COLOMBIA AS A SOURCE OF CRIME AND MYSTERY FICTION

By Sebastian Pineda

Traveling around England and Europe, I have often wondered about the confusing idea of Colombia as held by the Europeans, as she has always been associated with cocaine and narcotics. I think the idea of a nationality archetype sometimes depends on a roulette game: chance or fate chooses your identification, your image in the world even if you don´t agree with its choice, even if you are spoilt for choice.

Should there be something useful in such a terrible Colombian archetype? Believe it or not, my nationality has enabled me to avoid many problems. Once I was walking through Elephant & Castle – the most dangerous street in London – but the thieves didn´t dare to rob me as they realized I was from Colombia. My passport daunted them… Certainly as soon as I start a conversation with someone, and I say I was born in Medellin, I suddenly notice certain gestures or expressions – beyond bad and good – as if my nationality inspired fear or fascination… It´s exciting in a way… Isn't it? And I think to myself: what do people imagine about me as a Colombian guy traveling alone around Europe? Am I a drug runner or a Medellin´s Cartel member or something like that according to the popular idea of Colombia? Therefore, what we call the popular Colombian image in magazine, newspaper, movies and so on should rather be called the anti-popular image. And although I have tried to come to Colombia's defense showing a lot of beautiful aspects such as the interesting literary tradition, the amazing musical variety, and the industrial development of Medellin, emphasizing that the common population isn't involved in drugs. To be honest it has been almost impossible to change the archetypical idea: cocaine.

Fortunately I am, above all, a writer – I would like to write fiction. So I realize Colombian writers should make use of such a "valuable" history of crimes, intrigues, murders, and international conspiracies about drug traffic and its effects in several Western governments. Why not? Did not Thomas De Quincey write his wonderful "Confessions of an Englishman opium eater" or "Murder considered as one of the fine arts"? Human mind works through image and archetypes, as Jung said. So if you are interested in Colombia the best way to approach her is through literature and fiction, that is the direct way to ensure that people understand and know each other.

A young Colombian writer has started to make use of those archetypes in his powerful and mysteries stories where Colombian detectives, following their poetic inspiration, solve crimes and intrigues. His name is RUBEN VARONA (born 1980), and he is currently living in England. Recently, I arranged to meet him in Baker Street – London. My first question seemed obvious:

Q1. What do you feel walking around in Baker Street, where Arthur Conan Doyle sited the residence of the most important detective in literature?

A. While I was walking looking for the mythic 221b Baker Street, I remembered a story that has always surprised me. It is when Conan Doyle decides to kill his famous detective Sherlock Holmes, in order to spend more time writing historical novels. In his short story "The Final Problem", the hero died at the hands of Professor Moriarty, the most important mastermind of the Victorian age in Europe. But he never imagined that his readers would go out to the streets in order to protest against the death of such a popular hero; after that even his own mother never invited him to take tea anymore. For that reason he resurrected the detective in "The Adventure of the Empty House".

Q2. Which topics do you think that Colombian Crime Writers should develop in fiction?

A. Some months ago, I attended an exhibition about the Nazi Holocaust. While i looked at a picture of a child with a gas mask who hugged her teddy bear, somebody suddenly jostled me. When I turned around, I saw a Jewish couple with three children. In that moment I realized that at least 80 percent of the public was from Israel, and 50 percent of them were children. I wondered about the parents' reason for showing to their children such a horrible reminiscence of the Holocaust. Then I understood that, despite horror, the history must be transmitted to generation after generation so as to keep it and never forget it. After all Europe has understood the importance of history, that is, to keep the memory alive in order to avoid terrible repetitions. Even in the smallest Europeans cities one can visit a War museum, or to go to a Holocaust lecture given by a native historian. Almost everybody could write novels about the Second World War according to their own experiences. I think writing is the most suitable way to ensure peace over the world. Therefore, I think that Colombian writers should find out about their own history as much as they can. It is impossible to hide that Colombia was one of the most violent countries during the last two decades of the 20th century, in part because of the illegal drug trade to USA and Europe, but in another part because of a long tradition of civil wars which has not been told enough by the historians and novelists. There are a lot of stories and amazing arguments inside the Colombian Mafia. It is similar to the Sicilian mafia which has forged itself against the law, and has constructed – with blood – its own channels of upward mobility to political and economic power. For instance, drug barons or "traquetos" throw away big bags of money from their private helicopters or airplanes to poor towns or poor neighborhoods in Medellin or Bogota. Colombian soldiers have suddenly found millions of dollars buried in the Colombian forest, and spent it on prostitutes, amazing cars, and amazing parties…The spectacular rescues of kidnaps; the bombardment of guerrilla camps inside the jungle… I wonder what stories I can take from Intelligence Agencies affirming that some governments had financial terrorism groups in Colombia… The topics that can be developed by Crime Writers are huge indeed. Now, the most important thing is to tell the story!

Q3. I have been informed that in the 11 Festival International du Roman Noir, in Frontignan – France, you were elected AS Vice-president for Latin America for the International Crime Writers Association – AIEP. WHAT do you think writers should do to encourage Latin American people to read more crime fiction?

A. I consider that writers (best sellers or beginners) should attend creative WRITING CLASSES and literary events in order to share knowledge about their particular interest with other writers, critics, editors, films makers, literary agents, and so on. I became a member of AIEP when I published my first novel: "Espérame Desnuda entre los Alacranes" ("Wait for me naked woman between the Scorpions"). Nowadays I wish to find new readers. Now I am a member of the UK Crime Writers' Association, and I have new friends around the world with whom I can share a passion for mystery literature.