UCL Colombian Society

🎄✨ Celebrate Día de las Velitas with Us! ✨🎄

Join us for a magical night as we light candles, share traditions, and celebrate one of Colombia’s most cherished holidays!

🕯️ When: December 7th, 6 pm
📍 Where: The Drayton park ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/ReVMmpLqwaotkNDL8 )
🎶 What to Expect: Traditional music and a warm Colombian community vibe!

✨ Important Info:

😌 Free for society members.
👀£3 fee for guests. Please ensure to write your name and your university (or the university of the person who invited you) when making the payment via the provided link or QR code. https://revolut.me/colsociety

Let’s brighten the night together and bring a little piece of Colombia to the UK. Everyone is welcome! 🎉

🌟 Throwback to an unforgettable night! 🌟
What a blast we had exploring London’s historic pubs with and our amazing friends! 🍻✨

🕰️ Highlights of the night:
🏰 The (Almost) Oldest Pub in London – Dating back to 1430 (if only the original structure had survived ❤️‍🩹).
👻 The Viaduct Tavern – London’s most haunted pub... would you dare to visit? 💀
🎭 The Cockpit – Once owned by none other than William Shakespeare himself! 😳🐓

And the list goes on! Let’s do it again soon! 🙌

🍻 Calling All Membership Holders! Join Us for a Historic London Pub Crawl!
Explore the fascinating history of London through its iconic pubs with the Colombian Society! This free walking tour and pub crawl will take us to some of the city's most historic watering holes, where we’ll uncover stories of the past and enjoy great pints together.

📅 Date: 29 November
⏰ Time: 17:30
📍 Meeting Point: Cittie of Yorke, 22 High Holborn, London WC1V 6BN

The money raised through Colombian Society memberships proudly funds this event. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow members, experience a piece of London’s pub culture, and enjoy an unforgettable evening.

Please note that drinks are not included.

Cheers to history, culture, and community! 🍺

UCL Colombian Society 24-25 🇬🇧🇨🇴
Thank you to everyone who came, and hope to see you soon!

Welcome to London! 🇨🇴🇬🇧

To celebrate the beginning of this new school year we invite all new (and former) UCL Colombian students for a welcome picnic at Primrose Hill.

Date: Saturday, September 21
Time: 2:30pm
Where: Primrose Hill

Make sure to bring food or drinks to share with the group! 🥪🍻

We’re excited to meet all of you! 🫶🏽

This Thursday, 9th of March, we will be presenting the book of one of our own students here at UCL, Tomás Mantilla, about the beginnings of the armed conflict in Colombia. We will travel back to 1954 when the ‘war of Villarrica’ broke out in the department of Tolima, land which would be at the centre of confrontations for the following decades. The ‘war of Villarrica’ has been forgotten in collective Colombian memory due to the strong censorship under General Rojas Pinilla who simultaneously prohibited communism that same year.

This is the chance for students to unravel a story at the heart of the Colombian conflict which connects with global geopolitical trends. Anyone is welcome to attend - don’t miss out!

📍Foster Court 114
🕓9th March 6pm-8pm

Este jueves, 9 de marzo, estaremos presentando un libro del estudiante, Tomás Mantilla, sobre los inicios del conflicto armado colombiano. En este caso visitaremos el año 1954, cuando estalló la llamada guerra de Villarrica, en el actual Tolima, territorio que estaría en el centro de la confrontación por las siguientes décadas. La guerra de Villarrica ha sido olvidada dentro de la memoria colectiva colombiana debido a la fuerte censura de quien por entonces comenzaba a demostrar sus aspiraciones dictatoriales, el General Rojas Pinilla, y quien a su vez había prohibido el comunismo en el país el mismo año.

Esta es pues una oportunidad de desentrañar una historia que se encuentra en el corazón del conflicto colombiano y que se conecta con las dinámicas geopolíticas globales. ¡No se pierdan esta charla!

Hola a todos y todas!

We’re excited to announce the third session to our Latin American book club!

Our third reading will be “La Fiesta del Chivo” by Mario Vargas Llosa, an esteemed Peruvian novelist.

🕰️The session will be taking place on Wednesday 8th February at 6pm.

📍You will be able to find us in the South Quad Teaching Block 103

We can’t wait to see you guys, especially after our previous session which was a great success! Come along to fill your mind with interesting new perspectives or simply to de-stress after a long day at campus.
The event is also great for those keen on sharpening their Spanish language skills!

Find the eventbrite link in our bio to book your place now‼️

🚨Que Rico x Cuckoo Club TAKEOVER🚨

🥳 We are thrilled to bring our first official Latin American night with a new concept in one of the top Mayfair clubs 🎉 🪩

Que Rico x Cuckoo Club TAKEOVER will take place on an opening night at Mayfair's Th Cuckoo Club for the first time on Wednesday 8th of Febuary starting at 23:00- till late ⚡️🔥

We will be joined by other Latin American societies from across London, in what will be a night to remember in one of Mayfair’s most exclusive clubs.

🔵Spanish and Portuguese Commercial Music will be played all night by one of Mayfair’s best DJs.
⚪The night will be filled with shows and shots with special bottle show for the societies 🍾🥂

You can book-in for Guestlist and Tables on MyClub, the mobile app to access exclusive Mayfair nightclubs any day of week:

1. Get on MyClub: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/myclub-nightlife/id1610132393
2. Send request for “Cuckoo Club” 8th Feb
3. Get accepted and follow the info
4. Pay at the entrance (Boys £40 - Girls £20)

Hola todos!

From the committee of UCL ColSoc we hope that everyone had a nice break and is having a good start to second term.

We’re happy to announce our next social event this Thursday at UCL’s very own Phineas Bar during their Thursday’s Latin Night. The event will commence from 6pm and we look forward to being joined by people from LSE’s Colombian Society!

📍Phineas Bar, 3rd Floor Students’ Union, UCL WC1H 0AY
🗓️Thursday 26 January
🕰️ 6pm - close

Come along for a night of music and dance! We look forward to seeing many of you

To dos:
Class
Jorge vn
Post on colsoc socials
Catch up on French
Readings
Finalise books for America and ME

Hola todos!

From the committee of UCL ColSoc we hope that everyone had a nice break and is having a good start to second term.

We’re happy to announce our next social event this Thursday at UCL’s very own Phineas Bar during their Thursday’s Latin Night. The event will commence from 6pm and we look forward to being joined by people from LSE’s Colombian Society!

📍Phineas Bar, 3rd Floor Students’ Union, UCL WC1H 0AY
🗓️Thursday 26 January
🕰️ 6pm - close

Come along for a night of music and dance - we look forward to seeing many of you!

Hola a todos y todas,

UCL’s Colombian Society and LSE’s .colombiansct would like to invite you to our Celebración del Día de Las Velitas for Colombian students in the UK.

The event will take place on the 7th of December at 6pm at the Consulate of Colombia in London, 35 Portland Place, W1B 1AE.

It will be a great opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate this special date which marks the start of the Christmas period in our country, paired with typical Christmas favourites like Buñuelos, Pandebonos and Canelazo.

Sign up via the eventbrite link in our bio with the email of your institution and don’t miss out on this important date!

Los y las esperamos!

Hola a todas y todos!

Welcome again to “Martes de Colombianidad”, the ColSoc’s weekly space for sharing information related to Colombia’s news, culture, society, and more! 🇨🇴

This week’s recommendations:

1. 🔮 In this episode of Radioambulante podcast, they recall the astrologist convention that took place in Bogotá in 1975 and how conservative politicians and civil society organizations reacted to it. A story that mixes politics, money, witchcraft, and even one of the most famous twentieth-century brazilian writers. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NGAf2IVcjxRJhdwYdqiyq?si=Yj-0q4SHRcmyM9Q9oimu3g&utm_source=whatsapp

2. 🤵🏽‍♀️🕊️ Four new women have been appointed to the National Government’s Delegation in the peace talks with the ELN. Now there will be parity at the National delegation, which reinitiated the negotiations on Nov. 21.
https://www.elespectador.com/politica/nuevas-integrantes-en-equipo-negociador-con-eln-mabel-lara-y-maria-jimena-duzan/

3. 🌳🐅 Colombia Magia Salvaje, an outstanding documentary that shows the beauty of Colombia's biodiversity, is free on YouTube! Among other things, this documentary exhibits the importance of conserving and protecting our country's nature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oojLvuHAXo&ab_channel=Grupo%C3%89xitoColombia

Find all the links to access each recommendation in our stories.

And keep in touch for upcoming academic events! 🇨🇴

Hola a todos y todas!

We’re excited to announce the second session to our Latin American book club!

Our second reading will be “Las Malas” by Camila Sosa Villada, an important contemporary Argentine writer.

🕰️The session will be taking place on Wednesday 30th November at 6pm.

📍You will be able to find us in the South Quad Teaching Block 103

We can’t wait to see you guys, especially after our previous session which was a great success! Come along to fill your mind with interesting new perspectives or simply to de-stress after a long day at campus.

Find the eventbrite link in our bio to book your place now‼️

Hola a todas y todos!

Welcome again to “Martes de Colombianidad”, the ColSoc’s weekly space for sharing information related to Colombia’s news, culture, society, and more! 🇨🇴

This week’s recommendations:

1. 🏛️ The complete draft of the National Development Plan ‘Colombia Potencia Mundial de Vida’ is available and ready for the National Council of Planning feedback. La Silla Vacía analyses this first version through seven key points, including peacebuilding and the biding result of regional talks. https://www.lasillavacia.com/historias/silla-nacional/siete-claves-de-la-primera-version-del-plan-de-desarrollo-de-petro/

2. 🎤 On November 6th, 1985, the M-19 guerrilla laid siege to Colombia’s Palace of Justice. The police and the army reacted quickly, and for 28 hours the building became a battlefield. This episode of Radio Ambulante podcast tells the story of how this event became a tragical one for colombian history, even nowadays.
https://radioambulante.org/audio/la-noche-mas-larga-1

3. ⚽ This podcast tells the life and death of the Colombian football player, Andrés Escobar, who was murdered after scoring an own goal in the 1994 World Cup. The podcast shows the conflicts and feelings behind the most famous sport in the world.

Find all the links to access each recommendation in our stories.

And keep in touch for upcoming academic events! 🇨🇴

Hola todos! We hope that you are having a good week back after reading week!

Whether you’ve just finished submitting your essays or need a chance to ease the pressures of term, this coming Tuesday 22nd, will be hosting another awesome Reggaeton night at Embargo Republica in Chelsea. The Colombian Society will be attending once again and we hope to see as many of you there!🎉

Tickets are selling out fast…
BUT, like last time we have many tickets reserved as a society and on top of that have a discount code that we will be sharing to our society members that will reduce the price of entry!

All you have to do is make sure you have purchased your UCL ColSoc membership via the students union by FRIDAY night‼️ as we will be emailing the code to members following this. Once the email has been sent out, we will put the link in our bio so that you can go ahead and get your discounted ticket 🎟🙌!

Any questions feel free to contact us, we will also be posting updates on our stories so keep up to date with that.

Till then, un abrazo 🫶

Hola a todas y todos!

Welcome again to “Martes de Colombianidad”, the ColSoc’s weekly space for sharing information related to Colombia’s news, culture, society, and more! 🇨🇴

This week’s recommendations:

1. 💰The sharp devaluation of Colombian Peso to the US dollar in the last few weeks worries everybody. Some people associated it with the new Colombian government; others affirm that the US interest rates have a direct impact, and others think it's due to international affairs. 'La Pulla' y 'Economía para la pipol' -unas tesas en temas económicos- explain the truth behind this situation. https://youtu.be/e_qqugB0uEA

2. 🦶🏽In this episode of her podcast ‘A fondo’, María Jimena discusses, with New York Times reporter Julie Turkewitz and photographer Federico Ríos, the journey of about 215.000 people who have crossed the Darien Gap, a highly dense forest in the border between Colombia and Panamá. Many of them are escaping Venezuela and are aiming to reach the US to live the American Dream. However, they are trapped in Central America because of the change in US policy towards Venezuelan Asylum Seekers. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7bemtAyAe3eok4Xvi5OJfL?si=-yJAAZ_DTVaZvMbvWIjdJA

3. 💹 In this conversation, prominent economists Mauricio Cárdenas and Mauricio Reina assess the first 100 days of Petro’s government. They speak about the positives and negatives, the impact of the taxing reform, the economic scene, the coming political reforms, and the general performance of the cabinet, among other things. They also give us a hint of what’s coming and what topics should keep the listener tuned with the political developments of the country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywn-xXaxics

Find all the links to access each recommendation in our stories.

And keep in touch for upcoming academic events! 🇨🇴

‘More than others’

The are excited to be participating in the screening of Romano Pizzichini’s short film “More Than Others”🎬🎥

The film documents the Latin community in Britain, with a particular focus on the new British born latinx population. The film aims to be a ‘conversation-opener’ about the experience and needs of our invisibilized community. Hence, the screening will be followed by a discussion with Romano and the invited panel to discuss strategies to tackle the lack of visibility, such as political representation and the lack of recognition as a distinct category on the national census and other forms (like UCL’s).

Where📍: UCL Anatomy Building, B15 Gower St
When🕰️: Thurs 17 November, 18:00-19:30

We are also happy that we will be joined by Ms Claudia Lopez-Pietro in our panel. She is an EAL (English as and additional language) teacher at St Gabriel’s College in Lambeth, a secondary school with a strong latin population. Born in Colombia and having moved to the UK at an early age, she is a true community ambassador who has dedicated a good 14 years as an educator campaigning for the recognition of the Latin American community, having secured commitments from organisations such as King’s College London and Lambeth Council.

We can’t wait to see you all for this insightful evening, and hear everyone’s contribution! Till then, un abrazo!🫶

Hola a todas y todos!

Welcome again to “Martes de Colombianidad”, the new weekly space of ColSoc for sharing interesting recommendations related to Colombia’s news, culture, society, and more! 🇨🇴

This week’s recommendations:

1. Rachel Nolan, professor of Latin American History at Boston University, discussed Colombia’s Truth Comission Report for the October edition of the London Review of Books. Have a look at the perspective of a foreign scholar about our country’s internal armed conflict recent report. 📖 https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n20/rachel-nolan/sixty-years-on

2. “A national revolution on higher education” is the Colombian Government's gamble for the next four years. Alejandro Gaviria, Minister of Education, explains his plan, which includes no fees in State-owned universities, an Icetex reform and school meals programme (PAE) global coverage. 📚https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P3x4GnjFhi8&feature=youtu.be

3. Is it important to debate again on “How to teach armed conflict in schools?” Nowadays, Colombian teachers face the challenge of teaching the story of our armed conflict. The following article explores some of the lessons from other Truth Commissions in the world regarding this issue. 👩🏽‍🏫https://blogs.elespectador.com/actualidad/palabra-maestra/ensenar-informe-la-comision-la-verdad-reto-nos-espera-la-vuelta-la-esquina

4. After more than 2 years of diplomatic discrepancies and the suspension of aerial direct connections, last Monday (8 of November) Colombia and Venezuela had their first direct flight. This is an important step for the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between both countries! 🇨🇴🇻🇪https://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/llega-a-colombia-el-primer-vuelo-desde-venezuela-tras-restablecimiento-de-relaciones-entre-ambos-paises/202220/

Find all the links to access each recommendation in our stories.

And keep in touch for upcoming academic events!🇨🇴