The Andean sun, veiled by passing clouds but deceptively strong, shines down on Plaza Bolivar. As ever, the square is thronging with tourists, SIM-card vendors, presidential guards in ceremonial uniform and children chasing pigeons. On one side, the magnificent neoclassical cathedral. Opposite is the town hall. A third building houses the Capitolio Nacional, seat of the national congress. The fourth is occupied by the Palace of Justice which, in November 1985, was attacked by members of the M-19 Marxist guerrilla group. They took 300 people hostage. A hapless military raid followed, during which 11 Supreme Court justices, 49 Colombian soldiers, 35 M-19 guerrillas and 11 ancillary staff and civilians died or disappeared.
Whether here in La Candelaria – the cobblestoned historic centre – or in its skyscraper-strewn sprawl, Colombia’s past…