65 people murdered during Medellin's flower festival

ratbag says on Aug 14, 2009, 16:59:

don't worry stay in poblado for a weekend and then go home raving about how 'safe' colombia is

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turnmeon (☼Travelguide writer) says on Aug 14, 2009, 17:02:

Pappassito (☼Travelguide writer) says on Aug 14, 2009, 17:21:

RobMiami says on Aug 14, 2009, 17:45:

How could it have happened 4 times??? Why didn't the cops try to stop it after the first time?

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poco says on Aug 14, 2009, 18:10:

Hey !!!! I'd made a comment,, wtf? I'm sure it was on subject,, Think I said: 90 percent probably had it coming ???

The other post had a link ??? What kind of PBH crap is going on now ?

Someone mentined surfing PBH,, Snow sking is more like it,, hey man,, it's like,, you know,, going downhill.

This is nuts,,

Colombian Chickens are crowing about the new President of the U.S. who will assure that From each according to their ability to each according to their need.

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cableboy says on Aug 14, 2009, 20:23:

Context would be important.

In March, 81 people were killed in Medellin or 27 people every 10 days (http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo354/Darloup/stats2009-03.jpg)

By my clock, the feria ran 10 days (two weekends). 65 people were killed.

So more than double. Upsetting but not particularly shocking for an event that brought so many people together in close quarters. Similar thing happens to Carnival in Brazil.

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 14, 2009, 20:41:

Even at a rate of 3 a day, that would bring the total for the year to about 1000 and the actual totals are far less than that. That's nothing compared to the good old days when there were over 6000 killings a year, almost 20 a day. Back then you needed some cojones to visit the city.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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whitewidow says on Aug 14, 2009, 21:10:

who gives a rats ass?

no offense rikito....

I'm no doper! I just play one on TV.

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BillBigD says on Aug 14, 2009, 21:23:

Trying to compare the flower festival to Rio's carnival doesn't make alot of sense. Crowds are much larger

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christobeldawg says on Aug 14, 2009, 21:38:

I hear that this is the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, the ultimate flower festival, and I have not heard of any murders there, but there were allegedly some births.

traveling hopefully is always better than arriving

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whitewidow says on Aug 14, 2009, 21:47:

adriaan couldn't count to 40 on a drunk, pill binge night/week.......... how the fuck would he know? go make cheese dutch boy....

I'm no doper! I just play one on TV.

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kramer says on Aug 14, 2009, 22:18:

I attended church last Saturday evening here in Medellin. The father of one of those murdered, one of the 65, spoke of his anguish during the service.

My girlfriend knows the family and many of their friends and also attended the funeral. The young man who was killed, about 21 years old, was a good person going to university, not involved in crime in any way. He had a large number of siblings, and at least one of them was involved in a gang. Anyway, the unfortunate guy was getting his motorcycle repaired in the other part of the barrio, the only local place he knew to get it done, where the gangs have said they can't come (even if you are not involved, you cannot cross a certain boundary of the barrio for fear of your safety). When he went to pick up his repaired motorcycle, he was murdered.

Anyway that is just one story of a person who was murdered in Medellin who didn't have it coming.

Kramer

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whitewidow says on Aug 14, 2009, 22:35:

huh? where? cual barrio?

I'm no doper! I just play one on TV.

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El Expatriado says on Aug 15, 2009, 05:06:

So much for Hippy Flower-Power.

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Rikito says on Aug 15, 2009, 09:14:

Robert Scorpio, you are such a dick. This is not spam you moron. I have been on PBH since 2004. Look at my profile you idiot and then look at yours. Ooooppsss you don't have one WOW I wonder why. Are you another secret spy guy from Afyland who has the character of a mouse and refuses to let people know what you really are. Go somewhere else and make things up.

I was responding to someone else that I had a disagreement with. He was rigfht and I was wrong and admitted my mistake and was correcting myself.

The only spam you know about is the spam on your right hand. And please tell us oh travelled one, how many times have you been to Colombia? 0 maybe?

...and so it goes

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Pappassito (☼Travelguide writer) says on Aug 15, 2009, 11:06:

ratbag says on Aug 15, 2009, 11:12:

I'm with Rikito, he's just reporting the facts..why insult him. friggin lousy...

good post Rikikito. If you're up for a beer I'll be at Hooters soon.

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Gustavo79 says on Aug 15, 2009, 12:00:

Hey guys I just came back from Colombia a few weeks ago, I was in Medellin for 2 weeks. The trip went very well accept for One night my friend and I went to KARMA night club in a Sunday night this was on July 12th 2009, a fight broke out with some 20's aged guys, there was like 6 or 7 guys involved in the fight, i was watching the flight from like 20 feet away. The guys really did not know how to fight nobody was landing any good shots, one guy tried to soccer kick another guy that fell on the floor and he ended up wipping out and missing him..then one guy walked half way down the stairs from the VIP SHOT 2 warning shots , everyone hit the floor, then he just stood on the stairs and took aim, and shot 2 guys, 1 was dead forsure he dropped so fast blood everywhere, the other guy was able to get out.
club KARMA is not that far away from LLERAS park. Cost me like 3 bucks to get there from the Dann Carlton Hotel which is in Zona Rosa. I knew the place was a bit shady by the way they guards frisked me, they did a half ass job and i did not like the way the guys were dressed, a little on the thug life side, the girls looked amazing thou. But over all i had an great trip, Im not letting a thing like that ruin my whole trip. On the flip side I have friends that have lived in Medellin for the last 12 years and they have never seen anything like that, so may be it was bad luck.

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kramer says on Aug 16, 2009, 00:41:

The barrio where the murder that I mentioned took place in San Javier, I believe.

Kramer

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bam m says on Aug 16, 2009, 01:45:

so what ?

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Rikito says on Aug 16, 2009, 08:07:

bam m....another useless bag of crap.

I know this has been discussed at lenght before, but why can't the PBH management filter this kind of stuff. This particular person (if a person) has no profile and has nothing to say. Nothing.

...and so it goes

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 16, 2009, 10:20:

"On the flip side I have friends that have lived in Medellin for the last 12 years and they have never seen anything like that, so may be it was bad luck."

All I can say is, your friends must not be getting out much.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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ratbag says on Aug 16, 2009, 14:24:

just another person that comes to medellin stays in poblado and then goe son about how safe it is...

go walking int he barrios or centro at night by urself then u have the right to call it safe

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kramer says on Aug 16, 2009, 15:24:

I have been in Medellin a little over a month. On my first night in my new place, I walked my girlfriend home along Calle 33 (busy street) in Laureles, 9:00 at night on a Friday. Lots of people out and estrato 5 area, very very nice. We were shocked when two guys stopped their car 10 meters in front of us, and one guy got out with a knife, this was in a part of Calle 33 that is not as busy as other parts (it was just west of UPB) but still, it was shocking that someone would attempt something in such a busy area. But then he saw a vigilante across the street and at the same time my girlfriend immediately turned us around and hailed a cab. Anyway, they followed our cab to her house, which was about 1 kilometer away and only half a block off calle 33 (they turned into the same small side street behind us). We were shocked and had the cab driver stop and maneuver into a better position until they moved on. It sure changed my perceptions.

Bad crime can happen anywhere, which means that the comparisons that matter are the frequency of crime. And statistically it is frequent in Medellin and getting worse.

Kramer

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sergejf says on Aug 16, 2009, 19:16:

Here's a good article about the steep rise in violence in the South of Medellin: http://www.ecbloguer.com/revelacionesdelbajomundo/?p=1664&cpage=1. I was in San Antonio de Prado last night and the taxi driver showed me where they killed a 34 y/o and his 18 y/o girlfriend. He was adamant that Prado was a peaceful area until recently but he advised me to be careful especially at night.

On a related note, several weeks ago I went to have lunch at a friend's place in the upper part of the barrio Boston, close to la Sierra. The area was poor but quiet. A couple of weeks ago she reported that there was a gunfight near her home and several bullets ended up in the walls of her house.

The way things are going in Medellin it seems I'll have to buy a bus ticket to Uraba to enjoy some safety :)

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perfectstranger says on Aug 17, 2009, 12:56:

Yeah in my year in MDE (08-09) I felt and heard the frequency of things increase quite a bit. Just like I would be anywhere, I am hyper vigilant. I have had to fight my way out of some very scary situations in a few countries. You got to have your wits about you at all times. You dont have to be an "a"hole or rude to everybody, but I always look at strangers on the street or new people i meet, as the next person who may try to harm me, my family, my property, etc...I believe I am alive today because some of the measures I take everyday to help safeguard my life. Anything can happen anywhere. The problem with many expats in colombia they are used to a different "acting" assailant. In the states the majority of victims' attackers are from their same demographic and that is sociological rule of thumb. Anyone traveling with wives and/or daughters tell them not to take no sh**t and fight with everything they have WHEN it comes down, it will, we just have to be prepared. Women are the number one victims of MURDER by ten fold, and number one victims of assault by FAR. Better be prepared. IF it's him or me, you better believe I have had to teach some low lives a lesson DO NOT F*** with women or anyone else, not of all of us will take it!

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cali1010 says on Aug 18, 2009, 15:52:

Colombia – Latin America are dangerous when not taking precautions.

My first time in Cali about 8 years ago my friend and I encountered a drunk walking around with a handgun near calle sexta. On another occasion I almost got robbed while my girlfriend and I walked to our hotel. Luckily for me a taxi passed and we were able to flag him down. I have not encountered anything in Medellin, Cartagena nor San Andres, but my brothers friend and my ex were robbed at gun point in their cars close to El Poblado. However, it seems that Medellin is getting more dangerous from the stories that I’ve been hearing.

I think that a good rule of thumb when traveling to S.A. is always best to be alert wherever one might be. Don’t over drink and don’t accept any drinks from estrangers. Stay away from trouble areas (Barrios) that might have gangs looking out for people who don’t live there. Another thing that I learned in the military is that if you’re staying in a foreign country always take a different route home or wherever you might travel to if possible. Use common sense at all times.

Ignorance does not discriminate race, age nor gender

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 18, 2009, 17:42:

In the midst of the hysteria, here are the facts:

http://www.medellin.gov.co/irj/go/km/docs/EstadisticasGobierno/Homiene...

Belen is actually down from 2009 to 2008 over the first six months. Laureles has experienced slightly less than a 50% increase. The real "problem" areas are in Manrique, Doce de Octubre, Popular and Robledo where the murder rate has tripled.

For more stats, check out:

http://www.medellin.gov.co/irj/go/km/docs/AdmonContenido/EstadisticasG...

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 18, 2009, 20:38:

Good luck with that. The reason the murder rate declined precipitously in the middle of this decade was due to DB and the AUC taking over the hillside barrios. Of course he has been extradited since then and things are no longer under control.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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christobeldawg says on Aug 18, 2009, 20:54:

San Andres is safe, unless ya go there to marry someone you meet on the internet. In that case, you will later wish you had been robbed at gunpoint in central Bogota.

traveling hopefully is always better than arriving

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 19, 2009, 20:15:

Argentina has its own issues. I'm thinking Uruguay.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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christobeldawg says on Aug 19, 2009, 22:02:

and then you may one day find yourself thinking, "I am now somewhat safe, but jeez louise, I'm in Uruguay, for God's sake."

traveling hopefully is always better than arriving

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goin_south says on Aug 19, 2009, 22:04:

sounds like a simon & garfunkel song, c-Dawg

nothin I say is to be takn for my words, but rather for the words of Sailor Jerry.

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christobeldawg says on Aug 19, 2009, 22:09:

and he'll then may be thinking, 50 ways to leave his Uruguay. Hopefully, none of the 2000 or so people who actually live there will read this, or I may have to apologize, Obamastyle, for existing.

traveling hopefully is always better than arriving

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poco says on Aug 19, 2009, 22:16:

Know why Colombians are so pleasant?

because all the loud jerk off idiots in Colombia are dead,, gone,, adios,, bye, bye,,

Colombian Chickens are crowing about the new President of the U.S. who will assure that From each according to their ability to each according to their need.

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goin_south says on Aug 19, 2009, 22:19:

-Dawg... I imagine now,... you're already on A LIST !

nothin I say is to be takn for my words, but rather for the words of Sailor Jerry.

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poco says on Aug 19, 2009, 22:36:

Quote: -Dawg... I imagine now,... you're already on A LIST !
====================
This reminds me,, their Gringo counterparts are alive,, but won't be living nearby.

Colombian Chickens are crowing about the new President of the U.S. who will assure that From each according to their ability to each according to their need.

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christobeldawg says on Aug 19, 2009, 22:44:

CDawg versus Uraguay. I feel pretty confident on this one, but I have underestimated opponents, to my detriment, before.

traveling hopefully is always better than arriving

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goin_south says on Aug 20, 2009, 08:15:

betta take the clemson tigers with ya

nothin I say is to be takn for my words, but rather for the words of Sailor Jerry.

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