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Colombia’s City On A Hill

NEWSWEEK

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Fajardo remains publicly coy about his presidential ambitions. Yet he is clearly angling for the job. His term expires at the end of the year, and while his former chief of staff will become mayor and continue Fajardo's reforms, Fajardo himself plans to travel across Colombia, mimicking the door-to-door strategy that he used to build a political career out of nothing in Medell?n—and trumpeting the power of his model. "Medell?n has been the most complicated and the most violent city in Colombia," he says, "so if we can do it here, it can happen throughout Colombia."

But doing so will mean reining in a fractious nation. Uribe's approach displaced guerrilla groups but did not eradicate them. The drug trade still thrives nationwide. The country is also struggling to cope with the aftermath of Uribe's demobilization of paramilitary factions. They had a hand in defeating the guerrillas, but they allegedly did so in coordination with military and police officials and government figures. In Medellín, Fajardo used city resources to build one program to reintegrate former paramilitary fighters into society and another devoted to working with victims. These measures are now being replicated in other cities, giving credence to Fajardo's insight that a "firm hand" is only the first step to healing Colombia.

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Posted By: ValeriaM @ 12/01/2007 2:11:03 PM

I was born in Medellin, I live in Medellin... and every day I have the wonderful experiencie of living my new city, enjoing it and being safe while doing it.... Thank you for showing the world the truth about my city, and I invite you to visit this beautiful place.
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Posted By: lmnino @ 11/27/2007 11:46:44 AM

Thank you for describing today's reality in Medellin....I am originally from Medellin but have lived in the United States for about 26 years...from August 2006 to Sept. 2007 I had the wonderful experience of going back to live in Medellin and Llanogrande (part of the extremely beautiful Medellin countryside)....there I relived what I remembered as being the true Medellin...what it use to be when I was growing up there during the late 60's and early 70's, a wonderful city filled with outgoing, kind people...people always ready to help you with a smile. There is still plenty of work to be done, but thanks to Major Fajardo and President Uribe the first stone has been placed to re-construct a city, a country and a society that deserves a chance for a brighter future....Thank you Newsweek for spreading the word, that there is a bright light shining in Medellin.....Mabel
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Posted By: luisnino @ 11/27/2007 11:41:38 AM

I was born in Medellin, I have been living in the US for more than 30 years, I had the opportunity to live some years in Bogota and recently I went back to Medellin to live for 14 months because of my work, I loved it, it changed for the better, the region of Llano grande is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, people are very kind and very educated, the landscape is breath taking, I believe it is worth a visit at least once. GO FOR IT!!