Colombia's Colonial Jewels & the Coffee Triangle
with pre-trip to Bolivia: La Paz & Lake Titicaca
January 31 - February 19, 2019
Part Two, Page Two: Colombia - Medellin
Medellín was once known as the most dangerous city in the world, a result of an urban
war set off by the drug cartels at the end of the 1980s. As the home of the Medellin
Cartel funded
by Pablo Escobar,
the city was a victim of the terror caused by
the war between the organization headed by Escobar, and competing organizations
such as
"El Cartel del Valle." However, after the death of Escobar, crime rates in the city
have decreased dramatically.
In October 2002, President Uribe ordered the military
to carry out "Operation Orion," the objective of which was to disband the urban militias
of the FARC and the AUC. Between 2003 and 2006 the demobilization of the remaining urban
militias
of the AUC was completed, with more than 3,000 armed men giving up their weapons.
Nonetheless after the disbanding of the main paramilitary groups, many members
of such organizations have been known to have reorganized into criminal bands.
However, Medellin's homicide rate has decreased by 95% and extreme poverty by 66%,
thanks in part to a string of innovative mayors who laid out plans to integrate
the poorest and most violent hillside neighborhoods into the city center in the valley below.
Botero Plaza in the center of Medellin with Uribe Palace
of Culture in the background.
The Plaza is located in the
Old Quarter area of Medellin.
Inside the Antioquia Museum at Botero Plaza in Medellin.
The majority of the museum art was donated by Botero,
the world famous artistic figure who was born and grew up in Medellin.
Here is shown Botero's depiction of Pablo Escobar being shot.
Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord. His cartel
supplied an estimated 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the
U.S. at the height of his career, earning him about $1.9 billion
a year in personal income. His estimated net worth by the early 90s
was near $30 billion.
Botero's depiction of Escobar's death on a rooftop. He died
in 1993 in Medellin, shot to death by Colombian government
forces. The last few years of his life he spent trying
to avoid capture.
The Rafael Uribe Palace of Culture is a public building
in Botero Plaza in Medellin that houses cultural programs
such as concerts, conferences, and art exhibitions.
Pat next to Botero sculpture outside the Antiquoia Museum
in Botero Plaza that has numerous sculptures done by Botero.
View of Medellin nearing sunset from my hotel room
At the beginning of the 21st century the city regained industrial dynamism,
with the construction of the Metro commuter rail, liberalized development policies,
improved security, and improved education. In February 2013, the Urban Land Institute
chose Medellín as the most innovative city in the world
due to its recent advances in politics, education and social development.
Looking in another direction from my room in Medellin
We stopped along the road on a drive to Guatape from
Medellin to talk to farm workers harvesting cabbage. This is one
of
the workers.
It is a hard life, as they earn very little.
Our tour leader Diego feeding dogs at a rest stop. We
saw lots of stray dogs, but they were never aggressive.
Colombian boy looking at the tourists at the rest stop.
Diego Parra, our trip leader, and our local Medellin guide
happened to wear the same shirts this day.
We took a boat
tour of Guatape Lake from the town of Guatape, located in the
outskirts
of Medellin. Guatape borders a reservoir created by
the Colombian government
for a hydroelectric dam,
built in the late 1960s.
There are a number of villas on the islands
that surround the lake.
La Manuela, one of Pablo Escobar's former mansions on
Guatape Lake.
In 1993, it was bombed by Los Pepes, a vigilante group whose
name stood for “People Persecuted by Pablo Escobar.” Allegedly
funded by the rival Cali Cartel and other enemies of Escobar,
Los Pepes
stuffed TNT into a bathroom at La Manuela, the
detonation of which blew the house to bits. Police forces
quickly swooped in and seized the drugs and money revealed
by the explosion. The remains of the house are behind the palm
trees in this photo (left side). Escobar was shot and killed
by authorities eight months later in Medellín.
View of the Guatape area while ascending the Penol Rock.
The "Penol Rock" (La piedra del Penol), that borders the lake,
is a rock formation that formed along the Antioquia Rock Base
70 million years ago. Visitors can scale the rock via a staircase built
into one side, a path that includes about 740 steps to the top.
On the flat top of the rock, food vendors offer outdoor tables
overlooking vistas that stretch to the horizon in every direction.
One of the views from the top of Penol Rock.
A home in the town of Guatape, which is a gathering
place for the small farms of the area. It is also a growing
area of recreation for Medillin citizens and a tourist destination.
Guatape is in the Antioquia Department of Colombia.
Each building has tiles along the facade's lower walls in bright
colors. Many of the tiles are tied to the products sold by the shops
or reflect the beliefs of the residents or are cultural images of the
farming heritage of the community.
This home is decorated with sheep
The local artist who does the artistic tile work
(zocalos) on the facades in Guatape.
Church of Our Lady of Carmen in Guatape
along Zocalos Square
Penol Rock
With 2/3 of its height below ground, the exposed vertical
face
is about 700 ft. high and visible from throughout
the
surrounding countryside. In the photo, you can barely see the
stairs that lead up to the top on the left side of the rock.
Three of our group of 14 made the
climb up to see the views (me included).
We were only given about 30 minutes to go up and down.
A dispute between Guatape and the town of El Penol
over whose jurisdiction La Piedra is in led to some
citizens of Guatape to start writing "Guatape" on the
rock. Government authorities stopped this effort, so only
the "G" and part of the "U" were completed.
Back in Medellin - Street art in the
background and a grasshopper planter
in the foreground.
View of Medellin from Comuna 9 neighborhood. The
poorest people live on the hillsides in Medellin. Comuna 9
was once
one of the most dangerous comunas in the city,
with fighting amongst guerrilla, paramilitary, and
criminal elements.
The
neighborhood is coming together and entering into
community wide projects.
We visited this neighborhood.
In Comuna 9. Garbage piling up along steep stairs
leading to numerous homes. It will be picked up.
Community volunteers are going house to house to teach
residents about recycling.
Young girl in the neighborhood
Washing the family dog on the stairs. The dog
patiently waited his fate, then raced off as soon
as they finished.
Parakeet pet of an owner. The owner invited us to come
in and see her modest home, having seen OAT tour groups
walk through the neighborhood before.
Previously she had
had to abandon her home several times due to violence.
A Comuna 9 project, a community garden
Woman with her 2 children in Comuna 9 area
Link to Part Two, Page Three - Coffee Triangle, Colombia
Pat's Home Page