Murdered tourists and sex trafficking exposes dark side of Medellin’s tourism boom

A sharp dip in violence in Colombia's second-biggest city has attracted a flood of tourists to Medellin

A tourist rides a bungee jump in the Comuna 13 neighborhood of Medellin, Colombia (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Astrid Sarez
© UK Independent

The lush valley enveloping Medellin was once the heart of a brutal war involving the Colombian government, drug cartels and a smattering of other armed groups.

But a sharp dip in violence in the country’s second-biggest city has attracted a flood of tourists to its vivid colors, busy cafes and booming nightlife. About 1.4 million visited last year, many of them American.