On the fateful day of November 28, 2016, the Chapecoense team met tragedy when LaMia flight 2933 crashed into a Colombian mountain near Medellin. This heart-wrenching event claimed the lives of 71 individuals, including 19 players, 14 staff members, and nearly twenty journalists. The memories of that sorrowful day lingered, casting a somber shadow even after almost 7 years.
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In an attempt to pay homage to the Brazilian club, the town of La Union orchestrated a tribute, but it unfolded as an uncomfortable and controversial affair. A strikingly large aluminum replica of the ill-fated plane was erected near the city center, adjacent to the church.
Después de la polémica generada por la instalación de una figura navideña inspirada en el avión estrellado de Chapecoense en La Unión, Antioquia la alcaldía de este municipio decidió retirarla.
📹 @BLUAntioquia pic.twitter.com/O9ALYLYtiR
— Julián Vásquez (@Julian_VasquezP) November 24, 2023
This replication, however, elicited discontent among the residents, who were still grappling with the emotional aftermath of the 2016 tragedy. In response to a wave of criticism flooding social media, Mayor Edgar Osorio made the decision to dismantle the contentious “decoration” from the main park.
Mayor Osorio, in explaining the move, acknowledged the varied reactions sparked by the replica and expressed concern for their Brazilian counterparts.
“Given that the installation of a replica of the plane, referring to the tragedy which marked our community for almost 7 years, provoked different reactions on social networks, we took the decision to remove it from the main park. I made the decision thinking of our Brazilian brothers”
The ill-conceived tribute, initially intended to memorialize the events of November 28, 2016, inadvertently became a focal point of controversy in Colombia.
