Silvio - El 20 de julio

Abstract

The image presents a news item about: "Silvio -On July 20" Bogotá today (1865) has the same limits as in 1807. There are no new neighborhoods. In 1864, 1,074 were born and 1,078 died. Unsanitary conditions are the cause of this negative vegetative rate. Houses with two or several floors are not built; so why is it said that Bogota has grown? As for some of the data that we present in proof of our assertions, that of the lack of increase in the population, it has deserved a reply that has seemed unfounded to us. Perhaps the base established by us, that Bogotá in the time of the Spanish Government had 40 thousand souls, may be somewhat exaggerated: but that exaggeration is not as much as "July 20" supposes, nor are its calculations less neither exaggerated. And in this field we will tell you with complete frankness, that we do not admit as an incontrovertible starting point the result of the censuses; because among us the population has always viewed the operation of conducting a census with suspicion. It is generally believed that these enrollments are related to contributions, recruitment &, ͣ and from there it depends that everyone refuses to be enrolled. Thus it is that in 1807 the census was carried out that gave Bogotá a population of 23,000 souls, in 1851 another one was carried out that gave it 27,000, Bogotá today has the same limits that it had in 1807, more or less. News published in the newspaper The Symbol, No. 54 17/V/865 Page 72(2b and 3a)