Colombian street circus feeds people in lockdown

A group of street performers in Bogota are using their show earnings to buy food and prepare soups for impoverished people during the virus lockdown.

"We saw many red lights and decided to give some support with food, something that is a daily need," said Daniel Ceballos, one of the members of Circo Encuentro.

On Saturday three performers from the company walked around poor neighbourhoods in Bogota outskirts, looking for people in need and collecting vegetables.

Later, they dressed up to perform a one-hour show, aiming to warn people about the virus spread and urging them to take care.

After the show, they prepared a sancocho, a Colombian traditional soup based in potato and yuca that they renamed as "bat soup," in reference to the supposed origin of the new coronavirus.

Later the performers handed soup pots to people in the neighbourhood.

The Encuentro Circus started their shows about 11 years ago, and have always staged in the streets, something that they consider the seed of their social work.

The Circus Encuentro members intend to keep delivering food to people in Bogota until the sanitary lockdown finishes.

According to the Johns Hopkins University tally on Saturday, Colombia has recorded more than 109,000 COVID-19 cases and 4,001 related deaths.

(Representative Image)