Comuna 13, Medellín

[1] The neighborhood is associated with street art performances, graffiti, bright colors, tours, and an energetic environment that showcases its resilience.

[2] Comuna 13 was not always a vibrant community, it has faced violence and insecurity with regards to drug trafficking, paramilitaries, and controversial military operations.

[3] It is now a major tourist attraction and a keystone of community tourism in Medellín and has benefitted from investment in infrastructure and social programs.

[5] Houses are painted vibrant colors but often left unfinished for various reasons such as tax loopholes and lack of resources to finish.

Comuna 13's geography has played a role in how criminal actors took advantage of the commune as a strategic location, using elevation to better survey the movement of police and rival groups.

Waves of migrants from people escaping La Violencia, conflict in Antioquia, and rural fighting between revolutionary guerrilla groups and the Colombian government came to form Comuna 13, although they were often discriminated against as invaders.

The neighborhoods in Comuna 13: Las Independencias I, II, III and Nuevos Conquistadores, were built up primarily by immigrants.

[10] Immigrants fleeing conflict were vulnerable to being recruited into criminal activity because many had few skills outside of farming and construction, lacked job opportunities, lived in poorly built houses, and drank unsafe water.

[11] Comuna 13 suffered for years from violence from Narcos, military operations, and the presence of guerrillas and paramilitaries.

[12] The guerilla groups FARC, and the National Liberation Army (ELN) had a presence in the commune, occupying various parts of the neighborhood, and implementing various forms of control.

[15] When paramilitaries took over in Comuna 13, they instilled their own rule of law, taxing shops, banning gatherings, and recruiting teenagers from struggling families.

[17] The people of the neighborhood waved white flags to try and get the operation to stop and they were harassed with the military upholding that the action favored the guerilla militants.

Launched under the newly elected President Álvaro Uribe, it was a two-day military offensive that came on October 16, 2002, and involved the use of helicopters, tanks, and automatic weapons.

With the social urbanism philosophy, which focuses on communities that have been left behind, the city of Medellín was able to rebrand against the violence with which it was previously associated.

[23] In terms of infrastructure, escalators and two MetroCable lines were able to connect the isolated community to the city center with access to the subway network.

[13] Additionally, documenting violence and testimonies on line played a role in the advocacy, along with the staging of sit-ins.

[2] Stands fueled by the flow of tourism line the streets selling art, merchandise, accessories, food, drinks, and clothes.