Flag Raising: 4C

Adriana Ballesteros and students

Introduction by Santiago Rozo

“INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-RELIANCE”

The freedom to exercise our own personal competence is independence.

Through self – reliance we can negotiate our own path in this world – weighing our choices and making our own decisions.

Some words to remember CARTAGENA

Cartagena, City, Colombia. Capital of Bolívar. It exports oil, coffee, and platinum. Manufactures include leather and tobacco products, cosmetics, and textiles. Tourism is a growing industry. Cartagena was founded in 1533 and became the treasure city of the Spanish Domain, where precious stones and minerals from the new world awaited transshipment to Spain . Although the harbor was guarded by 29 stone forts and the city was encircled by a high wall of coral, Cartagena suffered sackings and invasions in 1544, 1560, and in 1586 by Sir Francis Drake. The city was the first of those in Colombia and Venezuela to declare in 1811 absolute independence from Spain . Known as a Republic of Cartagena , it was one of the bases uses of Simon Bolivar to launch his campaign to liberate Venezuela . Shady plazas and narrow cobblestone streets make Cartagena one of the most picturesque cities in Latin America . Points of interest include walls and fortifications from colonial times, a 16 th –century cathedral, and the University of Cartagena .