Residents in Colombia’s locked down cities embarked on an overwhelming ovation for health workers and other public servants working to contain the coronavirus on Friday.
Actor Santiago Alarcon proposed to give the “heroes” an applause in the afternoon. The public servants received a standing ovation instead.
Este video lo compartió un amigo, de verdad, lloré.
Estudiamos medicina, enfermería, trabajo social, psicología, entre otros del área de la salud y nos tocó la primera pandemia en mucho tiempo, pero nos queremos a todos bien, y hasta el final todos servimos.
Gracias ? pic.twitter.com/JhsxcDSn8n— Dra. Malu ? (@mlberp) March 21, 2020
People cried during the heartwarming expression of appreciation and gratitude for the physicians, nurses, policemen and other officials dedicated to public health, often underpaid and frustrated by the national government.
From their windows, Colombians applauded the public servants with the same passion as they protested against President Ivan Duque‘s perceived ineptitude two days before.
Nosotros que nos quedamos en la casa, tambien somos héroes.#AplaudoANuestrosHeroes pic.twitter.com/2RgTDtdkb1
— Santiago Alarcón U (@Santialarconu) March 21, 2020
Duque, Interior Minister Alicia Arango, Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo and the military unlawfully tried to revoke local and regional authorities’ lockdowns and curfews earlier this week.
The national government was forced to back down, however, after local and regional authorities rebelled with overwhelming support of their constituencies.
Friday’s mass expression of gratitude was an unprecedented show of support for the public workers who, even without Duque, are working under often adverse conditions.
¡G R A C I A S!
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El personal médico y sanitario merece toda nuestra consideración, respeto y admiración.
???⚕️???????⚕️#AplaudoANuestrosHéroes @mjsarmientoa @Santialarconu @AdrianaLucia pic.twitter.com/T8AyhTduue— ?Liliana Castañeda Morales✊?? (@LiliCastanedaM) March 21, 2020
Vice-President Marta Lucia Ramirez said on Twitter that “I join the applause for our heroes,” but was immediately scolded and called a “cynic.”
“They need masks, gloves, glasses and many more things. You can shove your applause up your ass,” one Twitter user told the VP with due reverence.
Indescriptible?? #AplaudoANuestrosHeroes #AplausosSanitarios pic.twitter.com/fFftexIEXR
— Alejandro Rodriguez R. (@alejandrodri297) March 21, 2020
#AplaudoANuestrosHeroes grandes pic.twitter.com/eKuKIVHdRY
— Orlando A Hincapie (@orlandoalhi) March 21, 2020
The ovations that broke out in multiple cities in lockdown was a stunning expression of solidarity and unity in unprecedented times of uncertainty and fear.
But the Colombian people apparently aren’t ready to resign. Instead, they reiterated they haven’t lost the resilience that has helped them overcome countless crises before.