During the 1960s, a countercultural movement was established in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. This subculture called itself Kolombia for its love for Colombia and Cumbia, a traditional Latin-American musical rhythm. Beyond music, Kolombians have been distinguished by their unique fashion, hairstyles, and experiences. These forms of expression have been stigmatized as socially unacceptable, in part because Cumbia has been a musical genre historically enjoyed by marginalized groups. Both Cumbia and Kolombians have been associated with conflict, violence, and street gangs, making them targets of discrimination. While a prevailing media narrative suggests the disappearance of this subculture following the Mexican security crisis in the 2000s involving drug cartels’ high-profile violence, Kolombia Regia persists, maintaining a robust presence within and beyond the city. Heterogeneous and dynamic, Kolombian culture has continually reconfigured itself, preserving the legacy of previous generations and ensuring the culture’s future with its capacity for adaptation. This case study will explore how this subculture has resisted different forms of violence and how it has been vindicated over time. It also proposes a series of recommendations for developing culturally sensitive public policies that tackle insecurity in the places that Kolombias reside.
