Deporte Nacional / National Sport
Foto tomada el 19-02-2006 / Picture taken on Feb. 19th 2006
El coleo es el denominado "verdadero deporte nacional venezolano" que muestra lo recio del llano, su fiereza y el dominio del hombre sobre la bestia. Mucho se puede decir que es un deporte cruel para con los animales, que es machista, que es un deporte exclusivista, que muestra mucho de nuestro retraso...
Creo que el coleo es todo eso, y lo mejor de todo es que todos esos aspectos negativos no le quitan belleza a la lucha entre el hombre y la bestia. Lucha que al final se ganó, aunque a un precio más caliente del que queremos pagar. Pregúntenle al calentamiento global.
"Coleo" is the nominated "true venezuelan national sport" that shows the harsh work of the "llanos" (plainlands), its fierceness and the rule of man over beast. Much can be said that is a cruel sport to the animals, that is a "macho" sport, that its an elitist sport (horses are expensive anywhere), that shows a lot of our social depression.
I think that coleo is all of the above, and the best of it is that all those negative aspects never take the beauty of the fight of man and beast. Fight that have been won by us, but at a way too hot price that the one that we wanted to pay. Ask global warming about it.
Emanuel Amorer
