The transformation: Day time social life. From the 1970’s through the 1990’s, Medellín was widely referred to as the most dangerous place on earth. The transformation after Escobar’s death was gradual, and Colombia still struggles with civil instability that comes from a government not trusted by all of its citizens and a recent, fragile peace accord with only one of the major guerrilla groups.
Still, Medellín today is a safe, peaceful place to live, work and visit. The climate is close to perfect – its nickname is The City of Eternal Spring. Transportation is easy and the local people – paisas in Colombian dialect – work hard. I’ll forgo tourist attractions here in favor of closer looks at places where paisas spend time when they aren’t at work.
Street Art at Unicentro, February 2020
Street art can make ordinary street corners into free museums you pass through on your way to work. Graffiti makes people angry and depressed, sometimes enough to kill each other. At Unicentro Mall in the Conquistadores neighborhood, one of those was on exhibition.
