Episode #124: Claire McQue

There is a lot going on in Colombia right now, for those that are paying attention. There was a major earthquake that just devastated the Eje Cafetero, Colombia's coffee zone, and a new right wing president was just elected. Then there are all the issues related to the formation of the modern country after 2016 peace agreement that are still being sorted out, like the protection of natural resources, the growing of coca, cultivos de paz, indigenous sovereignty and tourism. Bogotá based journalist Claire McQue has been on the ground, often traveling to some of the most remote areas of the country, to report on all of these issues.

Born in the UK, Claire covers politics, music, art, architecture, film, food, forests, indigenous rights and social media. Her work is often found in The Economist, as well as publications like The Observer, National Geographic Traveller, Wanderlust Magazine and many others. She’s also the author of a new DK Travel guidebook to Colombia that will be published later this year.

In the interview we speak of places she has traveled to, such as Guainía, in Colombia’s eastern Amazon, about Cali and Quibdó, some of the areas most affected by the earthquake; the Pacific Coast, home to the sugarcane distillate viche; Bogotá, where chefs are trying to work with supply chains in rural areas that are constantly being cut off. The conversation veers into storytelling, music, telenovelas, coffee and much moire.

Host: Nicholas GillCo-host: Juliana DuqueProduced by Nicholas Gill & Juliana DuqueRecording & Editing by New Worlder

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