A night of dancing in one of Cartagena's liveliest squares has ended with a tourist facing a bill, a public rebuke from the mayor, and accusations that she hired thousands of social media bots to dodge the backlash.
The incident happened in Trinidad Square in Getsemani, the colourful barrio just outside the walled city that draws big weekend crowds with street musicians and impromptu dancing. Videos shared online show a woman, apparently intoxicated, grabbing and leaning on one of the square's bronze-look figures while dancing. The sculpture toppled to the ground. She walked away with her friends — but not before plenty of people filmed it.
The toppled figure depicts priest Jorge Enrique Umaña, part of a sculptural ensemble honouring Getsemani's role in Cartagena's independence movement. The square also features Pedro Romero, a popular independence-era leader, and a drummer symbolising the call to fight for freedom. These aren't just street decorations — they mark a neighbourhood central to Cartagena's declaration of independence on November 11, 1811. Adding insult to injury: the sculptures, made of resin and fibreglass with a bronze patina, had only been restored in November 2024 after years of neglect.
Cartagena's mayor, Dumek Turbay, took to X after the videos spread, confirming the woman had been identified and lives in Barranquilla, capital of the neighbouring Atlantico department. And he had a pointed criticism: rather than offering to repair what she'd broken, she apparently paid for a bot campaign — his cybersecurity team identified more than 2,000 accounts — to counter the online fury. 'The money she spent... could have been used to repair the artwork,' the mayor wrote. The city is now demanding she cover the cost, while officials and artist Oscar Noriega assess the damage. Both the Umaña and Romero figures will be removed for maintenance and restoration.
For travellers, it's a reminder with a practical edge: Cartagena's public art is heritage, not bar furniture. Getsemani's plazas are wonderful places to join a dance circle at night, but treating monuments, street furniture and artworks with care matters — and in this case, it carried real financial and reputational consequences. The story also shows how much weight Colombian cities put on restoring their historic centres; Cartagena has been systematically refurbishing statues and monuments across the old town and surrounding barrios.
If you're heading to Cartagena, Getsemani remains a highlight — street art, cafes and the best people-watching in the city, especially around Trinidad Square once the sun goes down. Just leave the sculptures out of your dance routine.
