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TRIP REPORT.......................MEDELLIN ESTRADA 2

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My jaunt up the hill, came about as a result of some dramatic statements by Medellin Traveller......

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MT says...." What are your thoughts on the 10:00pm curfew the paracos have annuonced for all the barrios in Antioquia last week?

All the paisas were put on notice that no one is supposed to be on the streets and in their homes by 10:00pm. The paracos have been enforcing the curfew by making the presence known in the barrios until 3:00am.

The paracos are out in full force wearing black clothing from head to toe, while carrying firearms, in full view throughout the barrios in Antioquia."

My favorite barrio in Medellin has been put on notice. Two of my friends shops are now forced to close as of 10:00pm. The curfew is in affect throughout the week, many mom-n-pop shops are losing business.

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So.....off I went in search of packs of well armed paracos.

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Since first coming to this beautiful country 10 years ago, and moving here permanently last year, I have gotten very fond of the place and it's people. I hate to see the negative stereotyping that often goes on. I hate to read of the dangers that supposedly lurk under every bush. I know they are there, they typically don't find you...........you need to be looking.

So, my reasoning for the escapade up the hill, was really to show M.T. how he should be more carefull, about what stories he believes from people. I questioned the motives of people that would exaggerate a story in such a manner. I did'nt dispute that there have been instances of this sort of activity in isolated barrios in recent times. Every Colombian and anybody that lives here, or has a keen ear to the ground from afar, knows the type of stuff that went on here years ago.........and still continues....... allthough on a much lessor scale.

There was a, back and forth conversation, on another thread, " No more war posts ".
So, after being e-mailed the exact address of the affected neighbourhood, off I went. I was told to expect a total shutdown of activities around 10pm as these armed, black clad, enforcers policed the curfew.
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There have been instances of paracos distributing leaflets warning people to be off the streets after 10pm in some isolated barrios.Indeed, even rumours of events in some, not so isolated barrios. When the first of these leaflets appeared a few months ago........a lot of people treated them as an annoyance and notified the police. Something that would not have been dared only five years ago.

The cops came in swiftly and put a stop to it and life has gone on as normal. Loads of Aguilas Negras have been arrested..........weapons seized.......and there has been heightened police presence around these barrios, and indeed all over the city by way of checkpoints.

In any place where the locals have sucomed to them, it is really only a matter of time before the police put a stop to it. They are keenly aware that this activity must be nipped at the bud.
The paracos here have a hand in a lot of things. Most are now law abiding. Some are law abiding to varying degrees.Those that have a hand in the Aguilas Negros need to be avoided.

Extortion of small businessess in poorer barrios is the mainstay of their operations at the moment. By trying to enforce a curfew they are demonstrating their ability to make business suffer. Next step is, pay up and everything will get back to normal.
There is no evidence that they are having widespread sucess.

The next level, after the bit of extortion, typically is grabbing the local store owner and putting him into the back of a truck. He'll be returned for a fairly small sum.

These are really only street thugs.......same type of gang kids that are common in the US. But they are typically controlled by a former para who is pissed off at his new lot in life. The key is to keep them from getting too organized. It appears that that is the case so far.

However, if one of the local Aguila Negros lads happen to spot a potential jackpot hanging around the barrio..............that would be a different story. What could a possible jackpot be....??

The list of possible jackpots is fairly small. Paracos that have a hand in the bigger pie, that is the booming economy here, won't tolerate some pissed off Para getting his lads to grab a gringo in Poblado. But what if a couple of low level lads happened across a gringo up in the hood...........the same dollar sign stamped on his forehead, but no heat if he disappears for a while.

S**t, nobody would even know he's missing. The locals that he knows, are'nt saying diddly squat........that's for sure. He probably has a g/f from the barrio...........stick him in a basement somewhere and let her know that $50,000 will suffice to get him back. A word to anyone................ and he ain't coming back at all.

Where could such an event take place...????

Well s**t............here it is.............on my journey up the hood........

On arrival in Medellin Traveller's barrio I am greeted by the sounds of playing children. They seem to be everywhere. The partiular spot where I was told to go is a relatively small enclave, which contains a little all-weather soccer pitch, a church, a few stores, bars etc.

It's around 9.30pm and life is going on quite normally. A group of young fellas are playing soccer. There are kids playing on the street, noisy with happy laughter, some still in their school uniform. There are some older folk hanging around the couple of stores drinking beer. Some watching TV, others just shooting the breeze, most likely discussing the whole Chavez thing. It's Wednesday night and you get a sense that this place would be much busier at the week-ends.

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I notice that the stores do not have any gates. These are common in a lot of places, where you are handed out your purchases through the gate. I sit down at one of these little stores and ask for a beer for myself and one for my trusted driver.

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He is a Medellin native, who has travelled to many parts of the world. He has back-packed all over South America. Now, at 60 he is doing the taxi thing here and private guide/translator. I don't believe I have ever met a more street-wise character. Extremly intelligent. He is very soft spoken and is more a listener than a talker. Nobody could tell this guy anything about Medellin that he does not already know. He works for me on a semi-permanent basis and we talk every day. He knows everybody in this city that is worth knowing, and the people that you do not need to know.

I did'nt say why I had him drive me to this, most unusual of places. Neither did he ask. After he pulled the car to a stop, I reached for my camera which I had set in the little compartment. ' It's okay ' he says..........".you can leave that there...........nobody up here will try to steal it." He went on to say that there was no need to lock the car here either. Most unusual............he is normally a very cautious person.........does'nt leave anything to chance.

So, here we are drinking the Pilsen. I tell him why I came to this spot. Turns out he knows it well. Another guy that I know through my driver, parks a bus in the lot close by. My man tells me that he spent some time in this neighbourhood, with a good friend who had lost his wife.

Red chair....red beer bottle............
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So we sit and drink the beer. I take a few pictures of the lads playing soccer across the street. Photos did'nt come out good .........bad light. Then I take a picture of some kids walking by.

An elderly sort of lady, standing to my side, got a little startled by the flash. My friend, in his soft spoken and incredably well-mannered way apoligises to her. She is fine. She starts telling us of this American guy that comes about the place..........dating one of the local lassies...........and he is always taking pictures. Pictures of this. Pictures of that. He's well known in the neighbourhood..............him and his picture taking.

Four beers later, not a Aguila Negro to be seen. It's now 10.20pm and there is still activity. Stores are open.........the kids are a bit older. My man talks to the store owner for a bit. What's going on ? how are things ? general stuff. Now there are a few of them talking. My man asks about the rumours of unsavoury activity. The locals laugh in a manner that was obviously genuine. If they were bullshitting, look out Oscar nomination season.

Time to head down the hill again.........nothing happening here. The only activity is decent Colombians going about their daily lives. If there was a bit more money swilling around in the system up here, it would make for a more comfortable life. But everybody seems happy enough. That is hard to miss in the faces of the kids. Innocence is great.The need to go out and struggle to earn a living does'nt concern them yet.

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What are the chances that this barrio was targeted by the paracos ? Very possible.
Most likely the local businesses told them to piss off. Then again, maybe they are just paying the weekly dues.There are all sorts of stories of this activity rearing it's head. Some stories will be true.......others will be urban ledgend. That is the thing about Colombia. You just never know. Things are never quite what they seem. There is a little something under the surface at all times. Don't scratch it too much. You really don't want the underside to expose itself.

This is a very nice, but poor neighbourhood. The people are obviously wonderfull.

This place is for Colombians. It is for Colombians who know each other, who watch out for each other and who understand what is what. It is not where I belong. One evening, a few beers, yippidy do dah. It is certainly not for a gringo to frequent on a regular basis, establishing any pattern of movements. M.T. .........this wonderfull place is not where you should be spending any time. Any visits here should be sporadic and devoid of any pattern.

And that advice is from someone that does'nt like people talking shit about my adopted city.

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By RAAAY on Mar 7, 2008, 00:40 in Friendly Talkzone.

tomtom33 says on Mar 7, 2008, 04:05:

Thanks, Ray. And you have solid advice for MT. But I doubt that he will heed it.

Buen suerte, MT. You may need it.

robi666 says on Mar 7, 2008, 05:14:

Good report, RAAAY.

But I was surprised yesterday of what Rocinante posted about Robledo under curfew. I thought those kind of things (curfew, leaflet, etc.) were going on in isolated barrios, etc. But Robledo is not an isolated barrio at all. Can you tell us more Roci?

Medellin is not Colombia. You can be sure that the situation is still bad in many places. As, I am sure that you could have observed different things going into a different barrio (like the one I wrote about on that post: Santa Cruz Terminal). You've chosen the easy one, or the one M_T told you about: fine, anyway.

New groups are a reality, and they are well organized. Medellin is not anymore an easy place for massive extorsion, it is not a secret. If you go to Santa Marta, when massive extorsion in places like the downtown market is still being enforced (some months with success, other months police gets some success), it is well known that a lot of Paisas arrived during the last two years to work for a new group. It was not possible to work in Medellin anymore.

A decent map of new organizations' activities can be found in http://www.seguridadydemocracia.org/docs/pdf/especiales/informeEspecia... where you can also find an interesting explanation of the different structures and organization levels, from a full trained army to urban mafia.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

robi666 says on Mar 7, 2008, 05:21:

Now, this is the second time I post this... what happened to the same thread with the same title that you posted tonight?

robi666 says on Mar 7, 2008, 05:32:

WAIT A MOMENT...
Could you also explain why that there is a BIG mistake in your report?

You wrote here:
"Four beers later, not a Aguila Negro to be seen. It's now 11.20pm and there is still activity. Stores are open.........the kids are a bit older. My man talks to the store owner for a bit. What's going on ? how are things ? general stuff. Now there are a few of them talking. My man asks about the rumours of unsavoury activity. The locals laugh in a manner that was obviously genuine. If they were bullshitting, look out Oscar nomination season."

Now, can you explain us how could you be there at 11:20 PM when at 10:54 PM (Colombian hour) you were posting from home in the "no more war" post? Did you get home before the curfew?

"RAAAY says on Wednesday March 5th, 2008 19:54:
Well................I've just returned from my Barrio trip................................Trip report to follow "

Note that post timing is always 3 hours before the true Colombian time. So 19:54 is 22:54 (10:54 pm) in Colombia.

robi666 says on Mar 7, 2008, 05:39:

I wonder what M_T think about this...
The poor M_T clearly said that the curfew was from 10 PM, when at 10 PM RAAY was probably already home in his pijama ready to sit in front of his computer...
Do you hear me M_T?

tejasmarcos says on Mar 7, 2008, 05:44:

the truth or some similance of it will really open your eyes around here. the key is to keep that lo-pro if at all possible. of course i predicate this upon living here vs. just dropping by.

- anybody interested in going in on a santo domingo 2 story with million dollar views? it erks me that i can't have any of that real estate up there! lovely area and spectacular views!

my glass is getting shorter on whiskey, ice and water...

morphus says on Mar 7, 2008, 05:55:

"She starts telling us of this American guy that comes about the place..........dating one of the local lassies...........and he is always taking pictures. Pictures of this. Pictures of that. He's well known in the neighbourhood..............him and his picture taking"

HA HA...he should slow it down with the picture taking. It is'nt National Geographic.

robi666 says on Mar 7, 2008, 06:03:

Morphus, did you read what I wrote about the timing of the report? Couldn't it be that the whole report is a scam from RAAAY?

morphus says on Mar 7, 2008, 06:05:

PBH time is'nt accurate the last time I checked. Right now i'm 3 hours ahead of PBH time.

robi666 says on Mar 7, 2008, 06:07:

Yes, it is always 3 hours ahead (it is server time), that's the point.

How could RAAAY be posting from home at 22:54 (19:54 PBH time) in the "no more war" thread when he said he was there in the barrio drinking beer at 23:20 (20:20 PBH time)?

His report looks like a scam to me...

morphus says on Mar 7, 2008, 06:15:

From the pics, it looks like he was there. He gives good details too. I guess his driver explained a lot to him.

robi666 says on Mar 7, 2008, 06:18:

mmmhhh... pictures from there... who knows when he was there?
Pictures can be from anywhere and taken whenever...

PBH Server time cannot be wrong or manipulated, if not by Peter himself.

Scam... he made up the whole story.
He went home before the curfew or he was not there at all.

RAAAY says on Mar 7, 2008, 06:40:

Hey Inspector Clouseau ........I left the place after 10.30...............mainly because I was bored to tears.........and it was quite obvious there was no activity other than kids playing......
It was not my intention to write 11.20................that was actually the time I was writing this thing last night.................

.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

gringoloid says on Mar 7, 2008, 06:41:

conspiracy theorists are beginning to take over the board................what are we going to do with them?................they don't believe anything..................they do have some proof for what they say..................but

we the sheep have to believe everything that is written...........we cannot question anything........we cannot think and challenge for ourselves.....everything in the newspaper is fact........everything on Fox News is a total fact..................all govt declarations are fact..............all religious declarations are fact...........anybody says differently and we get our panties in a bunch and run.....

what's up with these conspiracy theorists?...............nobody would ever lie to us lemmings.

:):):):)

nine inch nails says on Mar 7, 2008, 06:42:

Good read none the less RAAAY. Muchas gracias.

H

get down, get down

RAAAY says on Mar 7, 2008, 06:46:

Oh...............and Robi.................I'm glad my dog had a shit in your apartment............I've been giving him treats all morning as a reward...............

.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

robi666 says on Mar 7, 2008, 07:05:

None would believe it... but actually it is true... the damn dog shit in my apartment... on the bed...
I am sure you did teach him to do that...

tejasmarcos says on Mar 7, 2008, 07:21:

i witnessed it. the world's fastest pooping dog. it was like "instant steamer".

i feel sorry for the next tenant that uses those sheets!

my glass is getting shorter on whiskey, ice and water...

tejasmarcos says on Mar 7, 2008, 07:52:

ray and the "black eagle",

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

my glass is getting shorter on whiskey, ice and water...

morphus says on Mar 7, 2008, 08:01:

Ray, did you feel like a hero to the poor while you were there? How come you did'nt make a lot of friends like M_T?

lampltr says on Mar 7, 2008, 12:45:

Great report Raay....video or foto taking was a no no this past January where I was in Valle del Cauca. Had a video camera but this was very discreet even had the wife very concerned for the safety of both myself and the family pulling off different stunts. One of these days will get them posted...But as you stated Raay, being in a low Strat bario and acting like a tourist can get one in trouble real quick...whether good intensions or not.