THE lackluster domes of the Primada Cathedral are in stark contrast to the blue sky and cotton-white clouds over Bogota. Standing under the statue of Simon Bolivar, the Latin American hero, on a plaza the size of a soccer field surrounded by old buildings, I look at the sight with fascination as I savor the past.

On my right stands Capitolio, a building supported by huge pillars bordering the residence of the Colombian President, and on my left