The racking of “chivas” in the Andes: its popular religiosity and vicissitudes in times of COVID-19

Abstract

The chiva or ladder truck are one of the places where the popular culture of Andes-Antioquia is expressed, in all its senses. This article presents the construction of a historical account, based on the analysis of written, oral and material sources. In this narration, some of the political and social events that have influenced the historical memory of this territory are glimpsed, including the setbacks that COVID-19 has currently caused. Cultural Heritage is also addressed as a bet that allows the conservation of tradition of the chivas decoration, guaranteeing their preservation for future generations. Finally, an approach is made to what the spatial dimension of popular religiosity in the Andes represents, embodied in the exterior of these buses through the sacralization of religious images.