Colombia is undergoing a turning point in history, reported the German science magazine geo.de. A country that, in the past, has been known for violence, civil wars and drug cartels has, and continues, to change its image to a modern, developed and innovative society.
The transformation started with the assassination of Pablo Escobar in 1994. “Pablo Escobar was so good at being bad,” said Sebastian Benitez, a sophomore from Colombia, majoring in general music studies, “that he established a footprint forever in the country. And that has had repercussions on how people from other countries view us and how we view ourselves.”
Colombia is a different world today, said Benitez, largely due to Álvaro Uribe, a politician who served as president of Colombia from 2002 2010. “He really was into protecting the country and getting rid of old things. And that committed everybody to eradicating civil war and drugs.”
“Things have changed,” said Melisa Tobon, a sophomore majoring in elementary education from Colombia, who was born the same year that Pablo Escobar was killed. “Those things that people talk about—like drugs and war—haven’t touched us. I don’t know what cocaine looks like. I have never come in touch with it.”
Drawing from the example of her home city Medellín, Colombia’s second largest city, Tobon said, “A few years ago [it] was called the ‘innovation city of the world.’ Imagine that from a city were all these drug cartels were. In the last few years they even thought about making Medellín the capital.”
“Medellín is an awesome city,” said Sean McClellan, a senior from Utah majoring in social work, who has traveled throughout South America. “It used to be the most dangerous city in the world. But out of all the places I have been to in South America, they had a lot of technological advances. The metro system is one of the best I have ever seen, a lot better than most of the ones in the United States – and cheaper too. You can drink the water in Medellín straight out of the tap – if this says anything about a place.”
Tobon continued, “It shows the improvement not just with the city, but also with the way people see things. People realize they can make a difference. You can show the world [Colombia] is not what they think it is. It has been an opportunity for the entire country to get together and have a ‘caminata de la paz’ [peace walk].”
Tobon also spoke about how the focus is on being conscious of peace.
“Generations play a big role,” said Benitez. “My generation has the opportunity to go to a lot of countries. We have realized how good and different we are. I learned to love my country, my traditions. The traveling and the expansion have been very productive to Colombia.”
McClellan saw this impact on his travels. “The younger generation is more connected with phones and laptops. Almost everybody there goes to university and graduates. They are definitely fighting the old image of Colombia being dangerous and trying to get a lot more tourism.
“Before going I thought it would be dangerous as well. I was nervous. But most of the backpackers he met in South America told him that Colombia was their favorite. Don’t be afraid to travel there. I loved it. I would go back there in a heartbeat. Food is good there. Lots of pretty girls.”
“’The only risk of going to Colombia is that you want to stay,’” said Tobon, quoting a tourist slogan. “There is no place like Colombia. Not just the country and the food, but the values, how things are still so family like. I’d want my children to grow up in Colombia.”
Reflecting on the change the world is undergoing in general, Cynthia D. Compton, professor of history, said, “What’s happening right now is revolutionary. It’s amazing. The word that you are graduating in is mind boggling.”
The government might not have pointed out the great development, reflected Tobon, because “they want the people to keep aiming higher and higher. There shouldn’t be a limit. So things just keep improving. And so the people see it’s nothing the government or the guerillas have to accomplish, but it’s something every individual can work on.”