The video documentary titled “Colombia: Flowers for the Gringo'' explains the negative consequence that flower production has on women workers in Colombia. These women are forced to work in hazardous conditions to maintain a living and meet the demands of American and foreign investors. I learned that this exchange was created as a way to rebuild the Colombian economy and to cover up their drug trafficking past. Colombia has to put its best foot forward to “impress” America through its floral export. Meanwhile, Colombians are being exploited through physical labor for monetary gain.
A part of the video that really opened my eyes to the bad side of globalization was the analogy made by one of the female workers. She talked about how paradoxical it was that “flowers are symbols of respect, love, and consideration for the consumers in developed countries, while at the same time the flowers are being produced in appalling conditions (24:20). Often on the receiving end of globalization, there is no consideration for the process that it took to produce and deliver goods.
Similar to the documentary, I remember visiting an art museum in Brazil where there was an exhibit that highlighted the danger of food delivery. This exhibit confronts the aversive impacts companies like “Uber eats' or “Rapi” have on the food deliverers. The main message was that food delivery workers are working at the expense of their lives to essentially “enrich the gringo.”
I am reminded of the class lecture on the "Myth of the continents". Many of these unequal work conditions are perpetuated throughout South America because investors consider South America as a third world country. Investors probably feel justified in their actions because they believe they are providing jobs. The working conditions that these people are enduring are not at the expense of production, morally speaking.
Below, I have a photo of that art exhibit in Brazil.
Cover photo byHenry LorenzattoonUnsplash
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