From hell to heaven

Colombia | Anno 2024

 

Wednesday 13 March | Medellín – El Peñol – Guatapé – Cartagena

 

 

Wednesday 13 March | Medellín – El Peñol – Guatapé – Cartagena

Call it investing, call it money laundering – the fact is that the drug lords of Medellín had to put their crime money somewhere. And this has undeniably benefited the city. In terms of financial clout, Medellín easily outshines Bogotá, according to travel guide Gabriel. The city simply looks more prosperous, less run-down, and cleaner. But make no mistake, he quickly adds. Drug trafficking is still thriving, and cocaine use is widespread among the middle and upper classes.

In the late 1980s, Medellín was recorded as one of the most dangerous cities in the world

In the late 1980s, Medellín was recorded as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. This was primarily the life's work of one man, the ruthless Pablo Escobar. In 1976, he had founded the Medellín Cartel, a streamlined criminal organization primarily involved in drug trafficking, though it was also not above kidnapping, murder, and terrorist attacks.

At its peak, the Medellín Cartel supplied about 80% of the world's cocaine. This earned Escobar a staggering $61 million per day. Tax-free. For seven years, he was listed in Forbes' ranking of the 500 richest people in the world.

To this day, fresh flowers can still be found on Pablo Escobar’s grave

It is believed that Escobar was responsible for 8,000 deaths, including 500 police officers. Eight thousand. That's the equivalent of nearly 22 years of one murder per day. Government officials who had to be bribed were given a choice – plata o plomo. Literally, this means silver or lead. Either you cooperated and received bribes (silver), or you didn’t and got a bullet (lead). There was no other option. A brutal version of the carrot and the stick, so to speak.

Yet this despicable figure was popular. At least in some circles. After all, Escobar managed to build himself a Robin Hood reputation by using his drug money to build housing for the poor, construct numerous soccer fields, open a zoo to the public, and more. After a special police unit killed the 44-year-old drug lord on 2 December 1993, 25,000 grieving fans showed up for his funeral. And to this day, fresh flowers can still be found on his grave.

The distinctive design of the Centro Coltejer reminds us of the important role that textiles have always played in the city's economy

Medellín – Centro Coltejer (background)

Whatever the case may be, Medellín no longer even ranks in the top 50 of the most dangerous cities in the world. Cartagena, however, the seemingly idyllic spot on the Caribbean Sea where we will land tomorrow, did make the list in 2022, along with five other Colombian cities, including Cali. So, calling all of Colombia safe is still a bit premature.

Nevertheless, since that infamous period, Medellín's murder rate has spectacularly dropped by 95%, and extreme poverty has decreased by 66%. This is mainly due to a series of mayors who have succeeded in better connecting the poorest and most violent neighbourhoods on the hillsides with the city below.

The poorer part of the 2.7 million inhabitants have had to seek refuge in the favelas

He was born and raised in this once-violent city and will soon bewilder us with stories from his youth

Medellín is located in the Aburrá Valley, squeezed between mountains that rise up to three thousand meters high. Although the valley floor is eight to ten kilometres wide, only wealthier citizens can afford a place there. The poorer part of the 2.7 million inhabitants have had to seek refuge in the favelas, the grim patches you see everywhere on the less accessible slopes. There, they often live in precarious conditions.

Our hotel turns out to be in El Poblado, the 14th of the 16 comunas into which Medellín is divided, about five kilometres outside the city centre. This is also the area where, in 1616, a small indigenous village, a poblado, called San Lorenzo de Aburrá, was established. But it wasn’t until 1675 that the colonial city of Medellín was founded. However, there is little or nothing left to see from that early Spanish period, while the signs of modern prosperity are much more evident. El Poblado is one of the wealthiest comunas in the city.

Shortly after eight, Ferney takes us by bus to the city centre. He was born and raised in this once-violent city and will soon bewilder us with stories from his youth. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the temperature is very pleasant. It seems that today the city will fully live up to its nickname: Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera, the City of Eternal Spring.

Still, Botero always maintained that depicting fat people was never his intention

Plaza Botero – Adam and Eve (Adán y Eva)

Close to the city centre, we drive past Parque San Antonio. Under the trees, there are two identical bronze sculptures of a bird, called El Pájaro. They are perhaps the most poignant sculptures Fernando Botero ever created. However, they aren’t completely identical. One of the birds is heavily damaged, with a large hole in its belly.

There was a large crowd present that fateful evening of 10 June 1995, in that square. A market with around fifty stalls was in full swing when a dynamite charge of 10 kilograms exploded right at the foot of the statue that Botero had named the Bird of Peace. The toll: 23 dead and around two hundred injured.

We still don’t know who was responsible. Pablo Escobar, the usual suspect, had already been dead for two years. Perhaps it was an act of revenge. The day before, the police had captured Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, one of the leaders of the rival Cali cartel. Remarkably, they found him hiding inside the hollow wall of a house.

 

Plaza Botero – Sphinx (Esfinge)

Botero was not the kind of man to accept that. The damaged bird had to remain where it stood, he insisted. And in 2000, he delivered a second, identical copy. Now they stand there side by side, as a quiet and lasting protest against narcoterrorism.

If you want to see Botero’s paintings, you need to go to Bogotá, but if you want to see his sculptures, you have to visit his hometown of Medellín. In both cases, he donated a whole series of artworks to the city, under one condition – the artworks must be permanently and freely accessible to the public.

In Medellín, they have found a fitting way to fulfil that condition. The sculptures are displayed outdoors, in the heart of the city, in a square that fittingly received the name Plaza Botero. In the background, the Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe rises, a surprising neo-Gothic structure designed by the Belgian architect Augustin Goovaerts.

 

Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe

Dressed man (Hombre vestido)

Further on, a building seems to point toward the sky like a delicate needle. That’s the Centro Coltejer. At 175 meters, it was the tallest building in the city when it was completed in 1972. Its distinctive design reminds us of the important role that textiles have always played in the city's economy.

But of course, it's Botero's sculptures that have drawn us to this place. There are twenty-three of them, scattered throughout the entire square. And you recognize them immediately, those plump figures with their round bodies, their bloated forms, and their naive, childlike expressions. These exaggerations and that playfulness often have a comic effect.

Still, Botero always maintained that depicting fat people was never his intention. His aim was to explore volume, to play with the size of body parts to represent their relative importance. That’s why we see the oversized heads, the too-small breasts, the tight-lipped mouths, and the small hands and feet. This is something we can clearly observe, for example, in The Dressed Man.

They appear to be resting, these voluptuous women with their softly rounded shapes. But they are not at rest

Woman leaning back (Mujer reclinada)		Woman with a Mirror (Mujer con espejo)
Woman with Fruit (Mujer con fruta)		Sphinx (Esfinge)

The sensuality of form also fascinated him. This is evident in countless female nudes. They appear to be resting, these voluptuous women with their appealing curved volumes and softly rounded shapes. But they are not at rest. The Woman with a Mirror makes a flirtatious gesture with her long hair, while the Woman with Fruit suggests movement with her raised, crossed legs and the fruit in her right hand.

Even Europe makes a sensual gesture when she is abducted. The Abduction of Europe is a well-known mythological theme. The supreme god Zeus transformed himself into a bull to approach and abduct this Phoenician princess. Do we see a knowing smile on the sly bull’s mouth, proud that his trick has worked?

Not all sculptures are as easily understood in their imagery. Take, for example, The Roman Soldier. What we see is a robust, naked man wearing only a helmet, carrying a spear, and holding a small round shield. Such primitive equipment, inspired by the Greek hoplites, was worn by Roman soldiers in ancient times when Rome was little more than a farming village. Why don’t we see a renowned legionnaire from the imperial era here, a well-armed soldier who conquered half the world in the name of Rome?

Such primitive equipment, inspired by the Greek hoplites, was worn by Roman soldiers in ancient times when Rome was little more than a farming village

Abduction of Europe (Rapto de Europa)

Roman soldier (Soldado Romano)

Another such mystery is the Walking Man. For this, Botero was inspired by L'Homme qui Marche by Auguste Rodin. A heavyset naked man is walking. Nothing special, you might think. But he’s not walking on a path, he’s walking on… a small, equally plump man lying on his stomach on the ground. Is this suggesting tyranny? A dictator oppressing the little man?

Thought is the title of this artwork. What kind of thought is that?

Walking Man (Hombre caminante)

Thought (Pensamiento)

Finally, it is quite strange to see a plump, naked woman standing, not on a pedestal, but on the head of a man. A head that is about twice the size of hers. Thought is the title of this artwork. What kind of thought is that? Is this woman permanently in the head of that man? Is it suggested that her thinking is superior to his? Or is the history of art being criticized for having focused for so long on the female figure?

However, positive initiatives can also emerge from Medellín's heavily burdened past. One of the places where this has happened is Comuna 13

It shouldn’t really surprise us that cunning entrepreneurs have managed to profit from Escobar's monstrous legacy – much to the discontent of the average Colombian. You can book a Real Escobar Tour and be taken for half a day to places associated with the drug lord – his luxurious office, the building where he was killed while fleeing across the rooftops, his grave. This can even be done in the company of Roberto Escobar, the brother of the bloodthirsty criminal. True diehards can even visit the theme park built around his Hacienda Nápoles, the place four hours from Medellín where he kept his famous giraffes and hippos.

However, positive initiatives can also emerge from Medellín's heavily burdened past. One of the places where this has happened is San Javier, better known as Comuna 13. It has become a tourist hotspot, a must-see with everything included – shops, souvenir stores, bars, restaurants... In short, it seems like a tourist trap. But it is not.

On the way, we pass the Parque de las Luces. Once, this was the city’s main indoor market. Now it has become a very strange affair, with countless poles pointing skyward like needles. These are light poles, Gabriel explains, eighteen meters high and three hundred in total. This project was completed in 2005. The poles symbolize the concept Medellín es luz – Medellín is light, a slogan with which the city wants to distance itself from its dark past. But you only notice this in the evening, when twilight falls and the artificial forest casts its bright glow over the surroundings.

Many of them were dumped in La Escombrera, which some call the largest mass grave in South America

Hundreds of missing

As we approach Comuna 13, the road begins to rise sharply. From a wall, dozens of faces stare back at us. These are photographs of people who are still missing. How many are missing in total is anyone’s guess. It is suspected that many of them were dumped in La Escombrera, which some call the largest mass grave in South America. Construction debris is continuously dumped there, making forensic excavations nearly impossible. Attempts were made in 2015 and again in November 2022, but so far, without tangible results.

Let there be no misunderstanding, Gabriel emphasizes, as Ferney parks his bus on Carrera 109. No matter how peaceful this area may seem, not so long ago, it was pure hell.

Even as a child, he was an expert at finding a hiding place as soon as the shootings began again

Our driver Ferney can attest to that. He was born here and spent his youth in this neighbourhood. Even as a child, he claims he was an expert at finding a hiding place as soon as the shootings began again. Often these were places we wouldn't even think of. For example, he points to the high curbs in this street. Lying in the gutter, you could find some degree of protection there. At such moments, women would quickly gather all the children from the street, whether they were their own or not.

Ferney's older brother was less fortunate. He was shot dead here on the street at four o'clock in the morning. And Ferney's father, in desperation, sold his little house for... a handful of eggs. Getting out of this neighbourhood was the only thing that mattered to him.

In such a situation, try looking for work five kilometres further down the city

Comuna 13

Where we are standing, it doesn’t seem to be too bad. The streets are not too narrow, and the slopes are not too steep. But further on, the slopes of the Andes are so steep that it looks like the houses are stacked on top of each other. Aside from the lack of electricity and clean water, this is one of the major problems. Because public transport cannot possibly penetrate these high-altitude barrios. In such a situation, try looking for work five kilometres further down the city. Or sending the children to school. Or going to a hospital.

 

Comuna 13

Gradually, a part of a solution has been found by expanding the Metrocable, a system of gondola lifts. Line J, for example, connects the elevated La Aurora with San Javier in the lower city. The gondolas are not populated by tourists, as is often the case elsewhere, but by local commuters on their way to work. They are happy to wait up to 45 minutes for a gondola during peak hours.

Now then, what was actually going on in this municipality? It was precisely the limited accessibility and the steep slopes that made Comuna 13 a strategic location for guerrilla groups. In the maze of houses and alleys they could easily hide, while from this high vantage point they kept a close eye on the movements of the police and paramilitaries. Groups such as the FARC and ELN took advantage of this situation. They began to establish themselves here starting in 1985. Some sources report that there were 20,000 guerrilleros hiding in the municipality at the height of the conflict, although that seems quite high for a total population of only 160,000.

Ultimately, a real urban war broke out, lasting from 2001 to 2003

Carrera 109

It’s easy to guess that the police and the paramilitary groups established by landowners viewed this evolution with dismay. Starting in 1997, paramilitaries began to settle in higher areas such as Altavista and San Antonio de Prado. Ultimately, a real urban war broke out, lasting from 2001 to 2003. Below, the police and military were stationed, while the paramilitaries occupied the mountains. Sandwiched between the two were the guerrilla militias and the civilian population.

The favela became a battlefield, and complete chaos reigned. Paramilitaries spread terror, often not even knowing who the enemy was, leading to them shooting each other. Innocent civilians frequently became victims as well. However, while the police and military struggled to navigate the narrow streets and steep stairs, the guerrilleros moved through them like fish in water.

Two AH-60-L Arpía helicopters opened fire from the air on suspected locations

 

Then the authorities resorted to heavy measures. No fewer than 17 operations were launched to deliver the final blow to the guerrilleros. By far the most notorious of these was Operación Orión on 16 and 17 October 2002. This time, the military was also involved. Tanks were stationed below, and two AH-60-L Arpía helicopters opened fire from the air on suspected locations while soldiers with automatic weapons advanced through the alleys. These attack helicopters, modelled after the American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, were developed by the Colombian Air Force with assistance from Israel.

It goes without saying that in such circumstances, the civilian population pays the price. Even in their humble huts, the civilians were not safe, as bullets easily pierced the wooden walls. One of the iconic victims is a young boy who was shot in the head while on the roof.

Gradually, the local community has managed to push the paramilitaries out and take back control of their neighbourhood

 

But the end result of Operación Orión was positive – if we are to believe the government. The guerrilleros were driven out. A period of silent terror now set in in Comuna 13, with paramilitaries wielding power. Kidnappings, disappearances, torture, and extortion became everyday occurrences.

Dance is more than just movement, it is a transformative way of life

Skill Flavour

It is half-past nine when we step towards Comuna 13. The fact that we can do this in a safe and even breezy atmosphere, despite the hallucinatory and very recent events, is entirely thanks to the local community. Gradually, they have managed to push the paramilitaries out and take back control of their neighbourhood. They have reclaimed the war zone and created a new image. From hell to heaven, so to speak. Resilience and recovery are the key words here.

 

 

It feels like we are walking up Carrera 109 through a carnival-like atmosphere; it’s such a lively and colourful affair. You might call it a commercial endeavour – and it is – but they have succeeded brilliantly in breathing new life into their community.

With an intense colour palette, they try to enliven the environment and forget the suffering. This is evident in the many often metaphorical murals. But it can also be expressed through music and dance. That is at least the opinion of Skill Flavour, a group of six talented dancers who welcome us with a combination of rap and breakdance. Our resilience has blossomed despite our hardships, they state. And dance is more than just movement, they add – it is a transformative way of life.

 

 

Via Carrera 110, we continue to ascend until we somewhat surprisingly come across an escalator. It turns out to be a series of six escaleras eléctricas that allow us to penetrate deeper into Comuna 13, taking us higher and higher. Just like the gondolas of the Metrocable, this is an initiative by the municipal government to help open up the neighbourhood. Without these escalators, very few tourists would have the courage to tackle these steep slopes.

 

Comuna 13

With its social urbanism, Medellín has gained international fame – there's even talk of a Medellín Miracle. The core of this concept is to address issues of violence, social segregation, and urban inequality by building a social infrastructure that opens up poorer neighbourhoods and provides better access to education, healthcare, and employment.

 

 

Unfortunately, the third escalator turns out to be broken. No worries; someone changes the direction of the descending escalator so we can still go up. Everywhere there are small shops, bars, and eateries; everywhere there is colour, music, and light. It feels like a celebration.

 

The hummingbird looks suspiciously like a helicopter, while the beetle resembles a tank with a gun turret

Allegory of the beetle and the hummingbird

But the murals keep us focused. A particularly poignant depiction is of a hummingbird and a beetle. The hummingbird looks suspiciously like a helicopter, while the beetle resembles a tank with a gun turret. The reference to Operación Orión is unmistakable.

 

The sparkle of money

Defenceless victim of Operación Orión

Even the eye that looks down on Comuna 13, with the sparkle of money in between, makes an impression. Take the money away, Gabriel explains, and the fighting stops. A painting of a sorrowful-looking boy serves as a reminder of the defenceless child who was shot in the head.

 

Cannabis beer

At the very top, we get a fantastic view of the city, with the shabby houses on the hillside and the skyscrapers in the city centre. For the time being, the city seems to be free from urban smog.

 

With its social urbanism, Medellín has gained international fame – there's even talk of a Medellín Miracle

Medellín

Just before eleven, we are back at the bus. As if to emphasize the challenges of mobility in these narrow, sloping streets, Ferney takes a full fifteen minutes to manoeuver his bus around the parked cars in a right-angle turn.

 

Chiva

We head east now, leaving Medellín behind us. It takes just under two hours before we catch a glimpse of La Piedra del Peñol in the distance, the Rock of El Peñol, a massive rock that rises 220 meters above the surrounding area.

No, that’s not correct, they say in Guatapé. This rock is not on the territory of El Peñol; it is on our territory and is therefore called El Peñón de Guatapé, the Rock of Guatapé. If that’s the only thing you need to worry about, then it’s not too bad, people must be thinking in Comuna 13.

In any case, it is a colossal structure that juts out from the ground. The comparison to the Rock of Gibraltar is tempting, but that is incorrect. The Rock of Gibraltar is made of limestone and is gradually being eroded by rainwater. What we are looking at now is a granite rock that plans to withstand erosion for many thousands of years to come. Just like, for example, Half Dome in Yosemite National Park in California and Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro.

Geologists believe La Piedra emerged 70 to 65 million years ago

La Piedra del Peñol…

… or El Peñón de Guatapé

What we know about granite is that this rock forms deep underground. It begins with a magma chamber in a place where the Earth's crust is not too thick. As the top of this magma chamber cools slowly, granite can form there – provided the right minerals are present, particularly silica and alkaline metal oxides. If plate tectonics then come into play, this granite can be pushed to the surface and emerge as a rock. Geologists believe this last process occurred here 70 to 65 million years ago, just before the time when dinosaurs and the vast majority of ammonites disappeared from the Earth.

We will explore all of this after lunch. First, we will treat ourselves to one of the most typical Colombian dishes, namely bandeja paisa. This is a real challenge for the stomach, featuring ground meat, sausages, a pork rind, a fried egg, and an avocado. Add a portion of rice, an arepa or corn cake, and the obligatory brown beans, and you won't know where to look.

In this hilly landscape, the artificial lake creates an enchanting scene with countless islands and inlets

Embalsa Peñol-Guatapé

We will not climb La Piedra all the way to the top. There's no need, as Ferney brings us to a parking area about halfway up the rock via some hairpin turns. For the remaining 115 meters, you can take the staircase that zigzags up the steep rock face – reportedly 708 steps.

Alternatively, you could be an experienced climber and use climbing ropes and carabiners. The first person to do that was a certain Luis Eduardo Villegas López in 1954. To our surprise, Gabriel also claims to have conquered the rock in that way, back in his younger days, as they say.

Regardless, that's not our cup of tea. Moreover, from this height, you already have a phenomenal view of the surroundings. We are looking down at the Embalsa Peñol-Guatapé, an artificial lake created by damming the Río Nare. In this hilly landscape, it creates an enchanting scene with countless islands and inlets. The sun is shining in the sky the whole time. It is even quite warm in the sun, even though we are more than two thousand meters above sea level.

Due to the ongoing drought, the water level is extremely low, at least ten meters below normal

Embalsa Peñol-Guatapé

Black vulture on its nest

Gabriel tempers our enthusiasm, though. Due to the ongoing drought, the water level is extremely low – at least ten meters below normal. He says he’s never seen it this bad before. There's no doubt about the cause of this dramatic decline. El Niño is unanimously blamed as the main culprit. Every few years, this weather phenomenon causes significant warming of water in the equatorial Pacific that is normally relatively cool. Countries like Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia suffer the most from its effects. Additionally, we are currently in the dry season. In April, the rains should come and, hopefully, bring some relief. But, as Gabriel sighs, the climate is so unpredictable these days.

For years, they have been working to bring back to life the heritage that was taken from them

Guatapé – Plazoleta del Zόcalo

In Guatapé, even after more than forty years, the memory of how the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir submerged the old neighbourhood of La Aldea remains vivid. For years, they have been working to bring back to life the heritage that was taken from them. This is immediately apparent as Gabriel leads us under the vibrant umbrellas of the Calle de los Paraguas to the Plazoleta del Zócalo. A dazzling array of colours bursts from the walls, with every corner radiating light and vivid hues. Everything here seems alive with colour and brightness.

 

Fuente de la Calle del Recuerdo

But the most striking feature are the hip-high bas-reliefs that cover the lower part of the façades of the traditional houses. Like a protective plinth, such a zόcalo de fachada covers the entire width of the house. And that seems to have been exactly the intention when the first façade plinths appeared at the beginning of the 20th century – to protect the walls from moisture, as well as from free-roaming animals.

Later, aesthetic considerations were added. And eventually commercial considerations too, because tourists seem to be keen on the atmosphere that the historic city centre now exudes. They are usually primitive representations of daily activities or of the craft that is practiced behind that façade – a baker, two priests, a man with a horse, children playing. We even spotted a copy of Botero’s Monalisa.

 

To protect the walls from moisture, as well as from free-roaming animals, that was the intention

Houses with protective plinth (zόcalo de fachada)

As the name suggests, the Calle del Recuerdo – the Street of Remembrance – is entirely designed to evoke the past. This picturesque pedestrian street is modeled after the Calle del Arriero, which was once the main street of Guatapé. At the entrance, we find a colourful stone fountain, with a small waterfall cascading down three levels at its centre. Surrounding it are four men wearing straw hats, each holding a water hose.

 

Façade plinth

Three-wheeled motochivas compete with each other in the most vibrant colours. The bodywork is adorned with a variety of themes – geometric patterns, small landscapes – and there is always a religious element, such as an image of the Virgin Mary. These vehicles bear little resemblance to the tuktuks of Southeast Asia. In fact, they are more like small buses, complete with a roof rack and a little ladder to climb up top.

 

Motochiva

Just two more weeks, and Semana Santa, Holy Week, begins. At the Parroquia Nuestra Señora Del Carmen in Guatapé, they are ready. Blue and purple cloths decorate the pillars, and we recognize quotes from the fourteen works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned... though that last one sounds somewhat cynical in the Colombian context.

 

Parroquia Nuestra Señora Del Carmen Guatapé

Ready for Semana Santa

At a quarter past four, we start our journey back to Medellín, not to spend the night there, but to leave the city behind for good. We wait for about four hours at Aeropuerto Internacional José María Córdova, and at 10:45 pm, we finally take off.

 

Saffron finch

Great kiskadee

As we watch the lights below grow smaller, we feel a mix of emotions. What has happened here in the recent past is nothing short of a miracle, a transformation that offers hope and a brighter future. But how representative is that of the larger population of Medellín and, by extension, of Colombia? And how precarious is the new balance they have found?

As we watch the lights below grow smaller, we feel a mix of emotions

Barely 45 minutes later, we land at Aeropuerto Internacional Rafael Núñez in Cartagena. It’s still warm, a bit humid even. Just after midnight, we set off, not in a large bus but in two small ones. To the right, in the dark of night, we vaguely sense the gentle waves of the Caribbean Sea. Then a tiny gate appears in the city wall, barely large enough for our buses. We quickly realize that a large bus wouldn’t fit here, signalling the authentic historical charm that Cartagena holds.

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Jaak Palmans
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