July 20th marks the date when Colombia celebrates its independence from Spanish rule. Two centuries later, the very idea of independence remains debatable. Although the Colombian republic is constitutionally independent, colonial legacies continue to structurally dominate society today.
This phenomenon is not exclusive to Colombia, as the Americas as a whole have shared a similar fate. Exploited, abused, and colonized, indigenous peoples were forced to adopt foreign political and religious beliefs that disregarded their customs and pre-existing architectural mastery over the territory. Subsequent urban development has largely ignored sophisticated building technologies that are still studied today, such as the granular behavior of Inca structures. Similarly, in what is now Mexico City, Aztec urban planning adapted seamlessly to Lake Texcoco. However, following the Spanish conquest, the lake was drained, and today the Mexican capital suffers the consequences.
