I couldn\u00b4t help but notice the atmosphere of hope and prosperity that you can sense all around. The city has changed remarkably: you can hardly find homeless people and dispossessed children (the proverbial Colombian &#8220;gamines&#8221;) in downtown streets where they once swarmed, and it is even possible to perceive a change in peoples\u2019 demeanor: a softness in their frown and perhaps a spring in their step, despite the bustling of commerce and the noise of the crowd rushing after their slice of the &#8220;green miracle&#8221; pie.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally I arrive; I stand at the gate of the brand-new museum. As I was a little early for my appointment, I took the time to explore the lobby and its surroundings. The first thing that caught my eye was the spacious and illuminated atrium in the center of the structure that grants the building a kind of grandeur, like that of a futuristic cathedral covered by different plants from the tropical Andes \u2013 an ornamental style that some designers have coined \u201ceco-chic\u201d. As for the rest, no expense has been spared to provide an optimal visitor\u2019s experience: visitors can use the many interactive stations to learn about the exhibits, and for those who favor human contact, guides are stationed frequently around the museum to answer questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the left-hand side of the magnificent atrium, I can see the counter of a small but charming cafeteria, offering every variety of coca tea or infusion that one\u2019s heart could desire. Right next to it, under the label \u201cCoca Patisserie,\u201d there is a list of appetizing sweets \u2013 cookies, desserts, millefeuille, and cakes \u2013 prepared from the versatile plant. It is worth noting that cocaine is not sold in the museum, because of health code regulations. The tourist or consumer who wishes to acquire cocaine can do so (as long as they are of-age and meet other specific requirements) in one of the dispensaries that can be found around the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At one end of the central hall I suddenly noticed an orchid-covered flower bed, in the center of which stands a lustrous coca plant. On the wall behind it, a label holds the description given by chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega of the unassuming bush in the 17th century:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;&#8230; the herb called cuca, or, coca, a tree the height of a man, with leaves the width of a thumb, similar to the strawberry tree, which the Indians chew, that satiates the hungry, gives new strength to those who are fatigued or exhausted and that helps the unfortunate to forget their miseries. &#8220;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While I was lost in thought reading the caption, Hilda Rivera came to meet me. My first impression of her was of a mature, elegant and down-to-earth woman. She has the look of a librarian, rather than that of a successful art curator for prestigious institutions such as the Guggenheim in Bilbao, a position which she held for years before being offered the directorship of the National Coca Museum in Medell\u00edn.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Gustavo Carvajal<\/strong>: Hilda, thank you very much for granting our magazine this interview. My first question is: how does a contemporary art curator end up at the helm of a coca museum?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hilda Rivera<\/strong>: (Laughter) It&#8217;s a good question. I think the reason has to do with this museum\u2019s mission, which is to preserve the biological and cultural heritage of the coca plant in Colombia. Here I am fortunate to be able to work with anthropologists, sociologists and historians, as well as biologists and chemists. So, I think my experience in the art world works as a counterweight, if you will, to that scientific streak that runs through our museum. Colombia\u00b4s Ministry of Culture, which is where our budget comes from, did not want this to be an institution just for specialists, but a place that attracts a wider audience, and I believe that my relative success in one of the most visited museums in the world is a big reason why I was chosen. The exciting thing for me, and the reason I decided to accept this challenge, is that as a curator I believe my job is to create narratives, so I am very excited about the opportunity to help create a new and more sophisticated narrative surrounding coca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Fifteen years ago, it was impossible to imagine a museum like this in Colombia. What historical circumstances, do you think, have made it possible for us to be here today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>.: I would say there are four. First, of course, the election of Gustavo Bol\u00edvar as president of Colombia in 2026, and his appointment of Iv\u00e1n Marulanda as minister of the interior; Mr. Marulanda, of course, is credited with introducing the bills that legalized coca and its derivatives. The second condition was the corroboration that coca tea and coca leaf can help strengthen antibodies in humans and effectively protect the body against viruses, including Covid-19, discovered during the 2020 and 2021 pandemic. The third was the social outrage caused by the humanitarian crisis of mass incarceration in the United States and the links between the oppression of racial minorities and the war on drugs in the Americas. And the last, perhaps most important factor, is the extraordinary economic success that legalization has brought to our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C<\/strong>.: There is a sector of Colombia\u00b4s public opinion, and in other parts of the world, that opposes the type of philosophy that this museum represents and who wonder: What benefit does this institution really offer to Colombian society?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>.: Like I said a moment ago, the mission that has been entrusted to us as members of this institution is to preserve the biological and cultural heritage of this wonderful plant. Our responsibility to the community is to educate and inform about the coca leaf and, in short, to present the public with evidence that allows citizens to dismantle the antiquated taboo associated with coca. The reality, which scientific research reveals, is something that the ancient peoples of the Andes already knew: that coca is not a foe but a friend of humanity. The coca plant offers more advantages than disadvantages for public health, and has surprising therapeutic applications that we are just starting to learn about. Further, and perhaps more controversially, it can also be used responsibly for recreational purposes. You can see for yourself the social and public health success that the coca regulation policy has had in Colombia. We finally confirmed what intellectuals like Alfredo Molano and Antonio Caballero had told us for decades: that violence was caused by the prohibition of cocaine and not by addiction to it. Not only did violence and corruption decrease exponentially in the state, addiction was mitigated, and deaths from cocaine overdoses are now non-existent in our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C<\/strong>.: Alright then, so how about we start the tour?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>.: Okay. Like I said, the museum\u00b4s mission is to preserve the cultural and biological heritage of coca. To achieve this objective, the museum has been designed based on three thematic lines. First, the archaeological line. That section explores everything related to the ancient Andean people and the ways they utilized coca over the millennia. We also explore the current uses that different communities have for the plant, both for indigenous cultures and within popular culture. The second theme is scientific: the&nbsp;<em>hard-line<\/em>&nbsp;so to speak, that is, the understanding of coca\u2019s properties from the perspectives of chemistry, botany, and medicine, and an understanding of both the positive and negative effects it offers, including how it relates to climate change and ecology. And the third theme corresponds to the historical-political dimension. This is the overview that we offer visitors of the lessons that the 20th century taught us \u2013 in particular, the effects of the war on drugs, emphasizing the struggle and the memory of all of the victims of that conflict. It records the tragedies and abuses that prohibition produced in an effort to heal our society through rigorous knowledge, as modern and competitive societies should do. It is important that your readers know that in our museum, when we talk about cocaine, we do so with an objective approach, without any intention of exalting it or promoting its consumption, but with the aim of understanding it and making better use of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>GC.<\/strong>: Speaking of cocaine, I think it\u2019s necessary to address that issue, because although you can argue that the debate on the legalization of coca and its derivatives has been won, there are still people who criticize the effort of institutions like this one as promoting drug addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>.: I understand. Let me say, it is totally false that we promote the use of cocaine; besides, let\u00b4s not forget that cocaine has never needed any advertisement. But the reality is that Colombian citizens, who are adults, have the freedom to consume and do with their bodies what they please, as long as they do not hurt others; our function within that democratic contract is to promote knowledge and truth. Look, Gustavo, the country experimented with prohibition for a long time, and that made cocaine a taboo substance that no one spoke positively about in public, but that many enjoyed in private. Today, after 20 years of regulation of cocaine, although critics still remain, the international community represented in the Geneva conventions and in multiple UN resolutions has recognized that although cocaine is a substance that can create addiction, it is no more dangerous than tobacco, alcohol or sugar. And that just like those dangerous but accepted substances, it fulfills a necessary function in our society. Now, mitigating those potential problems through the education of youth and the treatment of addicts is paramount. But let\u00b4s not forget that, within our social contract, it\u00b4s also vital to treat the law-abiding consumer of cocaine with respect by offering a product whose ingredients and production processes are transparent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Hilda was speaking, we entered a large gallery with display cases filled by ancient objects and tools, similar to those found in a wing of an anthropology museum. Rivera led me to a room which holds an impressive collection of poporos (the largest in the world), made up of about a hundred objects of all shapes and sizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>.: This is one of the great prides of our museum: our poporo collection, unique in the world. Some of them belong to the Gold Museum in Bogot\u00e1 and are here on indefinite loan; others were part of the Quimbaya treasure that the Spanish government was kind enough to give back to Colombia a few years ago; and others, perhaps less valuable in terms of price but of great anthropological value, comprise this exhibit which serves as a gateway to the understanding of coca\u00b4s role within the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Colombian Andes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.:<\/strong>&nbsp;For some of our readers who may not know, could you tell us about a poporo\u2019s purpose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong>&nbsp;Poporos were basically portable containers, like a type of flask, in which the&nbsp;<em>mambe<\/em>&nbsp;was carried.&nbsp;<em>Mambe<\/em>&nbsp;is powdered coca leaf mixed with other herbs. Poporos were also sometimes used to carry lime, which was the material indigenous people used to release the active component in coca leaves. It was like a special chest used to carry something very valuable, such as this lime powder with powdered leaf that was then put in the mouth and chewed to obtain different effects, most notably that of reducing hunger and reinvigorating the body. Here, the visitor can learn everything we know about poporos, and why this artifact is a symbol of our national identity. In this room, for example, we carry out educational activities with children of all ages, where we encourage curiosity and exploration by asking ourselves questions such as: What was the life of our indigenous ancestors like? Or, why did they need this source of energy? What kind of rituals and symbolism did coca have for them? Children can come and even make their own poporos, and learn the difference between the Huitoto, Kogi, or Muisca poporo, just to give a few examples of the people that were here when the Spanish arrived.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As I listen to Hilda&#8217;s words, I realize how monumental this first hall is. Many other types of artifacts are on display here besides poporos; you can also listen to testimonies of&nbsp;<em>taitas<\/em>, wise men and scholars who explain, through videos and photographs, the meaning of ancient rituals and customs, as well as the multiple ways in which the coca leaf is utilized. Further on, there are samples of Andean art from Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. It reminds me of a pavilion in the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, or the pre-Colombian art wing of the Muse\u00e9 de l\u00b4Homme in Paris. I was able to notice three major themes that underline the organization of this imposing room: first, a detailed account of the indigenous peoples in the region and their relationship to coca, along with a study of their languages and an overview of who they were (and to the extent that some of these communities still exist, who they are today). Second, an account of the uses of coca, both practical and ritual, and a hermeneutical analysis of these practices. And as a sort of appendix, the concept and use of coca during the centuries of the Spanish colony, and the role of coca in the colonization process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After a while, Hilda and I left the anthropology hall and got on the elevator to the second floor. When exiting the elevator, one can feel that the atmosphere is very different. The section that opens in front of us feels more like a science museum than anything else. I can see herbaria on shelves, and laboratory instruments accompanied by screens that explain their function. In the first corridors, I notice maps of the Andean region. The exhibition begins with a geographical location of the crops, and with an exhibition of topography, geology and soil science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: This floor has a very different character from the previous one; it seems as if it belongs to another type of museum, a chemistry museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>.: Definitely. That has to do with what I was telling you about the preservation of the biological heritage of coca. For me, coming from the humanities, this dimension of the museum is one of the most stimulating, and the one with the most potential. Because if you think about it, there is not much new that we can know about the ancestral use of coca, new archaeological discoveries notwithstanding. But as for scientific research of coca, it is still in its infancy, and we are just beginning to understand not only the benefits of the plant, but the relationship that our own biology shares with it. If you look here, for example, in this section we can show the visitor how the more than fifteen alkaloids that can be extracted from coca interact with our nervous system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.:<\/strong>&nbsp;Yeah, and I can see that there is even a small laboratory here and that people can observe a group of scientists at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>.: Exactly! Isn&#8217;t that wonderful? We are able to offer our visitors not only information about what is known to date, but also about new experiments and innovations that are being carried out in different fields of research. And in the future, we will have a dynamic exchange between our scientists and other experts around the world. We want our visitors to be able to comprehend, without any specialized education in science, the chemical composition of the plant, and from that, understand the effects it has on our body \u2013 not only its psychotropic capacity, which is undoubtedly fascinating and a source of much interest, but also its therapeutic faculties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.:<\/strong>&nbsp;Since you mention the therapeutic faculties, what are the health benefits of the coca leaf?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong>&nbsp;Oh, there are many. Let&#8217;s start with the nutritional facts. Coca leaf is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and E, and minerals: calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium and potassium. What\u2019s more, there is strong evidence that it regulates blood pressure and improves oxygenation of the blood and brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.:<\/strong>&nbsp;I wanted to ask you about that. We know that this vitamin value is the reason why today coca leaf is used to strengthen the immune system of people, and as a method for the prevention of viruses such as Covid-19. But some derivatives of coca also have harmful effects on health. Are you also interested in informing the public about these effects?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>.: Of course. In this very hall you will find all the information related to addiction, the prevention of addiction, and everything related to public health. Just as a sugar museum must mention diabetes, or a wine museum should warn about alcoholism, here we inform the public about addiction and the problems associated with cocaine abuse, in particular. We are also interested, as you can see here, in creating awareness about the environmental impact of monocultures, and how in Colombia we have been able to, in a remarkable fashion, curb deforestation by sowing and harvesting coca in a controlled and environmentally-friendly way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C<\/strong>.: This wing of the museum is certainly impressive \u2013 one can tell that no expense has been spared. In your view, what is the most exciting thing a visitor can learn here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, one of the coolest things is that we can show the public how the active components of the coca leaf are extracted to produce cocaine hydrochloride, and, at the same time, we can explain how similar components are extracted to produce coca flour, cookies and cakes. A person who wishes to know about chemistry and neuroscience has a unique source of reference here, as well as people interested in biology and taxonomy. Plus, you can find out about the most up-to-date discoveries on these subjects by attending our conferences and talks. That is very important to me \u2013 the ability to inform an audience that has for so long been immersed in ignorance about the wonders this plant has to offer. Today, research on the medical potential of ayahuasca, psilocybin, and LSD is being conducted without prejudice, and we are part of this revolution that is taking place in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<strong>G.C<\/strong>.: A second ago, while we were walking, I read on one of the walls a quote from the botanist Terence Mckenna, which caught my eye. It said: &#8220;<em>Contrary to what we think, it is plants that have domesticated man and not the other way around<\/em>.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong>&nbsp;It&#8217;s a very suggestive line, isn&#8217;t it? In philosophical terms, it presents us with a new attitude regarding our relationship with the environment. It is that idea of Mckenna, which in fact the natives instinctively recognized, that our DNA is evolutionarily connected with that of all these plants: fungi, for example, DMT, cannabis, etc. We share an evolutionary history with these plants; many of them existed long before there were homo sapiens on earth. What McKenna suggests is that certain species such as marijuana, mushrooms, or coca, offered humans an evolutionary advantage. Plants possess somewhat superior intelligence; they are complex living organisms that have survived various extinctions. That is why when Erythroxylum coca offers us all these benefits, not only nutritional, but also psychological, the plant is domesticating us in a process of evolutionary mutualism. Essentially, humans cultivate the plants, keeping their genes alive, and in return plants give us physical and psychological benefits that help us adapt and survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After our tour of the second floor, we went up an imposing marble staircase to the third level. I was happy to be led by the director who, despite the arduous working days of the last weeks, could not hide her enthusiasm when she told me about some of the \u201ctreasures\u201d that make up this part of the collection. Now we enter another large gallery, definitively more solemn, which is dedicated to political history and the memory of the victims of the war on drugs. On one of the first walls runs a video projection of the comedian and journalist Jaime Garz\u00f3n, interpreting one of his famous TV characters: the leftist student of the Universidad Nacional, \u201cJohn Lenin,\u201d and a graffiti behind him that reads: &#8220;let coca be for those who grow it.&#8221; This floor seems more like a cabinet of curiosities, crammed with objects, mixed with a series of contemporary art installations. I ask Hilda to explain what we are looking at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong>&nbsp;Preserving the cultural heritage of coca is not possible without surveying the history of the 20th century. So, what we have here is a collection of objects that serve as entry points to the understanding and interpretation of that history. It is worth noting that on this floor we also have two galleries exclusively devoted to modern art, with permanent and temporary exhibitions. This, you can say, is my pet project here at the museum, my darling. But in general, I want your readers to know that the national government has invested significant capital to ensure that we have a collection of objects that competes with any museum of prestige in the world. For instance, we have acquired works of art of high artistic value, from pieces such as the Cosmococas by Helio Oiticica, the Brazilian artist, to sculptures by Doris Salcedo and Edgar Negret. However, the main objective of this module is to preserve the memory of our conflict, and to give a voice to all those people who senselessly died \u2013 or died a civil death in prison \u2013 during the decades of prohibition. It is actually a very complex objective, because as I said at the beginning, my job is to present a compelling, rigorous and attractive narrative about the history of coca in Colombia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we speak, I notice a video in which various political and cultural personalities such as former President Juan Manuel Santos, Diego Maradona, Paul McCartney, and filmmaker V\u00edctor Gaviria, among many others, admit to having tried cocaine during the prohibition years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.:<\/strong>&nbsp;Hilda, can I ask you a personal question? do you use cocaine?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<strong>H.R<\/strong>.: Yes, occasionally. Sometimes I feel like taking a bump at a party, usually with friends, being very careful not to overdo it, just like I do with alcohol or sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that moment we stopped in front of an artifact that I could not recognize, a piece of charred scrap metal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C<\/strong>.: What is this object?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong>&nbsp;This is very interesting; it is a fragment of the Avianca 203 plane that the Medell\u00edn cartel exploded in the air in 1989. This object for me is especially eloquent, because it synthesizes the barbarism and nonsense of illegal drug trafficking and its disastrous consequences. Right here we have a list of the people who died on that plane. It is important to insist that we are not only interested in tracing the history of the drug trafficking mafias, but more importantly, the stories of the victims, especially the massacred and displaced peasants and farmers, who suffered these horrors for so long. Over there, for example, we have beautiful testimonials from coca-growing women from all over the country, from the 1980s to today. We have documentaries that recount the struggle of the remote communities of Colombia. It is a very broad archive that will continue to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.:<\/strong>&nbsp;I also see that you have references to cocaine within popular culture. I see a poster of Al Pacino in Scarface, and other movies &#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong>&nbsp;Of course. Look, in a conventional art museum, like the Met let&#8217;s say, people go to appreciate the objects that are there for their beauty and then learn some facts about their history. Here, on the contrary, the object serves us to illustrate the historical and cultural content of an era. We not only have posters and films, things like documentaries about Studio 54, an effigy of Mar\u00eda Auxiliadora, the virgin of the sicarios [the child Colombian hitmen]; but also things like a letter written by Ismael Enrique Arciniegas, the first Colombian executed by the People&#8217;s Republic of China\u00b4s government for drug trafficking. We have numerous materials referring to anti-drug campaigns in different countries and in Colombia, such as the famous commercials against \u201cbazuco\u201d (crack cocaine), and the advertising campaign against coca: &#8220;the plant that kills.&#8221; We also have descriptions of the different ways in which the sometimes deceiving, sometimes exaggerated narrative of coca was constructed. Look, for example, here we have another fantastic object: a copy of the New York Times\u00b4s edition from February 1914, with the headline &#8220;Negro Cocaine Fiend,&#8221; the infamous article where for the first time the racist idea that cocaine made blacks stronger and impervious to bullets was implanted in society\u00b4s psyche. Another object that I am partial to is this: an original edition of the classic novel &#8220;Cocaine&#8221; by the Italian Pitigrilli from the 1920s, which describes the initial enthusiasm with which the substance was received in European society in the early 20th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At this point we went up to the fourth floor, dedicated exclusively to housing the administrative offices, as well as a respectable library, the first in the world created with the sole ambition to contain everything written about coca, cocaine, and its derivatives. Hilda informs me that the library has not yet fulfilled this goal, of course, but tells me with pride about the volumes of scientific literature, ecology and public health, cultural studies, novels and periodicals that are available as sources of reference for scholars and for the general public.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At this time Hilda, evidently tired from our more-than-an-hour walk, invites me to have tea in the restaurant on the top floor. I have no doubt that this space will be one of the most pleasant surprises for visitors. The restaurant is located on the building\u00b4s terrace, in the center of which is the greenhouse, where dozens of coca plants of different varieties and shades of lustrous green flourish in all their exuberance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong>&nbsp;This is a very classy space, as you can see, fun and pleasant, but at the same time, a place for research. Our greenhouse is a kind of mini botanical garden, around which you can have lunch and a glass of wine or tea. I think of the plants we grow in the greenhouse as our second collection. In other words, a very beautiful and very deliberate selection of that biological heritage that we have been entrusted to preserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C<\/strong>.: This is truly a wondrous space. If 30 years ago I had told someone that one would be able to eat a very chic dinner surrounded by coca plants, they would have thought I was crazy. Now, here we are, and we can certainly enjoy this, but I worry that today\u2019s optimism will fade, and we will again make the mistake of banning substances in the future. As a good Colombian, I am skeptical of this feeling of hope and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong>&nbsp;(Laughter) Yes, I totally understand. Like anyone who\u00b4s versed in Colombian history, I think that it\u00b4s always possible to return to those violent times, that is, times of political conflict. But what I don\u00b4t think will happen is that we go back to killing each other over something as stupid and irrational as the prohibition of a plant. In the last twenty-five years, although with setbacks and difficulties, we have managed to dismantle the taboo surrounding coca. The country has matured; free education is paying off, and society is not as naive as it was a century ago. In addition, today we have a very solid legislation in place, which ensures consumer safety, and which strives to prevent addiction and protect children, just as it is done with other potentially dangerous activities in modern societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.:<\/strong>&nbsp;Do you think that the drug taboo has been dismantled? At least in the western world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>: &nbsp;Evidently, it\u00b4s a job that has not been finished, and that is why those of us who work at the National Coca Museum feel a great responsibility. Gustavo, I confess that being part of this process is the honor of my life. The way I see it is that, if the opening of the Louvre in Paris at the end of the 18th century was a manifestation of the ideals of the Enlightenment, this building we are in is a testament to the maturity of our society. I, at sixty-seven years old, never imagined that we could achieve what we are seeing today, and I am very excited to contemplate the possibilities that are open to young people in our society. You asked me at the beginning why an art curator was chosen to run this museum, and I think the answer is because, in the end, art is a promise of happiness. What we offer here at the museum, in addition to knowledge, is hope. It is the idea that progress, while slow, is also inevitable and that truth always trumps superstition; that&#8217;s the history of our culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C<\/strong>.: Hilda, thank you very much for giving us this interview. Finally, what is the message or the teaching that you hope the people who come to this museum will take away?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong>&nbsp;I apologize if it sounds like the coca tea has made me a bit sentimental, but what I hope is that the visitor, first, becomes amazed at how wonderful nature and the human condition are, and how poetic and wonderful the theater of existence on earth is. Second, I hope that the visitor questions that very human condition, and the way in which our psyche works, and how culture creates great artistic and spiritual monuments, but also creates heavy burdens in the form of taboos, and superstitions that have inflicted much pain and misery on innocent people. And third, that the visitor takes away a message of hope. As Martin Luther King said: although the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends towards Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly after we parted I found myself on the street again, faced with bustling Downton Medell\u00edn. Inflamed by Hilda&#8217;s emotional words and injected with energy by the coca tea, I headed towards my hotel to begin writing this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Medellin, October 18, 2049<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>ABRE SUS PUERTAS EN MEDELLIN EL GRAN MUSEO NACIONAL DE LA COCA.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">La emboscadura visit\u00f3 las instalaciones y convers\u00f3, en exclusiva, con su directora.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>por Gustavo Carvajal.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1951\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/atriomuseodelacoca.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1951\" data-link=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1951\" class=\"wp-image-1951\" srcset=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/atriomuseodelacoca.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/atriomuseodelacoca-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/atriomuseodelacoca-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/atriomuseodelacoca-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/atriomuseodelacoca-270x180.jpg 270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Atrium Coca Museum, Medell\u00edn, Colombia<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1952\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1350\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Cocalab.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1952\" data-link=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1952\" class=\"wp-image-1952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Cocalab.jpg 1350w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Cocalab-300x156.jpg 300w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Cocalab-1024x531.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Cocalab-768x398.jpg 768w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Cocalab-800x415.jpg 800w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Cocalab-347x180.jpg 347w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Coca Labs at the Coca Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1953\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"194\" height=\"260\" src=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamuseum3-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1953\" data-link=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1953\" class=\"wp-image-1953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamuseum3-1.jpeg 194w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamuseum3-1-134x180.jpeg 134w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 194px) 100vw, 194px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Coca Museum, Medell\u00edn Colombia<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1955\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"539\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IndorTrees.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1955\" data-link=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1955\" class=\"wp-image-1955\" srcset=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IndorTrees.jpg 539w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IndorTrees-202x300.jpg 202w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IndorTrees-121x180.jpg 121w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 539px) 100vw, 539px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Indoor Trees at the Coca Museum, Medell\u00edn, Colombia<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1957\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"838\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Poporos-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1957\" data-link=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1957\" class=\"wp-image-1957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Poporos-1.jpg 838w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Poporos-1-246x300.jpg 246w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Poporos-1-768x938.jpg 768w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Poporos-1-800x978.jpg 800w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Poporos-1-147x180.jpg 147w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 838px) 100vw, 838px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Poporo, Coca Museum, Medell\u00edn Colombia<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1968\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"501\" src=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamusuem6.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1968\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamusuem6.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/?attachment_id=1968\" class=\"wp-image-1968\" srcset=\"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamusuem6.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamusuem6-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamusuem6-768x385.jpg 768w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamusuem6-800x401.jpg 800w, https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cocamusuem6-359x180.jpg 359w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Caf\u00e9 and Library at the Coca Museum in Medell\u00edn, Colombia<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>E<\/strong>l destino de Colombia, para bien y para mal, est\u00e1 entrelazado \u00edntimamente con el de la planta de la coca. Desde miles de a\u00f1os antes de que los espa\u00f1oles llegaran a esta parte de los Andes, los ind\u00edgenas la utilizaban como fuente de sustento y de vigor, y como un pilar esencial de la cultura; no muy distinto al caso de otros frutos sagrados del continente americano como el ma\u00edz, la yuca o el tabaco. Durante la colonia, los espa\u00f1oles la usaron como moneda de cambio en virtud de su amplia demanda, emple\u00e1ndola para la compra de bienes y servicios al punto de que era posible pagar con hoja de coca los impuestos al Rey. Como se sabe, durante el siglo XX la planta adquiri\u00f3 una reputaci\u00f3n execrable debido en particular a la proscripci\u00f3n de la coca\u00edna, uno de sus extractos m\u00e1s prometedores descubierto en el siglo anterior. Como consecuencia de esa y otras circunstancias, Colombia se convirti\u00f3 en el foco del tr\u00e1fico ilegal del alcaloide, as\u00ed como en el escenario de la larga, tr\u00e1gica y fallida guerra contra las drogas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No obstante, la era oscurantista del prohibicionismo est\u00e1 llegando a su fin. El estado actual del mercado de la coca le permite a Colombia contemplar su porvenir con gran optimismo por primera vez en mucho tiempo. La sociedad colombiana ha sido objeto de una transformaci\u00f3n extraordinaria durante los \u00faltimos veinte a\u00f1os, tanto econ\u00f3mica como espiritual (lo que algunos economistas han dado en llamar \u201cel milagro verde\u201d) as\u00ed como experimentado una admirable reducci\u00f3n en la violencia at\u00e1vica que azotaba al pa\u00eds. Acaso no haya ning\u00fan otro monumento, hoy por hoy, que simbolice mejor esta inopinada prosperidad que el Museo Nacional de la Coca en Medell\u00edn. Como expatriado colombiano que ha vivido en el exilio durante las \u00faltimas d\u00e9cadas, me colma de una singular satisfacci\u00f3n ser uno de los primeros periodistas en entrevistar a Hilda Rivera, directora de esta novel y audaz instituci\u00f3n que desde hace apenas una semana abri\u00f3 sus puertas: no s\u00f3lo al p\u00fablico local, sino a los cientos de miles de turistas que se estima la visitar\u00e1n durante los pr\u00f3ximos a\u00f1os.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As\u00ed pues, pose\u00eddo de un patri\u00f3tico y raro entusiasmo, abord\u00e9 esta ma\u00f1ana el tren ligero que desde el barrio Laureles (donde se encuentra mi hotel) conduce a la estaci\u00f3n de la avenida La Playa en el centro de la ciudad. No lejos de all\u00ed, sobre la avenida Oriental, se erige el elegante edificio post-modernista &#8211; dise\u00f1ado poco antes de su muerte por el eminente arquitecto holand\u00e9s Ren Koolhouse -, el cual aloja con sobriedad utilitarista la colecci\u00f3n principal, el invernadero y las oficinas del primer museo de la coca de Colombia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Debo anotar hacia este punto que doce a\u00f1os hace que no visitaba Medell\u00edn, y, en consecuencia, no he podido menos que notar, con gran regocijo, la atm\u00f3sfera de esperanza y bienestar que se respira en la nueva \u201cBella Villa\u201d. La ciudad ha cambiado notablemente: es dif\u00edcil encontrar indigentes y ni\u00f1os despose\u00eddos (los proverbiales \u201cgamines\u201d colombianos) en las calles del centro donde antes pululaban, y hasta es posible percibir en la expresi\u00f3n de la mayor\u00eda de transe\u00fantes una suavidad en el semblante y hasta cierta liberalidad en el andar, a pesar de la agitaci\u00f3n del comercio y el ruido de la multitud que se apresura en pos de su tajada del \u201cmilagro verde\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heme aqu\u00ed, \u00a1por fin!, frente a la fachada del flamante museo. Puesto que llegu\u00e9 algo temprano a mi cita aprovech\u00e9 el tiempo para explorar el vest\u00edbulo y sus alrededores. Lo primero que me llam\u00f3 la atenci\u00f3n fue el amplio e iluminado atrio en el centro de la estructura que le confiere al edificio un aire de catedral futurista, cubierta por plantas del ex\u00f3tico follaje de los Andes tropicales: un estilo ornamental que algunos dise\u00f1adores han acu\u00f1ado con el t\u00e9rmino de \u201c<em>eco \u2013 chic\u201d<\/em>. Por lo dem\u00e1s, no se ha escatimado en comodidades y tecnolog\u00eda de punta para brindar un servicio \u00f3ptimo al visitante: se pueden consultar pantallas y hacer uso de estaciones interactivas, as\u00ed como disponer del servicio de gu\u00edas y educadores para aquellos que prefieren el contacto humano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A mano izquierda del magn\u00edfico atrio, se puede apreciar el mostrador de una cafeter\u00eda peque\u00f1a pero muy simp\u00e1tica en donde el men\u00fa ofrece todas las variedades imaginables de t\u00e9s e infusiones hechas a base de coca que el coraz\u00f3n pueda desear, as\u00ed como una lista, bajo el r\u00f3tulo de <em>Coca Patisserie<\/em>, que invita a probar apetitosos dulces, galletas, postres, milhojas y pastelillos, preparados a partir de la versatil\u00edsima planta. Vale la pena anotar, que en el museo no se vende coca\u00edna, la cual est\u00e1 sujeta a un c\u00f3digo sanitario especial. El turista o el consumidor que desee adquirirla puede comprarla \u2013 en tanto cumpla con los requisitos exigidos por la ley, en uno de los m\u00faltiples dispensarios que para este efecto se han dispuesto en la ciudad.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">En un extremo del espl\u00e9ndido sal\u00f3n central, advert\u00ed de repente una sardinel cubierto de orqu\u00eddeas en cuyo centro se yergue una lustrosa mata de coca y sobre la pared, detr\u00e1s de ella; una inscripci\u00f3n en la que se lee la estampa que de este prosaico pero poderoso arbusto hiciera el Inca Garcilaso de la Vega en el siglo XVII:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>&#8220;&#8230;la yerba llamada cuca, o, coca, un arborillo de la altura de un hombre, de hojas del anchor de un pulgar, parecido al madro\u00f1o, que los indios mascan, que sacia a los hambrientos, da fuerzas nuevas a quienes est\u00e1n fatigados o agotados y ayuda a olvidar sus miserias a los desdichados.&#8221;<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mientras me hallaba exhorto en la lectura de la etiqueta, lleg\u00f3 a mi encuentro Hilda Rivera. Mi primera impresi\u00f3n fue la de estar frente a una mujer madura, elegante y de aspecto sobrio, incluso sencillo; m\u00e1s bien con el look de una bibliotecaria que el de una exitosa curadora de arte de prestigiosas instituciones como el Guggenheim en Bilbao, donde trabaj\u00f3 durante los \u00faltimos diez a\u00f1os, antes de que le ofrecieran la direcci\u00f3n del Museo Nacional de la Coca en Medell\u00edn. Convinimos en llevar a cabo la entrevista a medida que recorr\u00edamos los cinco niveles que componen el edificio, para as\u00ed poder ofrecer a los lectores un panorama m\u00e1s completo, no solo de la filosof\u00eda y la visi\u00f3n de la instituci\u00f3n, sino de c\u00f3mo opera el museo en la pr\u00e1ctica.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Gustavo Carvajal<\/strong>: Hilda, muchas gracias por concederle a La Emboscadura esta entrevista. Mi primera pregunta es \u00bfc\u00f3mo llega una curadora especializada en arte contempor\u00e1neo a la direcci\u00f3n del museo de la coca?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hilda Rivera<\/strong>: (Risas) Es una buena pregunta, yo creo que la raz\u00f3n tiene que ver con la misi\u00f3n que tiene este museo, la cual es preservar el patrimonio biol\u00f3gico y cultural de la planta de coca en Colombia. Yo cuento con la fortuna de trabajar aqu\u00ed con bi\u00f3logos, qu\u00edmicos, as\u00ed como con antrop\u00f3logos, soci\u00f3logos e historiadores. Mi experiencia en el mundo del arte es como un contrapeso a esa vena cient\u00edfica que tiene el museo. El Ministerio del Interior, que es de donde viene nuestro presupuesto, no quer\u00eda, desde la concepci\u00f3n del museo, que este fuera un lugar solo para especialistas, sino que atrajera un p\u00fablico amplio, y yo creo que mi relativo \u00e9xito en uno de los museos m\u00e1s visitados del mundo es una gran raz\u00f3n para que me hayan elegido. Lo emocionante para m\u00ed, y la raz\u00f3n por la que decid\u00ed aceptar este desaf\u00edo, es que como curador yo pienso que mi trabajo es el de crear narrativas, y me emociona mucho la oportunidad de crear una nueva y m\u00e1s sofisticada narrativa de la coca.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.:<\/strong> Hace quince a\u00f1os, resultaba imposible imaginar en Colombia un museo como \u00e9ste. \u00bfqu\u00e9 circunstancias hist\u00f3ricas, cree Ud., han hecho posible que estemos aqu\u00ed hoy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.:<\/strong> Yo dir\u00eda que son cuatro. Primero, claro, la elecci\u00f3n de Gustavo Bol\u00edvar como presidente de Colombia en 2026, y la elecci\u00f3n de Iv\u00e1n Marulanda como su ministro del interior, que implement\u00f3 con mucho \u00e9xito las iniciativas y proyectos de ley para la regulaci\u00f3n de la coca y sus derivados.&nbsp; La segunda condici\u00f3n fue desde luego, la corroboraci\u00f3n del hecho de que tomar t\u00e9 de coca y mascar hoja de coca fortalece los anticuerpos de los humanos y protege efectivamente al organismo contra los virus, incluido el Covid-19. La tercera, fue la indignaci\u00f3n social por la tragedia humanitaria en las c\u00e1rceles de Estados Unidos y los v\u00ednculos entre la opresi\u00f3n a las minor\u00edas raciales y la guerra contra las drogas en Norteam\u00e9rica. Y la \u00faltima, (quiz\u00e1 la m\u00e1s importante) el extraordinario \u00e9xito econ\u00f3mico que ha tra\u00eddo la legalizaci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.:<\/strong> Hay un sector de la opini\u00f3n p\u00fablica colombiana, y mundial, que se opone al tipo de filosof\u00eda que este museo representa y que se preguntan: \u00bfQu\u00e9 le ofrece en realidad esta instituci\u00f3n al pa\u00eds y a la sociedad colombiana?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>: Como te lo dije hace un momento, la misi\u00f3n que nos ha sido encomendada a nosotros como directivas de esta instituci\u00f3n es preservar el patrimonio biol\u00f3gico y cultural de esta maravillosa planta. Nuestra responsabilidad con la comunidad es educar e informar sobre la hoja de coca y, en suma, ofrecer elementos de juicio que le permitan a los ciudadanos desmantelar el anticuado tab\u00fa asociado con ella. La realidad que arroja la investigaci\u00f3n cient\u00edfica es algo que ya sab\u00edan los antiguos pueblos de los Andes, y es que la coca es una planta amiga de la humanidad, que ofrece m\u00e1s ventajas para la salud p\u00fablica que desventajas, que tiene aplicaciones terap\u00e9uticas sorprendentes sobre las que estamos aprendiendo cada d\u00eda m\u00e1s y que, adem\u00e1s, puede usarse con responsabilidad y moderaci\u00f3n con fines recreativos. Tu puedes ver el \u00e9xito social y de salud p\u00fablica que ha sido la pol\u00edtica de regulaci\u00f3n de la coca. Por fin confirmamos lo que intelectuales como Alfredo Molano y Antonio Caballero nos hab\u00edan dicho por d\u00e9cadas: que la violencia la causaba la prohibici\u00f3n de la coca\u00edna y no la adicci\u00f3n a ella. No solo disminuy\u00f3 la violencia, y la corrupci\u00f3n en el estado, sino que la adicci\u00f3n fue mitigada y las muertes por sobredosis de coca\u00edna hoy son inexistentes en nuestro pa\u00eds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C<\/strong>: Muy bien, entonces \u00bfqu\u00e9 tal si comenzamos el tour?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>: Vale. Como te dije, el museo tiene la misi\u00f3n de preservar el patrimonio cultural y biol\u00f3gico de la coca. Para lograr ese objetivo el museo se ha dise\u00f1ado con base en tres l\u00edneas tem\u00e1ticas. Primero, la l\u00ednea arqueol\u00f3gica. Es decir, la que comprende lo relativo a los antiguos pueblos andinos y al uso milenario que estos le dieron. Tambi\u00e9n exploramos dentro de esta l\u00ednea el uso actual que se le da a la planta, tanto para las culturas ind\u00edgenas como dentro de la cultura popular. La segunda tem\u00e1tica es la cient\u00edfica: la l\u00ednea dura, es decir, la comprensi\u00f3n desde la qu\u00edmica, la bot\u00e1nica, y la medicina, de las propiedades de la planta, y una comprensi\u00f3n de los efectos tanto positivos como negativos que ofrece, incluyendo lo que tiene que ver con el cambio clim\u00e1tico y la ecolog\u00eda. Y la tercera l\u00ednea corresponde a la tem\u00e1tica hist\u00f3rico-pol\u00edtica. Es decir, el recorrido que le ofrecemos al visitante sobre las ense\u00f1anzas que nos dejo el siglo XX, en particular, la guerra contra las drogas, y el reconocimiento y preservaci\u00f3n de la memoria de todas las v\u00edctimas. Se trata de un registro de los exabruptos que produjo la prohibici\u00f3n, como una manera de sanar a trav\u00e9s del conocimiento riguroso, como lo debe hacer una sociedad del conocimiento, moderna y competitiva.&nbsp; Es importante que tus lectores sepan que en nuestro museo cuando hablamos de la coca\u00edna lo hacemos con un esp\u00edritu objetivo, sin el \u00e1nimo de exaltarla, o de promocionar su consumo, sino con el fin de comprenderla y mejor utilizarla.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Hablando de coca\u00edna, me parece conveniente sacar ese tema del camino, porque si bien hoy en d\u00eda se trata de unas voces aisladas y el debate sobre la legalizaci\u00f3n de la coca y sus derivados parece haber sido superado, existen personas que critican el esfuerzo que instituciones como \u00e9sta realizan, porque consideran que promueve la drogadicci\u00f3n.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: Es totalmente falso que nosotros promovamos el uso de coca\u00edna; adem\u00e1s porque la coca\u00edna jam\u00e1s ha necesitado de publicidad. Los ciudadanos colombianos que son adultos tienen la libertad de ingerir y de hacer con su cuerpo lo que les apetezca en tanto que no afecten a otros; nuestra funci\u00f3n dentro de ese contrato democr\u00e1tico es promover el conocimiento y la verdad. Mira Gustavo, el pa\u00eds experiment\u00f3 por mucho tiempo con la prohibici\u00f3n, y eso convirti\u00f3 a la coca\u00edna en una substancia tab\u00fa de la que nadie hablaba en p\u00fablico, m\u00e1s que para satanizarla, pero que muchos disfrutaban en privado. Hoy despu\u00e9s de 20 a\u00f1os de regulaci\u00f3n de la coca\u00edna, aunque todav\u00eda haya cr\u00edticos, la comunidad internacional, representada en las convenciones de Ginebra, y en m\u00faltiples resoluciones de la ONU, ha reconocido que si bien la coca\u00edna es una sustancia que puede crear adicci\u00f3n, no es m\u00e1s peligrosa que el tabaco, el alcohol o el az\u00facar. Y que al igual que esas sustancias peligrosas pero aceptadas, cumple una funci\u00f3n necesaria para nuestra sociedad, con la cual se puede convivir, atenuando el da\u00f1o por medio de la educaci\u00f3n a la juventud y el tratamiento a los adictos, pero, sobre todo, tratando al consumidor habitual con respeto, ofreci\u00e9ndole un producto limpio y de alta calidad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mientras Hilda expon\u00eda estos argumentos, entramos a una gran galer\u00eda con vitrinas pobladas por objetos y herramientas ancestrales, similares a los que se pueden encontrar en un ala de un museo de antropolog\u00eda. La directora me condujo hacia una sala donde reposa una impresionante colecci\u00f3n de poporos, la m\u00e1s grande del mundo, compuesta de unos cien objetos de todas formas y tama\u00f1os.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: Este es uno de los mayores orgullos de nuestro museo: nuestra colecci\u00f3n de poporos, \u00fanica en el mundo. Algunos de ellos pertenecen a la colecci\u00f3n del museo del oro de Bogot\u00e1, est\u00e1n aqu\u00ed en pr\u00e9stamo indefinido, otros del tesoro Quimbaya que el gobierno espa\u00f1ol tuvo la gentileza de devolver al pa\u00eds hace pocos a\u00f1os y otros menos valiosos en cuanto a su precio, pero que nos sirven como puerta de entrada para entender el papel de la coca dentro de la cultura de los pueblos ind\u00edgenas de los Andes colombianos.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: \u00bfQu\u00e9 es un poporo?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>: Los poporos eran b\u00e1sicamente contenedores port\u00e1tiles como una cantimplora, en los que se llevaba a veces el mambe, que es hoja de coca pulverizada mezclada con otras hierbas. A veces los poporos tambi\u00e9n se usaban para acarrear cal, que era el material que los ind\u00edgenas usaban para liberar el componente activo de la hoja. Era como un cofre especial para llevar consigo algo muy valioso, que pod\u00eda ser este polvo de cal con hoja pulverizada que luego se pon\u00eda en la boca y se mascaba para obtener distintos efectos, sobre todo el de menguar el hambre, y revigorizar el cuerpo. Aqu\u00ed el visitante puede aprender todo lo que conocemos acerca de los poporos, y por qu\u00e9 este artefacto es un s\u00edmbolo de la identidad nacional. En esta sala, por ejemplo, realizamos actividades educativas con ni\u00f1os de todas las edades, en donde alentamos la curiosidad y la exploraci\u00f3n pregunt\u00e1ndonos por asuntos como: \u00bfC\u00f3mo era la vida de nuestros ancestros ind\u00edgenas?, o, \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 necesitaban esta fuente de energ\u00eda?, \u00bfQu\u00e9 tipo de rituales y de simbolismo ten\u00eda para ellos?, etc. Los ni\u00f1os pueden venir y fabricar sus propios poporos, y aprender la diferencia entre el poporo huitoto, kogi, o muisca, por darte algunos ejemplos.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mientras escucho las palabras de Hilda, me apercibo de lo monumental que es este primer nivel del museo. Aqu\u00ed se exhiben muchos otros tipos de artefactos adem\u00e1s de los poporos; pero tambi\u00e9n se pueden escuchar testimonios de taitas, sabios y estudiosos que explican en videos y fotograf\u00edas, el significado de rituales y costumbres, as\u00ed como las m\u00faltiples formas en que se utiliza la hoja de coca. M\u00e1s adelante, hay muestras de arte andino de Per\u00fa, Ecuador, Bolivia y por supuesto de Colombia. Me recuerda un pabell\u00f3n del museo de antropolog\u00eda de ciudad de M\u00e9xico, o el ala de arte precolombino del Met de Nueva York. Puedo comprobar que hay tres temas que componen la imponente sala: primero, una detallada relaci\u00f3n de los pueblos ind\u00edgenas de la regi\u00f3n y sus v\u00ednculos con la coca, con un estudio de sus lenguas, y una explicaci\u00f3n de qui\u00e9nes fueron (y en la medida en que sus comunidades todav\u00eda existen, de qui\u00e9nes son hoy en d\u00eda). Segundo, una relaci\u00f3n de los usos, tanto pr\u00e1cticos como rituales, asociados a la coca, y un an\u00e1lisis hermen\u00e9utico de dichas pr\u00e1cticas. Y como un ap\u00e9ndice, el concepto y el uso de la coca durante los siglos de la colonia espa\u00f1ola, y el papel de la coca en el proceso de colonizaci\u00f3n.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luego de un rato Hilda y yo abandonamos la sala de antropolog\u00eda y tomamos el ascensor hacia al segundo piso. Al salir del elevador, el ambiente es muy distinto. La secci\u00f3n que se abre frente a nosotros tiene m\u00e1s el aire de pertenecer a un museo de ciencia natural, que a otra cosa. Puedo ver herbarios en repisas, e instrumentos de laboratorio acompa\u00f1ados de pantallas que explican su funci\u00f3n. En los primeros pasillos advierto mapas de la regi\u00f3n andina. La exhibici\u00f3n comienza con una ubicaci\u00f3n geogr\u00e1fica de los cultivos, y con una exposici\u00f3n de la topograf\u00eda, la geolog\u00eda y la ciencia del suelo.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Esta secci\u00f3n tiene un car\u00e1cter muy distinto al de la anterior; parece como si perteneciera a otro tipo de museo, un museo de ciencias.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>: S\u00ed, claro. Eso es por lo que te dec\u00eda sobre la preservaci\u00f3n del patrimonio biol\u00f3gico de la coca. Para m\u00ed, que vengo del campo de las humanidades, esta dimensi\u00f3n del museo es de las m\u00e1s estimulantes, y la que m\u00e1s potencial tiene. Porque si lo piensas bien, no es mucho lo nuevo que podemos conocer sobre el uso ancestral de la coca, aunque haya nuevos descubrimientos arqueol\u00f3gicos. En cambio, la investigaci\u00f3n cient\u00edfica est\u00e1 en ciernes, apenas estamos empezando a entender, no solo los beneficios de la planta, sino la relaci\u00f3n que nuestra propia biolog\u00eda comparte con ella. Si ves aqu\u00ed por ejemplo en esta secci\u00f3n podemos mostrarle al visitante cual es la forma en que los m\u00e1s de quince alcaloides que se pueden extraer de la coca, interact\u00faan con nuestro sistema nervioso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Veo que incluso hay aqu\u00ed un peque\u00f1o laboratorio y que la gente puede ver un grupo de cient\u00edficos trabajando.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>: S\u00ed, \u00bfno te parece fant\u00e1stico?, estamos en capacidad de ofrecer a nuestros visitantes, no solo informaci\u00f3n sobre lo que se conoce hasta hoy, sino tambi\u00e9n sobre los nuevos experimentos e innovaciones que se est\u00e1n llevando a cabo en el campo de la investigaci\u00f3n. No solo eso, en le futuro tendremos un intercambio nutrido entre nuestros cient\u00edficos y otros expertos del mundo. Nos interesa que nuestros visitantes entiendan, sin necesidad de tener educaci\u00f3n especializada en ciencias, cu\u00e1l es la composici\u00f3n qu\u00edmica de la planta, y a partir de eso, entender los efectos que tiene en nuestro organismo; no solo su facultad psicotr\u00f3pica, que es sin duda fascinante y fuente de mucho inter\u00e9s, sino su capacidad terap\u00e9utica.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Ya que menciona las facultades terap\u00e9uticas, \u00bfcu\u00e1les son los beneficios de la hoja de coca para la salud?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: Muchos, empecemos por la parte alimenticia. La hoja de coca es rica en vitaminas A, B1, B2, B3, C y E, y minerales: calcio, f\u00f3sforo, hierro, sodio y potasio. Por otro lado, existe fuerte evidencia de que regula la presi\u00f3n arterial y mejora la oxigenaci\u00f3n de la sangre y el cerebro.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C<\/strong>: Sobre eso le quer\u00eda preguntar. Sabemos que ese valor vitam\u00ednico es la raz\u00f3n para que hoy en d\u00eda se use la hoja de coca para fortalecer el sistema inmunol\u00f3gico de las personas, y como un m\u00e9todo para la prevenci\u00f3n de virus como el del Covid-19. Pero, algunos derivados de la coca tambi\u00e9n tienen efectos nocivos para la salud. \u00bfUstedes tambi\u00e9n est\u00e1n interesados en informar al p\u00fablico sobre esos efectos?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>: Por supuesto. En este piso vas a encontrar toda la informaci\u00f3n relativa a la adicci\u00f3n, a la prevenci\u00f3n de la adicci\u00f3n y a lo referente a la salud p\u00fablica. As\u00ed como en un museo sobre el az\u00facar se debe hablar de diabetes, o en un museo del vino se debe prevenir contra el alcoholismo, aqu\u00ed informamos al p\u00fablico sobre la adicci\u00f3n y los problemas asociados al abuso de la coca\u00edna, en particular. Tambi\u00e9n nos interesa, como puedes ver ac\u00e1, crear una conciencia sobre el impacto ambiental de los monocultivos, y de c\u00f3mo en Colombia se ha logrado de manera casi prodigiosa, controlar la deforestaci\u00f3n, sembrado coca de manera controlada.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Sin duda esta ala del museo es muy impresionante, es decir, se puede ver que no se ha escatimado en gastos. Para usted \u00bfqu\u00e9 es lo m\u00e1s sorprendente que puede aprender el visitante aqu\u00ed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: Pues mira, una de las cosas m\u00e1s ch\u00e9veres que podemos mostrarle al p\u00fablico es c\u00f3mo se extraen los componentes activos de la hoja de coca para producir clorhidrato de coca\u00edna, pero tambi\u00e9n, c\u00f3mo se extraen para producir harina y pasteles. Quien quiera saber sobre qu\u00edmica y neurociencia, aqu\u00ed tiene una fuente de consulta inmejorable. La taxonom\u00eda, todo eso lo puede conocer aqu\u00ed. Adem\u00e1s, puede enterarse de los descubrimientos m\u00e1s actualizados a trav\u00e9s de la programaci\u00f3n de nuestros ciclos de conferencias. Eso para m\u00ed es muy importante. Es decir, informar a un p\u00fablico que por tanto tiempo estuvo en la ignorancia sobre las maravillas que encierra esta planta. Hoy se estudia sin prejuicios el potencial m\u00e9dico de la ayahuasca, de la psilocibina, del LSD, y nosotros hacemos parte de esta revoluci\u00f3n que esta ocurriendo en el mundo.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Acabo de leer en una etiqueta mientras camin\u00e1bamos, una cita del botanista Terence Mckenna, que me llam\u00f3 la atenci\u00f3n: <em>\u201cA diferencia de lo que pensamos, son las plantas las que han domesticado al hombre y no al contrario.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: Es una frase muy sugestiva, \u00bfno es verdad? En t\u00e9rminos filos\u00f3ficos, nos plantea una nueva actitud en cuanto a nuestra relaci\u00f3n con el medio ambiente; y es esa idea de Mckenna, que de hecho los ind\u00edgenas ya presupon\u00edan, y es que nuestro DNA esta conectado evolutivamente con el de todas estas plantas: los hongos, por ejemplo, el DMT, el cannabis. Nosotros compartimos una historia evolutiva con estas plantas, de hecho; muchas de ellas exist\u00edan mucho antes de que hubiera homo sapiens en la tierra. Lo que sugiere McKenna es que especies como la marihuana, los hongos, o la coca, les ofrecieron a los humanos una ventaja evolutiva. Las plantas poseen una inteligencia en cierta forma superior, son organismos vivos complejos que han sobrevivido a varias extinciones. Por eso cuando la Erythroxylum coca nos ofrece estos beneficios, no solo alimenticios, sino ps\u00edquicos, la planta nos esta domesticando en un proceso de mutualismo evolutivo: t\u00fa me cultivas manteniendo mis genes y a cambio yo te doy estos beneficios f\u00edsicos y ps\u00edquicos que te ayudar\u00e1n a adaptarte y a sobrevivir.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Culminado nuestro paseo en el segundo piso, subimos por unas imponentes escaleras de m\u00e1rmol hasta el tercer nivel. Yo me dejaba conducir por la directora que, a pesar de las arduas jornadas de trabajo de las \u00faltimas semanas, no pod\u00eda ocultar su entusiasmo cuando me hablaba de algunos de los \u201ctesoros\u201d que componen esta colecci\u00f3n. Al final de las escaleras entramos a otra gran galer\u00eda, m\u00e1s solemne; la cual est\u00e1 consagrada a la historia pol\u00edtica y a la memoria de las v\u00edctimas de la guerra contra las drogas. En una de las primeras paredes se ve una proyecci\u00f3n en la que rueda un video del humorista y periodista Jaime Garz\u00f3n, interpretando uno de sus famosos personajes: el estudiante izquierdista de la Universidad Nacional, John Lenin, y un grafiti a su espalda que reza: \u201c<em>la coca para el que la trabaja.<\/em>\u201d Este piso parece m\u00e1s como un gabinete de curiosidades, repleto de objetos, mezclado con una serie de instalaciones de arte contempor\u00e1neo. As\u00ed que le pido a Hilda que me explique qu\u00e9 es lo que estamos viendo.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: Preservar el patrimonio cultural de la coca no es posible sin recoger la historia del siglo XX. Entonces lo que ves aqu\u00ed son objetos que nos sirven de veh\u00edculos para conocer e interpretar esa historia. Vale la pena anotar que en este piso tambi\u00e9n tenemos dos galer\u00edas dedicadas exclusivamente al arte pl\u00e1stico, con exhibiciones permanentes y temporales. Digamos que este es como mi proyecto personal aqu\u00ed en el museo, mi consentido. Pero en general, yo quiero que tus lectores sepan que el gobierno nacional ha invertido un capital significativo para asegurarse que tengamos aqu\u00ed una colecci\u00f3n de objetos que no tiene nada que envidiar a cualquier museo de prestigio internacional. Por ejemplo, adquirimos obras de arte de inmenso valor, desde piezas como las Cosmococas de Helio Oiticica, el artista brasile\u00f1o, hasta esculturas de Doris Salcedo y Edgar Negret. Sin embargo, el principal objetivo de este m\u00f3dulo, es preservar la memoria de nuestro conflicto, y darle una voz a todas esas personas que murieron absurdamente durante las d\u00e9cadas de la prohibici\u00f3n. Es en realidad un objetivo muy complejo, porque como te dec\u00eda al principio, mi trabajo es presentar una narrativa convincente, rigurosa y atractiva acerca de la historia de la coca en Colombia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mientras hablamos advierto un video en el que varias personalidades pol\u00edticas y culturales como el ex presidente Juan Manuel Santos, Diego Maradona, Paul McCartney y el director de cine V\u00edctor Gaviria, entre muchos otros, admiten haber probado la coca\u00edna durante los a\u00f1os de prohibici\u00f3n.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Hilda, le puedo hacer una pregunta personal, \u00bfUsted usa coca\u00edna?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: S\u00ed, ocasionalmente. A veces me apetece darme un pase en una fiesta, generalmente con amigos, teniendo mucho cuidado en no sobrepasarme, igual a como lo hago con el alcohol o con el az\u00facar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">En ese momento nos detuvimos frente a un artefacto que no pude reconocer, un objeto de metal, semejante a un pedazo de chatarra carbonizada.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Y este objeto\u2026 \u00bfqu\u00e9 es?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: Esto es muy interesante, se trata de un fragmento del avi\u00f3n de Avianca 203 que el cartel de Medell\u00edn explot\u00f3 en el aire en 1989. Este objeto para m\u00ed es especialmente elocuente, porque sintetiza la barbarie y el sinsentido del narcotr\u00e1fico ilegal y sus nefastas consecuencias. Aqu\u00ed al lado tenemos una lista de las personas que murieron en ese avi\u00f3n. Es importante insistir en que no s\u00f3lo nos interesa recorrer la historia de las mafias del narcotr\u00e1fico, sino m\u00e1s importante, los relatos de las v\u00edctimas, sobre todo de los campesinos masacrados y desplazados, que por tanto tiempo padecieron estos ultrajes. M\u00e1s all\u00e1, por ejemplo, tenemos bell\u00edsimos testimonios de mujeres cocaleras de todo el pa\u00eds, desde los a\u00f1os 80s hasta hoy. Tenemos documentales que narran la lucha de las comunidades apartadas de Colombia. Se trata de un archivo muy completo que seguir\u00e1 creciendo.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Tambi\u00e9n veo que tienen referencias a la coca\u00edna dentro de la cultura popular. Alcanzo a ver un afiche de Al Pacino en Scarface, y otras pel\u00edculas\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: Por supuesto. Mira, en un museo de arte convencional, como el Louvre digamos, la gente va para apreciar los objetos que hay ah\u00ed por su belleza y luego aprende algunos datos sobre su historia. Aqu\u00ed es, al contrario, el objeto nos sirve para ilustrar el contenido hist\u00f3rico y cultural de una \u00e9poca. No solo tenemos afiches y pel\u00edculas, documentales sobre Studio 54 en Nueva York, una efigie de Mar\u00eda Auxiliadora, la virgen de los sicarios; sino tambi\u00e9n cosas como una carta escrita por Ismael Enrique Arciniegas, el primer colombiano ejecutado por el gobierno de la Rep\u00fablica Popular China por narcotr\u00e1fico.&nbsp; Tenemos cantidades de materiales referentes a las campa\u00f1as antidrogas en distintos pa\u00edses y en Colombia, sobre todo, como los famosos comerciales contra el bazuco, y la campa\u00f1a publicitaria sobre \u201cla mata que mata\u201d. Tambi\u00e9n tenemos un recuento de las distintas formas en que se construy\u00f3 el relato a veces p\u00e9rfido, a veces exagerado de la coca. Mira, por ejemplo, aqu\u00ed tenemos otro objeto fant\u00e1stico: una edici\u00f3n del New York Times de febrero de 1914, con el titular \u201c<em>Negro Cocaine Fiend<\/em>\u201d, el infame art\u00edculo donde por primera vez se implanta la idea de que la coca\u00edna volv\u00eda a los negros tan fuertes que los hac\u00eda resistentes a las balas. Otro objeto que me fascina es este: una edici\u00f3n original de la novela cl\u00e1sica \u201c<em>Coca\u00edna<\/em>\u201d del italiano Pitigrilli de lo a\u00f1os 20s, que describe el entusiasmo inicial con que se recibi\u00f3 la sustancia en la sociedad europea de principios del siglo XX.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hacia este punto subimos al cuarto piso, dedicado exclusivamente para alojar las oficinas administrativas, as\u00ed como una respetable biblioteca, primera en el mundo creada con la ambici\u00f3n de abarcar todo lo escrito sobre coca, coca\u00edna, y sus derivados. Hilda me informa que la biblioteca no ha colmado este objetivo a\u00fan, pero me habla con orgullo sobre los vol\u00famenes de literatura cient\u00edfica, los libros sobre ecolog\u00eda y salud p\u00fablica, y los estudios culturales, novelas y peri\u00f3dicos que constituyen una fuente invaluable de consulta para estudiosos y para el p\u00fablico en general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">En ese momento Hilda, sin duda cansada por nuestro paseo de m\u00e1s de una hora, me invita a que nos tomemos un t\u00e9 en el restaurante del \u00faltimo piso. No dudo de que este espacio ser\u00e1 una de las sorpresas m\u00e1s agradables para el visitante. El restaurante est\u00e1 ubicado en la terraza del edificio, en cuyo centro se alza el invernadero, en donde florecen en toda su exuberancia, docenas de plantas de coca de distintas variedades y diversas tonalidades de un verde fulgurante.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: Este es un espacio de muy buen gusto, como puedes ver, sobrio, pero que a la vez es un lugar de investigaci\u00f3n. Nuestro invernadero es una especie de mini jard\u00edn bot\u00e1nico, alrededor del cual se puede almorzar y tomarse una copa de vino o un t\u00e9. Yo pienso que las plantas que cultivamos en el invernadero son nuestra segunda colecci\u00f3n. Es decir, una selecci\u00f3n muy bella y muy deliberada de ese patrimonio biol\u00f3gico y vegetal que se nos ha encomendado preservar.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: S\u00ed, este es sin duda un espacio muy agradable. Si yo le hubiera dicho a alguien hace 30 a\u00f1os que iba poder comerse una cena muy chic en medio de un cultivo de coca, me habr\u00edan tomado por loco. Ahora estamos aqu\u00ed, y podemos disfrutar de esto, pero yo me pregunto si es posible que este optimismo que sentimos hoy sea infundado y la prosperidad se desvanezca, y volvamos a caer en el error de prohibir nuevas sustancias en el futuro. Como buen colombiano soy esc\u00e9ptico frente a esta sensaci\u00f3n de bienestar.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: (Risas) S\u00ed, yo te comprendo. Como cualquiera que conozca la historia de Colombia, yo pienso que a esas \u00e9pocas de violencia podemos volver, es decir, \u00e9pocas de conflicto pol\u00edtico. Pero lo que si no creo es que vayamos a tener violencia por algo tan est\u00fapido e irracional como la prohibici\u00f3n de una planta. En los \u00faltimos veinticinco a\u00f1os, aunque con tropiezos y dificultades, hemos logrado desmantelar el tab\u00fa de la coca y sus derivados. El pa\u00eds ha madurado, la educaci\u00f3n gratuita est\u00e1 rindiendo frutos y la sociedad no es tan ingenua como hace un siglo. Adem\u00e1s, hoy en d\u00eda tenemos una legislaci\u00f3n muy s\u00f3lida en pie, que vela por la seguridad del consumidor, que se empe\u00f1a en prevenir la adicci\u00f3n, y que protege a los ni\u00f1os; igual a como se hace con otras sustancias potencialmente peligrosas en las sociedades modernas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: \u00bfUsted piensa que el tab\u00fa de las drogas ha sido desmantelado? \u00bfAl menos en el mundo occidental?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R<\/strong>: Es un trabajo que no ha terminado, por supuesto, y por eso quienes trabajamos en el Museo Nacional de la Coca sentimos una gran responsabilidad. Gustavo, yo te confieso que ser part\u00edcipe de este proceso es el honor de mi vida. La forma en la que yo lo veo es que, si la apertura del Louvre en Paris a finales del siglo XVIII fue una manifestaci\u00f3n de los ideales de la Revoluci\u00f3n Francesa, este edificio donde nos encontramos es un monumento a la madurez de nuestra sociedad. Yo, a mis sesenta y siete a\u00f1os nunca imagin\u00e9 que podr\u00edamos alcanzar lo que hoy estamos viendo, y me emociona mucho contemplar las posibilidades que se le abren a los j\u00f3venes de nuestra sociedad. T\u00fa me preguntabas al principio por qu\u00e9 una curadora de arte fue elegida para dirigir este museo, y yo creo que la respuesta es porque el arte es una promesa de felicidad. Lo que nosotros ofrecemos aqu\u00ed en el museo, adem\u00e1s de conocimiento, es esperanza. Es la idea de que el progreso, si bien es lento, tambi\u00e9n es inevitable y que la verdad siempre triunfa sobre la superstici\u00f3n; esa es la historia de nuestra cultura.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>G.C.<\/strong>: Hilda muchas gracias por habernos brindado esta entrevista. Para terminar \u00bfcu\u00e1l es el mensaje o la ense\u00f1anza que usted espera que se lleven las personas de este museo?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>H.R.<\/strong>: Perdona si suena como si el t\u00e9 de coca me hubiera puesto un poco sentimental, pero lo que yo espero es que el visitante, primero, se asombre de lo maravillosa que es la naturaleza y la condici\u00f3n humana, y lo po\u00e9tico y maravilloso que es el teatro de la existencia en la tierra. Segundo, que se cuestione acerca de esa condici\u00f3n humana, y de la manera en que nuestra psique funciona, y de c\u00f3mo la cultura crea grandes monumentos art\u00edsticos, y espirituales, pero tambi\u00e9n crea pesados lastres en la forma de tab\u00fas, y de supersticiones que han generado mucho dolor y mucha desdicha a gente inocente. Y tercero, que el visitante se lleve un mensaje de esperanza; como dec\u00eda Martin Luther King, que, si bien el arco de la Historia es largo y est\u00e1 lleno de obst\u00e1culos, siempre se inclina hacia la Justicia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Poco despu\u00e9s nos despedimos y yo volv\u00ed a encontrarme en la calle con la agitaci\u00f3n del centro de Medell\u00edn. Inflamado por las emotivas palabras de Hilda e inyectado de energ\u00eda por el t\u00e9 de coca, me dirig\u00ed hacia mi hotel para comenzar a escribir este art\u00edculo.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Medell\u00edn, octubre 18, 2049<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gustavo was born in Cucut\u00e1, Colombia. He has a BA in Philosophy and Literature from the UPB in Medell\u00edn, Colombia as well as a MA in Art History from the Brooklyn College in New York. He is a composer for the indie-rock Neoplatonics band (https:\/\/neoplatonics.bandcamp.com\/). Also, for the past 10 years he has been &#8220;pretending&#8221;&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1939","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","empty-entry-meta"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1939"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2047,"href":"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1939\/revisions\/2047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/garcialemos.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}