The ballots are in

Well, not yet, but they will be while I'm here! Friday is the presidential election and the results could break out into a riotous chaos. There were already riots in Bogota the day that I came, my yesterday's bodyguard had a brick thrown at him in a crossfire between crazed voters and armored police. These guys look like robocops, I hope to get a photo before I'm out.

I have not been lucky enough to actually witness the riot, but I did run into a fellow in the middle of Plaza Bolivar who has been starving himself for nearly three weeks in protest of inequality for the running candidates. He is on the ballot and I simply walked up to the cluster of folks with my digital recorder (trying hard to look like I'm someone who knows what they are about) and they allowed my by to interview him. He and tree others were in chains, I should have asked what the symbolism was for that, since they are only penniless, not captives...

I felt bad for him since he of course is weak and hungry, but I couldn't help but ask how he proposed to change the world by starving himself. Ends up he didn't have a straight answer, he just wants people to know that the race isn't fair since the common man doesn't have money for things like radio spots, etc, and therefore cannot get their message out. Sadly his message was pretty sparse as it was. The idealism is admirable, but the method is senseless.