Now, urban panic over the economic crisis is perhaps for the first time alerting many Colombians to the nation's dilemma, fueling the exodus to Miami. A series of bank failures, dwindling foreign investment and 20 percent unemployment has rocked national confidence. Long battles with the most organized drug cartels in the cities of Medellin and Cali have financially disrupted the drug business, sucking money out of the economy. For decades we learned to live with the drugs and the violence and it didn't bother us. Now, for the very first time, we have an economic crisis and we are all scared to death.
Government ministers acknowledge the picture is bleak.
Everything has its limit and we reached that limit. The system is exhausted. But Clavijo is optimistic that the recession can be quickly tamed. We have touched bottom and we are already seeing signs of economic recovery. But that is little comfort to thousands of unemployed professionals who now see their future abroad.