Residents of Colombia’s third largest city Cali expressed frustration about this year’s Christmas decorations that have failed to live up to expectations.
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Following the official start of Christmas on Friday when Colombia celebrated the Night of Candles, caleños have taken to the social media to criticize the Christmas lights that, following the theft of millions of dollars worth of decorations earlier this year, are said to disappoint compared to previous years.
Cali was fortunate to be celebrating Christmas this year as $16.5 million worth of Christmas lights ‘’mysteriously’’ disappeared while many more were left damaged.
The usually impressive spectacle has also received a lot of negative feedback from, what Colombian newspaper El Pais reported, nationwide disapproval. One person expressed via twitter that ‘’It’s a lack of respect for children and those who come from abroad who want to appreciate this symbolic part of Christmas.’’
The local government faced further controversy as the money spent on the lights came from taxes which is against the law in Colombia. One citizen expressed distain, ‘’Why charge [a private lighting company] if there are no lights? Where did the budget go?’’
Despite the general feel of disappointment compared to other years the municipality’s official website managed to remain positive, praising the displays, claiming the entire city enjoyed them.