Day 11: The bubble

Today was a day that was extremely different than what we had planned. Last night we were advised not to go to Roosevelt today at all. Some even advised not leaving the compound our hotel is located in. Knowing that the protests were growing this much was exciting, anxiety-provoking, frustrating because we were unable to work, but also gave us hope that the political situation will slowly improve.
It was hard to spend the morning in the hotel while knowing that major protests were taking place at the same time. After looking at pictures posted of the protest it was clear that we would have undoubtedly have a lot of trouble simply getting to the hospital. However, the protests continued to be peaceful. Many described them as passionate but peaceful; many families with children were in attendance. To see pictures visit: prensalibre's website.

In the afternoon, after things had died down we headed to Cayalá for lunch with the Universidad del Valle (UVG) mechatronic students interested in working at Roosevelt. It was first almost ironic to be meeting in Cayalá on a day of public protests. Cayalá is technically a city. It is about 70 acres of high-end, expensive, new and elegant housing, dining, shopping and entertainment. It is a community that was built to provide it's civilians with absolutely anything they may need. For me, it seemed like a place whether wealthy could reside without being exposed to the poverty and chaos seen everywhere else in the city, again this was just my impression. 

The pristine streets of Cayalá.

Meeting with the UVG students was great. After catching up and getting a lot of different perspectives on the protests, including historical context, we discussed our plan for the future with the university. It is clear they have a desire to volunteer at the hospital. Unfortunately, due to the political situation, it has been extremely difficult to get clearance to allow them to enter the hospital. There are a lot of hypotheses as to why this would be. It is simply important to remember the hospital is ultimately controlled by the government. We will continue to continue to communicate with them throughout the year, share our knowledge, and work with them to establish a strong relationship with Roosevelt. It is always fun to spend time with the UVG students, are we are excited to keep working with them. Hopefully they will receive clearance soon!