A guide to visiting Casa de la Memoria, Medellin.

Medellin was a city that was long awaited for us, but we opted to stay in a campground outside in a different city called Santa Elena. The campground came highly recommended on IOverlander and so off we went. It was a great space except for the fact that it took so long to get into Medellin. We didn't want to drive because we have come to learn driving our large van in big cities is not ideal.

On our first day, we got a taxi with a wonderful driver named Diego. It took about an hour to drive between Santa Elena and Medellin so we got to know Diego.

He was born and raised in Medellin, close to Commune 13 but opted to live in Santa Elena because he did not like the lifestyle of Medellin. We came to know that he spoke English because he had lived in Atlanta but returned to live in Colombia while raising his 5 year old son with his wife. Our hour taxi drive into town turned out to also double as a city tour.

I distinctly remember something he said to us as we drove down through the communities on the hilly outskirts of Medellin. He said pointing to people " see all these people, all of them have been affected by Pablo Escobar. All of us have family that's been affected by the war brought on by drugs." It was such a powerful truth.

His story was that his father was kidnapped by Escobar and held hostage for ransom. His family scrambled to get what they could but could only come up with half of it. This was enough to get his father released but with the understanding that they had to pay the rest.

When they couldn't pay it in due time, his uncle was killed by Escobar's men. Diego spoke so candidly about how much he despised what cocaine had done to his country. The wars by the guerillas, paramilitias and government had left so many people dead and many missing.

An hour later when we got into the city, Diego recommended going to the Casa de la Memoria first in Medellin as there was a lot of history to be learned there before visiting Commune 13. With this advised, he dropped us off at the museum and left us with his phone number so that he could drive us back to the campground when we were done.

The Casa de la Memoria or House of Memories is more than a museum, it's a space dedicated to tell the stories of the conflict that has affected Colombia for decades. Architecturally, the building itself is a striking blend of contemporary design and symbolic elements that evoke the spirit of remembrance and reflection.

This distinct building is situated in the Comuna La Candelaria, and is a remarkable testament to the city's commitment to preserving and honoring the memory of its complex history.

It is a somber space but it is a wonderful way to get a sense of the history and dynamics of this conflict. It plays a significant role in preserving the memories of their victims and telling their stories through their families.

This wall is dedicated to the photographers that risk their lives to tell the stories through their lens.

The museum is free for all but they asked that we register at the entrance. After the registration, we walked into the first exhibit, a movie showing the conflict and wars that this country has endured over time. We sat here for a while before proceeding.

As we walked through the museum, we were able to spend time at a range of exhibitions that use different ways to tell the stories.

There are photographs, videos of the victims testimonials as well as newspaper printouts. The one disadvantage of this museum is that most of the displays are in Spanish so it is makes it difficult to understand everything but with time and slowly going through the exhibits, we could get a general understanding. They displays tell stories of the origin of the conflict, the violations that came of conflicts and how the communities have been affected.

A display that we spent the most time at was the screen where victims told their stories via video and this stories had English captions. It is so moving to see a place where the real stories are told, where the people telling the stories through their photos and videos are the victims.

The museum has interactive exhibits to keep even kids engaged.

It is no secret that Colombia has had a violent past. Medellin was once known as the most dangerous place in Colombia if not in the world and was in fact dubbed the murder capital of the world. The violence stemmed from drugs.

The Medellin cartel with Pablo Escobar as its leader were renowned as the largest cocaine traffickers in the world. The violence that came with this affected so many communities and families around the Medellin areas with farmers being displaced from their lands. Kidnappings for ransom were common, they ruled through fear.

When Escobar died, instead of violence going down, multiple gangs sprouted as a huge hole had been left with his elimination. HIs death did not stop the conflicts.

Besides the cartels, Colombia has a history of right wing paramilitary groups, leftist guerillas and governments all fighting each other for control over the country.

What has happened with all the fighting is civilians getting caught in the middle figuratively and literally. An example of a controversial conflict is the operation Orion. The president at the time was Alvaro Uribe. In 2002, in an effort to bring a complete end to the violence, he declared an all out war on the gangs that had held territory in the Commune 13 neighbourhood.

This was the poorest area in Medellin that was ran by gangs.

With Operation Orion in 2002, the Army joined forces with police and paramilitias to eradicate the guerilla who were using Commune 13 as a base for their drug trafficking. What happened though with this operation is that in a bid to capture the guerillas, innocent civilians were caught in the cross fire and a lot died or were displaced.

One of the rooms at the museum is dedicated to the people that have disappeared throughout this conflict. This room is full of articles and photographs that family members have offered to show the real effect of this conflict. This room has a huge significance due to the community of people that has made a commitment to looking for the missing.

The 'Madres de la Candelaria' is an organization of family and friends of the people that have been kidnapped, killed or forcefully disappeared. Their goal is to keep alive the memories of the victims as well as demanding that the truth is revealed.

The last room also shows videos donated by families showing snippets about who they were before they went missing.

This museum despite being somber is a true testament to a group of people that are committed to doing better. It is a space that promotes dialogue and opens discussions of reconciliation. It is truly a crucial cultural institution in Medellin as the process of healing continues.

This display showed the different indigenous groups in Colombia.

How to get to Casa de la Memoria:

Medellin is a city that is very well connected via the metro. The closest metro station to the museum is the Bicentenario station and the museum is less than 10 minute walk from here.

It is also very easy to get around Medellin with a taxi. Most taxi cabs will know the Casa de la Memoria as it is a cultural institution in the City, if they don't know, asking for Parque Bicentenario.

How much does it cost to visit the museum?

Entrance to the museum is free for everyone but they asked us to register. It was a quick registration process offered in different languages and they collect this information to keep track of the different nationalities visiting the museum .