View of the Medellin Skytrain

More than 20 years after the death of Pablo Escobar, the city of Medellín has been able to reinvent itself thanks to its significant economic growth.

Today Medellín is dynamic and attracts tourists from all over the world. The city is a model of development, in particular thanks to its extensive state-of-the-art public transport network.

Medellin seeks today to show the world who are the real victims of drug trafficking trying to rebuild memory of this sad time.

To the great consternation of its inhabitants, some people still go there to go to the places highlighted by television series such as Narcos or Narcotours, thus improving the image of Pablo Escobar and drug trafficking. The authorities intend to put an end to this grotesque pilgrimage because we must not forget who are the victims of this story and who is the real executioner.

This is how new government initiatives have emerged, including the destruction of the former residence of Pablo Escobar's family, which was located in a luxury neighborhood of Medellín.

It is a symbolic destruction, intended to erase the memory of Pablo Escobar and pay homage to his martyrs. This initiative tells the other side of the history of drug trafficking: that of its victims. The building will thus be replaced by a place destined to pay homage to his memory.

Monaco Building, former residence of the Escobar family, now destroyed

Another great initiative of the authorities was to remove the plane that was at the entrance of Hacienda Napoles because it symbolized drug trafficking. It was indeed the first plane with which Pablo Escobar sent drugs to the United States. This hacienda was at that time the main place of operations of the drug lord.

From now on, the plane has disappeared and the Hacienda Nápoles, transformed into an amusement park, continues to offer its visitors the chance to meet Vanessa, the hippopotamus that represents the park's mascot.

This article was originally written in French