Roundtable: Medellín Escobar Tours and City Identity 

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Sessions

Abstract/Description

From 1972-1993, Medellín, Colombia was one of the world’s most dangerous cities, with a murder rate of 381 per 100,000 residents in a population of 2.1 million in 1991. Pablo Escobar, the international drug lord, ruled Medellín with fear, as his cartel and associated gangs profoundly disrupted the city’s development (Eliasson, 2023). Escobar’s rule, compounded by severe poverty, cemented Medellín's global reputation as “the murder capital of the world,” a stigma that deterred tourism for years (Cardona, 2022).

In the last 20 years, Medellín has undergone significant urban transformation through the implementation of social policies aimed at reducing crime and improving quality of life (Russo, 2020). The home of Pablo Escobar has become a top destination of dark tourism in Medellín, attracting visitors eager to learn about the infamous drug lord’s reign and its impact on the city. Dark tourism refers to the visitation of sites associated with genocide, crime, or incarceration, which often capitalize on the historical trauma of a place (Lennon, 2020). While this fascination with Escobar generates significant revenue for tour companies and the Pablo Escobar Museum, it raises critical questions: Does Dark tourism reinforce Medellín’s identity as a city of drugs, crime, and poverty?

Sub Unit

• Area XIV. Roundtables

Individual Presentations

• Medellín Escobar Tours and City Identity - Isabella Epshtein, University of Massachusetts Boston