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Colombia
COLOMBIA ------------------------------------2061TRIP IDEAS

Sutatenza, The Colombian City That Declared Silence An Intangible Cultural Heritage


In the heart of the Cundiboyacense highlands, about 120 kilometers northeast of Bogotá, lies Sutatenza, a municipality in Boyacá with just over eight thousand inhabitants that has turned silence into an act of cultural resistance. Since 2018, every last Friday of September, the community celebrates the Collective Day of Silence, a day on which engines are turned off, classes are suspended, shops close, and words are set aside to honor an educational tradition rooted in contemplative listening. What could be interpreted as a modern oddity is, in reality, a profound homage to the town’s history: the place that in the 1950s revolutionized rural Latin American education through radio now reclaims silence as an essential element for learning and reflection, protecting it as intangible heritage in a world saturated with noise.

When Silence Became A Lesson: Radio Sutatenza And Contemplative Education

The origins of this tradition date back to 1947, when Monsignor José Joaquín Salcedo founded Radio Sutatenza, a pioneering station broadcasting literacy, hygiene, agriculture, and Christian values to isolated communities. Salcedo understood that education required not only transmission but also attentive reception. His programs included deliberate pauses, fostering contemplative learning inspired by Indigenous philosophies and European monastic practices. This pedagogy turned Sutatenza into a continental reference and influenced educational models in countries such as Mexico and Peru. Over time, modern noise diluted this essence, until the community chose to reclaim it.

The declaration of silence as intangible cultural heritage occurred in 2017 through a municipal agreement recognizing it as a living practice. In 2024, Colombia’s Ministry of Culture included it in the National Representative List, placing it alongside expressions such as the Carnival of Barranquilla. Silence is thus recognized as a public good in a country affected by excessive environmental noise.

A Town That Listens: Collective Silence As Healing And Identity

On the Collective Day of Silence, noisy activities are suspended, residents communicate without words, and workshops on meditation and active listening take place. Research shows significant reductions in stress levels, while community bonds are strengthened. Carefully managed tourism now supports the local economy without undermining authenticity. Sutatenza reveals that silence is not emptiness, but a powerful cultural legacy.

Sutatenza, The Colombian City That Declared Silence An Intangible Cultural Heritage

In the heart of the Cundiboyacense highlands, about 120 kilometers northeast of Bogotá, lies Sutatenza, a municipality in Boyacá with just over eight thousand inhabitants that has turned silence into an act of cultural resistance. Since 2018, every last Friday of September, the community celebrates the Collective Day of Silence, a day on which engines are turned off, classes are suspended, shops close, and words are set aside to honor an educational tradition rooted in contemplative listening. What could be interpreted as a modern oddity is, in reality, a profound homage to the town’s history: the place that in the 1950s revolutionized rural Latin American education through radio now reclaims silence as an essential element for learning and reflection, protecting it as intangible heritage in a world saturated with noise.

When Silence Became A Lesson: Radio Sutatenza And Contemplative Education

The origins of this tradition date back to 1947, when Monsignor José Joaquín Salcedo founded Radio Sutatenza, a pioneering station broadcasting literacy, hygiene, agriculture, and Christian values to isolated communities.

Salcedo understood that education required not only transmission but also attentive reception. His programs included deliberate pauses, fostering contemplative learning inspired by Indigenous philosophies and European monastic practices. This pedagogy turned Sutatenza into a continental reference and influenced educational models in countries such as Mexico and Peru. Over time, modern noise diluted this essence, until the community chose to reclaim it.

The declaration of silence as intangible cultural heritage occurred in 2017 through a municipal agreement recognizing it as a living practice. In 2024, Colombia’s Ministry of Culture included it in the National Representative List, placing it alongside expressions such as the Carnival of Barranquilla. Silence is thus recognized as a public good in a country affected by excessive environmental noise.

A Town That Listens: Collective Silence As Healing And Identity

On the Collective Day of Silence, noisy activities are suspended, residents communicate without words, and workshops on meditation and active listening take place. Research shows significant reductions in stress levels, while community bonds are strengthened. Carefully managed tourism now supports the local economy without undermining authenticity. Sutatenza reveals that silence is not emptiness, but a powerful cultural legacy.

By Jazmin Agudelo for Ruta Pantera on 12/21/2025 10:16:57 AM

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