It's impossible not to include a visit to Medellin in my 3-week itinerary in Colombia . But what is there to see in Medellin ? A favela, a working-class neighborhood, an iconic landmark, a place that has become a model… yes, it's the Comuna 13 neighborhood that we're going to explore, and without taking any risks since it's safe today!

Dangerous Medellin?

Yes, it's fair to say that during the 80s and 90s, Medellín was considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world due to its extremely high rates of homicides, violence, kidnappings, and disappearances. It was the territory of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel. The police and politicians were corrupt and left all the power to the drug and arms traffickers.

For the past twenty years, the cartel has been dissolved and the city has been undergoing a profound transformation. To illustrate this renewal, our guide Ludovic explained the history of Comuna 13 and its remarkable and astonishing transformation (see below).

Despite everything, there are still dangerous neighborhoods in Medellin and areas of lawlessness and violence, still in the grip of drug traffickers, armed groups and ELN activists.

The violent and dangerous Comuna 13

In the 90s, La Comuna 13 (one of the neighborhoods in the hills of Medellin) faced daily violence, murders, and kidnappings orchestrated in turn by the FARC (an extreme left-wing group), drug cartels, local militias, and paramilitaries (an extreme right-wing group). They all wanted power and territory, especially after the death of Pablo Escobar.

The far-right armed factions of the AUC (the main Colombian paramilitary group) will lead a guerrilla war to retake Comuna 13 from the FARC and the ELN which controlled this area (trafficking in arms and cocaine).

On October 16, 2002, the Colombian military launched Operation Orion to eliminate the last far-left rebels in the area. For nearly three days, more than 1000 soldiers and police officers, with helicopters and armored vehicles, "cleaned up" Comuna 13 in a bloody and horrific operation. The toll was disastrous: 11 dead (according to official figures), more than 200 wounded, and several hundred missing.

Transformation of Comuna 13

Since then, the Colombian government has participated in the transformation of this favela into a quiet, tourist-friendly neighborhood . It has notably helped with roof reconstruction, created a free library for everyone… but what has truly allowed the residents of this favela to be reborn is the installation of an escalator and the provision of public transportation, which connects the neighborhood to the city.

Little by little, with access to transport (return to work), the education of the youngest, easier access to culture, the development of art including graffiti, the inhabitants of this favela have come out of violence and illegality.

Today, the residents of Comuna 13 are proud of the progress their neighborhood has made, and they are experiencing a true renaissance. They are courageous and are moving forward to develop tourism thanks to the numerous graffiti murals that are turning the "trece" into a veritable art gallery.

And the other districts of Medellin?

Comuna 13 is the example to follow… Indeed, unfortunately there are still 2 or 3 neighborhoods perched on the hills of Medellin where a regime of terror still reigns and where drugs and weapons make the laws.

How to visit Comuna 13?

Visit Comuna 13 for yourself

From El Poblado, take the metro to San Antonio. In San Antonio, take the metro to San Javier. In San Javier, it is enough to walk 10 minutes towards the escalators.

Then by taking these famous escalators, you stop where you want in Comuna 13 or you go up to the top to have a superb view of Medellin.

Visit Comuna 13 with a guide

That's what we did. And that's really what I recommend to know everything about the history of this district, the symbolism of graffiti, the current situation ...

Here are the contact details for our guide, Ludovic BERTEL : His WhatsApp: +57 3113296127 – Agency email: info@lechappee-colombie.fr Website: https://www.lechappee-colombie.fr/

But a visit to Medellin is not limited to discovering Comuna 13.

We also visited the center on the same day:

What to see in Medellin? The historic center