Comuna 13, Medellin, Colombia FPV Drone in 4K

COMUNA 13 USED TO BE one of the most dangerous areas in Medellin but community projects and a series of outdoor escalators have helped turn this poor district into one of the most colorful communes in the city.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, Comuna 13 was considered one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world. It was run by violent drug trafficking organizations, who used the poor, sprawling hillside barrio as a transit route in and out of the city, and served as a stronghold for guerrillas, gangs, and paramilitaries. But things began to change in 2002 when President Alvaro Uribe launched Operation Orion, a raid on Comuna 13 spearheaded by 3,000 troops backed by helicopters. It was a brutal and controversial beginning. During the first week of the raid, at least 18 people were killed, 34 wounded and almost 250 arrested in Comuna 13. The neighborhood’s 100,000 residents were caught in the crossfire, resulting in arbitrary detentions, disappearances, and hundreds of injuries.

During the following decade, the government set about improving the hillside commune, redeveloping the brick houses and building community centers but access remained a problem. So, in 2011, the government installed the escaleras electricas, a series of outdoor escalators that extend for 1,260 feet (384 m), connecting parts of the once chaotic and isolated hillside neighborhood to the city below. The escalators gave residents newfound freedom and brought about a total shift in the local mentality. Kids began to play on the streets once again, and local artists felt safe enough to go out and brighten up their neighborhood.

During the following decade, the government set about improving the hillside commune, redeveloping the brick houses and building community centers but access remained a problem. So, in 2011, the government installed the escaleras electricas, a series of outdoor escalators that extend for 1,260 feet (384 m), connecting parts of the once chaotic and isolated hillside neighborhood to the city below. The escalators gave residents newfound freedom and brought about a total shift in the local mentality. Kids began to play on the streets once again, and local artists felt safe enough to go out and brighten up their neighborhood.