This week we were lucky with the invitation made to the Architect Helenita Borrero Quintero and the historian Reinel Salas so that they offered us a two-voice conversation about the Municipality of Villavieja, which has a wonderful reputation as the cradle of Colombian archaeology.
DAILY OF THE HUILA, BOTALÓN
By: German Lievano Rodriguez
In our usual Tertulia, we were recreated and informed in a meticulous and strict account of the architect Borrero about the evolution of the Earth, since its formation millions of years ago and how its seas were transformed, the continents grew, the mountains rose and its valleys were scattered with the coexistence of many plant and animal species, until reaching our current era, with the presence of Homo Sapiens.
This made us understand why thousands of years ago La Tatacoa was part of a large lake connected to the ocean. We were explained how the sliding of the so-called Nazca plate under South America allowed the mountain ranges to grow, the lakes to shrink and the water retained in the so-called Pebas lake system (the largest wetland in the western Amazon) to be discharged to the immense Amazon basin, creating the mightiest river in the world. Hence, many findings of marine creatures in the arid lands of the Villavieja desert are an irrefutable testimony of our evolution.
The presenter affirms that the paleontological findings in the area, especially in the sector known as La Venta, have shown the presence of giant tortoises, huge fish, large crocodiles, etc. becoming one of the most important places in the country for the study of these prehistoric creatures. This wealth of gigantic fossils is surrounded by one of the largest tropical dry forests that came to be called the Tatacoa desert. And it gave rise to the founding in 1984 of the Villavieja Paleontological Museum where more than 900 pieces are exhibited to the satisfaction of the thousands of tourists that today fill its streets.
In the same way, the historian Salas, enlightened us about the fascinating history of Villavieja as a population founded in 1550 and whose life first passed as an intermediate inn on the long journey to Bogotá and Popayán. Later, with the appearance of the entrepreneurial and wise hand of the Jesuits, haciendas of thousands of hectares were set up, where thousands of cattle also grazed. Later, when the religious empire broke up, new opportunities were given for the foundation of towns such as Tello and Baraya, which gradually took away from the small port on the Magdalena River all the fertility of the neighboring mountains and valleys, with crops such as cocoa, indigo, coffee, quina, among others, and even navigation through tributaries other than the port.
Thus, little by little, it is explained, the options for socioeconomic development of the town were decimating. After many hardships and systematic official oblivion, the current population does not reach 8,000 inhabitants. The transparency of its skies that allow an incomparable cosmic view has generated a growing wave of scientific and tourist interest that has been complemented by the construction of the Astronomical Observatory more than 20 years ago, on which many hopes were raised for it to become an important lighthouse of scientific and tourist attraction.
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And this is where the great challenge of the community and the ruling class of Huila comes. Will it be, Villavieja, a true Jewel of the department, is it about to be lost? In the midst of so many strategic development opportunities, the town, its desert and its Observatory have been deteriorating due to the lack of planning and control by the authorities, generating a disorderly avalanche of tourism, without complying with adequate environmental respect. Today, the population in the tourist areas has increased, leading to a “slum” of the desert, deteriorating the landscape and with light invasion at night, reducing the transparency that once allowed an exceptional vision of the celestial vault.
Therefore, the risk of losing everything that nature gave our region is a painful reality. Every time we hear our syrupy politicians promising works, they mention Villavieja with its Tatacoa and San Agustín with its Park. And they repeat to us that after agriculture, tourism should be a very important factor of development. Unfortunately these promises have not been fulfilled. If we go to the South to visit the so-called Tourist Circuit we will see that this does not exist and sometimes it seems more like a bridle path. And if we go to Villavieja we find ourselves with increasing environmental deterioration pending real protection from the State, with state policies to promote its conservation and planned and sustainable development. We believe that the existence of a Faculty of Anthropology at the Surcolombiana University should be a great motivation to delve into a futuristic and orderly development plan. This would have to be hand in hand with the departmental and municipal authorities. And surely there are and will be many private entrepreneurs willing to take on the challenges of this situation.
Our valued guest speakers sensitized us with their valuable comments and caused us pain in our homeland. It is not possible that Huila, having this true jewel that nature gave us, could lose it due to the lack of action or the complicit silence of its leadership. We come to this at the end of this valuable discussion worthy of prolonging it.