Cartagena's Shoe Shiners at El Palito de Caucho Don't Want to Be Forgotten
Julio Erazo Cásseres's days in the shade of El Palito de Caucho are often very similar. Every day he leaves his home in the Olaya Herrera neighborhood and arrives punctually at 7 a.m. at the iconic tree in Cartagena's Historic Center to set up his workspace. He prepares his box, brushes, and polishes, and sits down to wait for a customer to appear, but it's rare for that to happen. Hours pass, and suddenly it's 6 p.m., and he has to go home with no money. This has been his reality and that of many of his colleagues in recent years, who have witnessed firsthand, and with pain, the decline of the trade that once allowed them to live without worries: shining shoes.
TL;DR
- Shoe shiners at Cartagena's El Palito de Caucho are experiencing a sharp decline in customers, jeopardizing their income.
- The number of active shoe shiners has decreased significantly over the years, with many being elderly individuals who are the last generation of this trade.
- The shift in the city center from a commercial hub to a tourist focus, coupled with external factors like the pandemic, has reduced demand for their services.
- The artisans are requesting a collaborative dialogue with local authorities to develop sustainable support and preserve their cultural heritage.
- The District's Public Space Management is working on a renovation project that recognizes the human and cultural contribution of the shoe shiners and aims to strengthen social, cultural, and economic dynamics.