Entering Comuna 13, the past is still present; you see bullets inside the wall, graffiti describing the history, and museums telling you the story of their neighborhood. It is a cruel and terrifying story:
From the 1980s to the early 2000s, Comuna 13 was one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world, plagued by violence from drug trafficking organizations, guerrillas, gangs, and paramilitaries. The Colombian government launched Operation Orion in 2002 in an attempt to regain control of the area, but the operation resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians and further traumatized the community. Despite its dark past, Comuna 13 has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, becoming a vibrant hub of art, music, and culture.
This graffiti shows the evil peak of Operation Orion: On October 16, 2002, a large-scale military offensive aimed at removing left-wing guerrilla groups from Comuna 13.
The operation involved more than 1,000 soldiers and police officers, who were supported by helicopters and armored vehicles. Even though the US Army never officially stated that they had been involved, this graffiti shows a Black Hawk (represented by a hummingbird, the bird of Comuna 13) used to get the soldiers into the area. The local museum told us about 3 Black Hawks during the days from October 16 until 18. After three days of fights, it was officially over, and the army took over control.
This graffiti shows the date (16.10.2002) and the number of officially killed people (103) on the two dice in the left hand.
“Officially” as unofficially, many people are still missing. It seems that many people used the chance to flee; others might have been “unofficially” arrested. All these are rumors, and I am not able to validate what is right; it is fictional, but talking to the locals, you can still feel the scars and the nightmares about this period.
The reason why Comuna 13 became a hot spot for crime is one of the black spots of Colombia: the Medellin cartel led by Pablo Escobar settled down in Comuna 13 as it was on the highway into Medellin, and therefore, they were able to control the whole stream of goods into the city, mainly drugs, and weapons. Due to the nature of the Comuna, Pablo felt safe there from attackers outside of his organization. And as people had nothing to lose, it was easy for him to recruit new soldiers for his cartel.
When Pablo Escobar died in 1993, small groups tried to gain control of Comuna 13, which led then finally to the reputation of being the most dangerous neighborhood in the world. As Pablo Escobar was very paranoid, he never told anyone about his business, and therefore, no one was able to take over the cartel. The Medellin cartel died with him…
After Comuna 13 was cleaned and less dangerous, the government tried to get life into the area. One problem was that no one could get a regular job as the walk down to the city was too steep and challenging, and no one could walk this for a daily job. To help the people, the town installed six escalators into the height. And believe it or not, that changed everything. People have been able to get to work, and the whole area has changed to the vibrant hub of art and music I mentioned in the beginning.
Comuna 13, for tourists, is mainly one main street, with the six escalators, some stairs, and many shops, graffiti, restaurants, bars, clubs, and areas for sport (I saw bungee jumping and a Ferries Wheel). I was walking around with my eyes and mouth open as I could not believe what I saw. People dance and sing, eat, offer a personal picture of you, or a drink to celebrate the good life. I was really loud, even if people were also living there. But my guide said they love the noise, as it is 1000 times better than the bullets they had to hear for 20 years.
A central part of the Comuna 13 is the graffiti. There are tons of them, all with a meaning and a story behind them.
I recommend visiting Comuna 13 and listening to the stories of the locals, getting a coffee and something to eat, listening to some singers, and giving them some dollar tips. It’s worth it!
Final words about Escobar and the whole story about the Medellin Cartel: It’s a massive story with many side stories, too much to talk about here. I can recommend reading a book about it. The Netflix series “Narcos” is, by the way, the American way to tell the story. Several websites highlight the differences between the series and the real story.
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