Rebecca Sprößer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rebecca Linda Marlene Sprößer |
| Citizenship | German |
| Occupation(s) | Flight attendant Activist |
| Known for | Participating in and documenting the 2021 Colombian protests |
Rebecca Linda Marlene Sprößer[1] (German pronunciation: [ʁəˈbɛka ˈlɪnda maɐ̯ˈleːnə ʃpʁøːsɐ], Spanish pronunciation: [reˈβeka esˈpɾoseɾ]) is a German woman known for her participation in the 2021 Colombian protests as an activist, specifically in the city of Cali, where she had stayed since March of the same year.[2]
Biography edit
Early life edit
Sprößer, who was a stewardess at Lufthansa, had previously visited several countries, mainly in Latin America, including a stay in Mexico, where she was a journalist.[3] While going on a world trip, she decided to stay in Cali since March 2021,[2] shortly after concluding her studies in Frankfurt. Sprößer would later say it was a "lifelong dream of hers to land on Cali", motivated by Cali-born friends of hers back in Germany.[4]
2021 stay in Cali edit
Sprößer started working at a salsa dancing academy in Cali while taking classes there, but a series of events including COVID-19-related restrictions, caused the academy to fall into bankruptcy and close, prompting Sprößer to join a series of protests expected to shortly take place, starting to document the protests in her social media once they did start.[4] During the protests, she reported threats to her life,[1] with an alleged murder attempt made against her on the 22th of July where she was left slightly injured, during which her boyfriend Jhoan Sebastián Bonilla (who she met during the protests)[2] was shot at 13 times. Bonilla would later be confirmed dead on the 29th of July,[5] with his death occurring on the 24th in a hospital.[6]
Expulsion from Colombia edit
Sprößer was expelled from Colombia on the 27th of July and barred from entering the country for a period of 10 years,[7] causing a nationwide controversy as to why this occurred. Migración Colombia, Colombia's border control agency, made a press release regarding the controversy, stating that Sprößer was doing activities not related to her status as a tourist, which they claimed, "would affect citizenry tranquility and order", adding that the decision was done to "saveguard Sprößer's integrity as well as maintaining national order and safety". The decision was met with fierce backlash from several political sectors, including José Miguel Vivanco, then executive director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch,[8] claiming it was a political persecution against an individual documenting what they alleged were human rights violations occurring in the country in the context of the protests.[1][9] Sprößer's legal team later started a process alleging her expulsion was illegal,[10][11]
Return edit
On the 31th of October, 2022, Migración Colombia revoked the ban preventing Sprößer from entering Colombia.[10] She later came back to the country on the 9th of February, 2023, initially being back in Cali to mourn Bonilla, and then in Colombia's capital Bogotá the next day.[12] She was allegedly given bodyguards from the National Unit of Protection (UNP, by its Spanish-language initials), after a publication on her social media announcing her return to Cali showed a UNP cap.[13] This was later confirmed by the UNP itself a few days after the allegations surfaced.[14]
Public perception edit
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In popular culture edit
Sprößer and her relationship with Bonilla was used as the main theme for upcoming book and movie "Amor a Primera Linea" by Colombia writer and politician Gustavo Bolívar, announced on the 9th of November, 2021, with the earnings of the works to be donated to an NGO founded by both Sprößer and Bolívar helping victims of the 2021 protests.[15]
References edit
- ^ a b c "¿Por qué la alemana Rebecca Linda Marlene Sprößer fue expulsada del país?". KienyKe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ a b c Colombiano, El (2023-02-23). "La historia de Rebecca Sprößer, la alemana de la polémica por el esquema de protección que le asignó la UNP". www.elcolombiano.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ "Rebecca Sprößer: la alemana que llegó de vacaciones a Cali y terminó haciendo parte de la primera línea". infobae (in Spanish). 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ a b Tiempo, Casa Editorial El (2021-07-15). "La historia de la alemana que se unió a la 'primera línea' en Cali". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ Espectador, El (2021-07-30). "ELESPECTADOR.COM". ELESPECTADOR.COM (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ Valencia, Daniel (2021-08-09). "¿Qué dijo Rebecca Sprößer, alemana deportada de Colombia por el Paro Nacional?". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ País, El (2021-07-29). "Alemana que participó en protestas no podrá ingresar a Colombia en 10 años". Noticias de Cali, Valle y Colombia - Periodico: Diario El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ PINZÓN, ALFONSO (2021-08-20). ""Los jóvenes en Colombia son los más berracos, los más fuertes y valientes que hay"". Rolling Stone en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Contagioradio (2021-07-28). "Expulsión de Rebecca Sprösser es un pésimo mensaje a comunidad internacional". Contagio Radio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ a b Uribe, Maria Alejandra (2022-11-04). "Caso Rebecca Sprößer: Migración revocó su expulsión por protestar en paro nacional". W Radio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Álvarez, Aura María Saavedra (2021-08-19). "Ahora, alemana Rebecca Sprößer anuncia demanda para volver a Colombia". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Montoya, Ana Cristina Alvarez (2023-02-10). "Rebecca Sprösser, la alemana expulsada durante paro nacional, regresó a Colombia". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ "Polémica por vida de la alemana Rebecca Sprösser en Colombia". Agenciapi.co (in Spanish). 2024-03-31. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Colombiano, El (2023-02-23). "¿Por qué a la alemana Rebecca Sprößer le asignaron un esquema de seguridad? La UNP respondió". www.elcolombiano.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Colombiano, El (2022-10-27). ""Amor a Primera Línea": la película por la que Gustavo Bolívar se retiraría del Congreso". www.elcolombiano.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-30.