Misplaced Pages

#375624

140-429: Funerary monuments are erected here in memory of prominent figures in the history of Colombia . Although it falls under the category of funerary sculptures and architecture, the space has begun to emerge as a new venue for artistic dissemination. Local and national collections of art are preserved there and, in full moon nights, concerts, shows, storytelling, theater, and dance performances are held. The Cemetery San Pedro

280-509: A union of the current territories of Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Venezuela, parts of Guyana and Brazil and north of Marañón River . The Congress of Cúcuta in 1821 adopted a constitution for the new Republic. Simón Bolívar became the first President of Colombia , and Francisco de Paula Santander was made Vice President . However, the new republic was unstable and the Gran Colombia ultimately collapsed. Modern Colombia comes from one of

420-946: A certain autonomy: the Olaya Herrera Airport , the Public Library ( Biblioteca Pública Piloto ), the College of Antioquia ( Colegio Mayor ), the Urban Development Enterprise (EDU), the Public Service Enterprise (EPM), the Sport and Recreation Institute (INDER), the General Enterprises of Medellín (EEVVM), the Medellín Bus stations, the General Hospital of Medellín, the health service enterprise "Metrosalud",

560-558: A colonial law ordered the separation of Amerindians from mestizos and mulattos , so the colonial administration began the construction of a new town in Aná, today Berrío Park , where the church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Aná ("Our Lady of Candelaria of Aná") was built. Three years later, the Spaniards started the construction of the Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria , which was rebuilt at

700-664: A colony, fusing cultural elements brought by immigration from Europe and the Middle East , with those brought by the African diaspora , as well as with those of the various Indigenous civilizations that predate colonization. Spanish is the official language , although Creole, English and 64 other languages are recognized regionally. Colombia has been home to many indigenous peoples and cultures since at least 12,000 BCE. The Spanish first landed in La Guajira in 1499, and by

840-515: A decline in population due to conquest as well as Eurasian diseases, such as smallpox , to which they had no immunity. Regarding the land as deserted, the Spanish Crown sold properties to all persons interested in colonized territories, creating large farms and possession of mines. In the 16th century, the nautical science in Spain reached a great development thanks to numerous scientific figures of

980-408: A municipality, Medellín has an area of 382 km (147 sq mi). Medellín features a trade-wind tropical rainforest climate ( Af ), albeit a cooler version of this climate that borders closely on a tropical monsoon climate ( Am ), as well as having characteristics of a tropical highland climate ( Cfb ). Since Medellín is located at 1,495 m (4,900 ft) above sea level , its climate

1120-428: A new Constitution was promulgated. The changes generated by the new constitution are viewed as positive by Colombian society. The administration of President Álvaro Uribe (2002–2010) adopted the democratic security policy which included an integrated counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency campaign. The government economic plan also promoted confidence in investors. As part of a controversial peace process,

1260-475: A new era of political instability with the murder of presidential candidate Jorge Eliecer Gaitán in Bogotá in 1948. Political violence spread in the rural areas of Colombia, and farmers fled to the cities. The Valley slopes became overpopulated with slums. As the population of Medellín grew quickly during the 1950s, industrialists, traders and local government created the "Medellín Master Plan" (MMP) ( Plan Piloto ),

1400-431: A number of controversies, the democratic security policy has ensured that former President Álvaro Uribe remained popular among Colombian people, with his approval rating peaking at 76%, according to a poll in 2009. However, having served two terms, he was constitutionally barred from seeking re-election in 2010. In the run-off elections on 20 June 2010 the former Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos won with 69% of

1540-679: A plan for the expansion of the city into the Aburrá Valley that would lead to the creation of the first metropolitan area in Colombia. Paul Lester Wiener and José Luis Sert were the architects who led the project. Among the main features of the MMP were the canalization of the Medellín River , the control of new settlements on valley slopes, the creation of an industrial zone in the Guayabal District,

SECTION 10

#1732859420376

1680-602: A rate of 23 per 100,000 inhabitants. In the city there are more than 1,100 security cameras and more than 7,000 policemen. Medellín is Colombia's second most important economic center, after Bogotá . Its economy is led by a powerful group of people from the private sector known as the Grupo Empresarial Antioqueño (Antioquian Enterprises Group). The group was formerly known as the Sindicato Antioqueño (Antioquian Union) but after being mistaken abroad for

1820-561: A republic—the current Republic of Colombia—in 1886. With the backing of the United States and France, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903, resulting in Colombia's present borders. Beginning in the 1960s, the country has suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict and political violence, both of which escalated in the 1990s. Since 2005, there has been significant improvement in security, stability, and rule of law, as well as unprecedented economic growth and development. Colombia

1960-521: A transport system. The position of Medellín as an industrial city in Antioquia has been the main factor in overcoming its crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. The Medellín Metro , a massive urban transport service, became the pride of the city. The construction of the Plaza Mayor of Medellín , an international center for congresses and expositions, was designed to showcase the globalized economy of Colombia to

2100-738: Is a city governed by a republican democratic system as stated in the Colombian Constitution of 1991 , with decentralized government. Administration is shared by the Mayor of Medellín and the Municipal Council, both elected by popular vote. The municipality is made up of official departments ( secretarías ) including departments for social mobility, urban culture, social development, education, evaluation and control, government, resources, public works, administrative services, environment, women, and transportation. There are also many departments with

2240-441: Is also the country's largest city hosting the main financial and cultural hub. Other major urban areas include Medellín , Cali , Barranquilla , Cartagena , Santa Marta , Cúcuta , Ibagué , Villavicencio and Bucaramanga . It covers an area of 1,141,748 square kilometers (440,831 sq mi) and has a population of around 52 million. Its rich cultural heritage —including language, religion, cuisine, and art—reflects its history as

2380-541: Is approximately 7 times bigger. Colombia has about 2,000 species of marine fish and is the second most diverse country in freshwater fish . It is also the country with the most endemic species of butterflies , is first in orchid species, and has approximately 7,000 species of beetles . Colombia is second in the number of amphibian species and is the third most diverse country in reptiles and palms . There are about 1,900 species of mollusks and according to estimates there are about 300,000 species of invertebrates in

2520-458: Is characterized for being tropical presenting variations within six natural regions and depending on the altitude, temperature, humidity , winds and rainfall. Colombia has a diverse range of climate zones, including tropical rainforests , savannas , steppes , deserts and mountain climates. Mountain climate is one of the unique features of the Andes and other high altitude reliefs where climate

2660-478: Is constant year-round, with minimal temperature variations. Temperatures range from 17 to 28 °C (63 to 82 °F). Because of the former pleasant springlike climate all year, Medellín was known as "La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera" or "City of the Eternal Spring". The city is located in a valley and many of its districts are on slopes; temperatures can be slightly cooler on the surrounding mountains. Medellín

2800-476: Is determined by elevation. Below 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) in elevation is the warm altitudinal zone , where temperatures are above 24 °C (75.2 °F). About 82.5% of the country's total area lies in the warm altitudinal zone. The temperate climate altitudinal zone located between 1,001 and 2,000 meters (3,284 and 6,562 ft) is characterized for presenting an average temperature ranging between 17 and 24 °C (62.6 and 75.2 °F). The cold climate

2940-460: Is not as hot as other cities located at the same latitude near the equator. Because of its altitude above sea level and privileged location in the Andes Range, Medellín's weather at times is more characteristic of a humid subtropical climate than that of a tropical climate . The city's average annual temperature is 23 °C (73 °F), and because of its proximity to the equator, its temperature

SECTION 20

#1732859420376

3080-408: Is present between 2,001 and 3,000 meters (6,565 and 9,843 ft) and the temperatures vary between 12 and 17 °C (53.6 and 62.6 °F). Beyond lies the alpine conditions of the forested zone and then the treeless grasslands of the páramos . Above 4,000 meters (13,123 ft), where temperatures are below freezing, the climate is glacial , a zone of permanent snow and ice. Colombia is one of

3220-603: Is recognized for its healthcare system , being the best healthcare in Latin America according to the World Health Organization and 22nd in the world. Its diversified economy is the third-largest in South America, with macroeconomic stability and favorable long-term growth prospects. Colombia is one of the world's seventeen megadiverse countries ; it has the highest level of biodiversity per square mile in

3360-472: Is the sixth country in the world by magnitude of total renewable freshwater supply, and still has large reserves of freshwater. The government of Colombia takes place within the framework of a presidential participatory democratic republic as established in the Constitution of 1991. In accordance with the principle of separation of powers , government is divided into three branches: the executive branch,

3500-597: The AUC (right-wing paramilitaries) had ceased to function formally as an organization . In February 2008, millions of Colombians demonstrated against FARC and other outlawed groups. After peace negotiations in Cuba , the Colombian government of President Juan Manuel Santos and the guerrillas of the FARC-EP announced a final agreement to end the conflict. However, a referendum to ratify

3640-656: The Alliance for Progress . Despite the progress in certain sectors, many social and political problems continued, and guerrilla groups were formally created such as the FARC , the ELN and the M-19 to fight the government and political apparatus. Since the 1960s, the country has suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict between government forces , leftist guerrilla groups and right wing paramilitaries . The conflict escalated in

3780-574: The Amazon basin . The war ended with a peace deal brokered by the League of Nations . The League finally awarded the disputed area to Colombia in June 1934. Soon after, Colombia achieved some degree of political stability, which was interrupted by a bloody conflict that took place between the late 1940s and the early 1950s, a period known as La Violencia ("The Violence"). Its cause was mainly mounting tensions between

3920-515: The Amazon rainforest . Together these lowlands make up over half Colombia's territory, but they contain less than 6% of the population. To the north the Caribbean coast , home to 21.9% of the population and the location of the major port cities of Barranquilla and Cartagena , generally consists of low-lying plains, but it also contains the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range, which includes

4060-619: The Andean Community ; it is also a NATO Global Partner and a major non-NATO ally of the United States . The name "Colombia" is derived from the last name of the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus ( Latin : Christophorus Columbus , Italian : Cristoforo Colombo , Spanish: Cristóbal Colón ). It was conceived as a reference to all of the New World. The name was later adopted by

4200-684: The Andes and Amazon basin . The oldest archaeological finds are from the Pubenza and El Totumo sites in the Magdalena Valley 100 kilometers (62 mi) southwest of Bogotá. These sites date from the Paleoindian period (18,000–8000 BCE). At Puerto Hormiga and other sites, traces from the Archaic Period (~8000–2000 BCE) have been found. Vestiges indicate that there was also early occupation in

4340-669: The Casa de Contratación and nautical science was an essential pillar of the Iberian expansion . In 1542, the region of New Granada, along with all other Spanish possessions in South America, became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru , with its capital in Lima . In 1547, New Granada became a separate captaincy-general within the viceroyalty, with its capital at Santa Fe de Bogota. In 1549, the Royal Audiencia

San Pedro Cemetery Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue

4480-507: The Congress , a bicameral institution comprising a 166-seat Chamber of Representatives and a 102-seat Senate . The Senate is elected nationally and the Chamber of Representatives is elected in electoral districts. Members of both houses are elected to serve four-year terms two months before the president, also by popular vote. The judicial branch is headed by four high courts , consisting of

4620-665: The Llanos Orientales and went over the Cordillera Oriental in a search for El Dorado , the "city of gold". The legend and the gold would play a pivotal role in luring the Spanish and other Europeans to New Granada during the 16th and 17th centuries. The conquistadors made frequent alliances with the enemies of different indigenous communities. Indigenous allies were crucial to conquest, as well as to creating and maintaining empire. Indigenous peoples in Colombia experienced

4760-654: The Magdalena River Valley. A site including eight miles (13 km) of pictographs that is under study at Serranía de la Lindosa was revealed in November 2020. Their age is suggested as being 12,500 years old (c. 10,480 B.C.) by the anthropologists working on the site, because of extinct fauna depicted. It was during the earliest known human occupation of the area. Between 5000 and 1000 BCE, hunter-gatherer tribes transitioned to agrarian societies; fixed settlements were established, and pottery appeared. Beginning in

4900-633: The Medellín rivers; others lived in El Poblado San Lorenzo. After the royal edict, the settlers chose the Aná site as the heart of the future city, with the Candelaria Church at its center. Their first buildings were simple, with thatched roofs. The houses of the most important people were two stories tall, and the church and the Cabildo were unimpressive. It was only during the 18th century that

5040-608: The Overseas Development Institute have lauded the city as a pioneer of a post- Washington Consensus " local development state " model of economic development. The city is promoted internationally as a tourist destination and is considered a global city type "Gamma +" by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network . The Medellín Metropolitan Area produces 67% of the Department of Antioquia 's GDP and 11% of

5180-691: The Pacific Coastal region; the Caribbean coastal region; the Llanos (plains); the Amazon rainforest region; to the insular area , comprising islands in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It shares its maritime limits with Costa Rica , Nicaragua , Honduras , Jamaica , Haiti , and the Dominican Republic . Colombia is bordered to the northwest by Panama , to the east by Venezuela and Brazil, and to

5320-551: The Republic of Colombia of 1819, formed from the territories of the old Viceroyalty of New Granada (modern-day Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, and northwest Brazil). When Venezuela, Ecuador, and Cundinamarca came to exist as independent states, the former Department of Cundinamarca adopted the name " Republic of New Granada ". New Granada officially changed its name in 1858 to the Granadine Confederation . In 1863

5460-667: The Republic of Colombia , is a country primarily located in South America with insular regions in North America . The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuela to the east and northeast, Brazil to the southeast, Ecuador and Peru to the south and southwest, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Panama to the northwest. Colombia is divided into 32 departments . The Capital District of Bogotá

5600-619: The Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín ( Spanish : Distrito Especial de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación de Medellín ), is the second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá , and the capital of the department of Antioquia . It is located in the Aburrá Valley , a central region of the Andes Mountains , in northwestern South America. The city's population

5740-776: The Supreme Court which deals with penal and civil matters, the Council of State , which has special responsibility for administrative law and also provides legal advice to the executive, the Constitutional Court , responsible for assuring the integrity of the Colombian constitution, and the Superior Council of Judicature , responsible for auditing the judicial branch. Colombia operates a system of civil law , which since 1991 has been applied through an adversarial system . Despite

San Pedro Cemetery Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue

5880-456: The economy of Colombia . Medellín is important to the region for its universities, academies, commerce, industry, science, health services, flower-growing, and festivals. In February 2013, the Urban Land Institute chose Medellín as the most innovative city in the world due to its recent advances in politics, education, and social development. In the same year, Medellín won the Veronica Rudge Urbanism Award conferred by Harvard University to

6020-464: The megadiverse countries in biodiversity , ranking first in bird species . Colombia is the country with the planet's highest biodiversity, having the highest rate of species by area as well as the largest number of endemisms (species that are not found naturally anywhere else) of any country. About 10% of the species of the Earth live in Colombia, including over 1,900 species of bird, more than in Europe and North America combined. Colombia has 10% of

6160-562: The queen consort Mariana of Austria founded the "Town of Our Lady of Candelaria of Medellín" ( Villa de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Medellín ) in the Aná region, which today corresponds to the center of the city (east-central zone) and first describes the region as "Medellín". In 1826, the city was named the capital of the Department of Antioquia by the National Congress of the nascent Republic of Gran Colombia , comprising present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. After Colombia won its independence from Spain, Medellín became

6300-425: The 1200s, Malayo-Polynesians and Native Americans in Colombia made contact, thereby spreading Native American genetics from Precolonial Colombia to some Pacific Ocean islands. Alonso de Ojeda (who had sailed with Columbus) reached the Guajira Peninsula in 1499. Spanish explorers, led by Rodrigo de Bastidas , made the first exploration of the Caribbean coast in 1500. Christopher Columbus navigated near

6440-426: The 1990s, mainly in remote rural areas. Since the beginning of the armed conflict, human rights defenders have fought for the respect for human rights, despite staggering opposition. Several guerrillas' organizations decided to demobilize after peace negotiations in 1989–1994. The United States has been heavily involved in the conflict since its beginnings, when in the early 1960s the U.S. government encouraged

6580-449: The 19th century, became a center for intellectual and industrialist movements, like Club Union (founded in 1894) and Club Campestre (founded in 1924). In 1909, the Circo España was created, and Bolívar Theater in 1919. The art nouveau Junín Theater was demolished to build the Coltejer Tower , now the tallest building in the city. Cine Colombia, the first movie distributor of the country, was founded in Medellín in 1927. Colombia entered

6720-611: The 1st millennium BCE, groups of Amerindians including the Muisca , Zenú , Quimbaya , and Tairona developed the political system of cacicazgos with a pyramidal structure of power headed by caciques . The Muisca inhabited mainly the area of what is now the Departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca high plateau ( Altiplano Cundiboyacense ) where they formed the Muisca Confederation . They farmed maize, potato, quinoa, and cotton, and traded gold, emeralds , blankets, ceramic handicrafts, coca and especially rock salt with neighboring nations. The Tairona inhabited northern Colombia in

6860-463: The AUC was completed, with more than 3,000 armed men giving up their weapons. After the disbanding of the main paramilitary groups, some members briefly reorganized into criminal bands known commonly as Aguilas Negras ("Black Eagles"). These groups gained notoriety in Medellín for having called for curfews for the underage population, and having distributed fliers announcing the social cleansing of prostitutes, drug addicts , and alcoholics . In 2008

7000-425: The Aburrá valley at an elevation of 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) above sea level and is bisected by the Medellín River (also called Porce), which flows northward. North of the valley are the towns of Bello , Copacabana , Girardota , and Barbosa . To the south of the valley lie Itagüí , Envigado , Sabaneta , La Estrella , and Caldas . The weather in Medellín is warm year-round with few temperature extremes. As

7140-438: The Caribbean in 1502. In 1508, Vasco Núñez de Balboa accompanied an expedition to the territory through the region of Gulf of Urabá and they founded the town of Santa María la Antigua del Darién in 1510, the first stable settlement on the continent. Santa Marta was founded in 1525, and Cartagena in 1533. Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada led an expedition to the interior in April 1536, and christened

SECTION 50

#1732859420376

7280-490: The Colombian Conservative Party and the Colombian Liberal Party agreed to create the National Front , a coalition that would jointly govern the country. Under the deal, the presidency would alternate between conservatives and liberals every 4 years for 16 years; the two parties would have parity in all other elective offices. The National Front ended "La Violencia", and National Front administrations attempted to institute far-reaching social and economic reforms in cooperation with

7420-461: The Colombian Declaration of Independence, issued on 20 July 1810, the day that is now celebrated as the nation's Independence Day. This movement followed the independence of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) in 1804, which provided some support to an eventual leader of this rebellion: Simón Bolívar . Francisco de Paula Santander also would play a decisive role. A movement was initiated by Antonio Nariño , who opposed Spanish centralism and led

7560-478: The Colombian military to attack leftist militias in rural Colombia. This was part of the U.S. fight against communism. Mercenaries and multinational corporations such as Chiquita Brands International are some of the international actors that have contributed to the violence of the conflict. Beginning in the mid-1970s Colombian drug cartels became major producers, processors and exporters of illegal drugs , primarily marijuana and cocaine . On 4 July 1991,

7700-525: The Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental they reach 5,000 m (16,404 ft). At 2,600 m (8,530 ft), Bogotá is the highest city of its size in the world. The main rivers of Colombia are Magdalena, Cauca, Guaviare , Atrato , Meta , Putumayo and Caquetá . Colombia has four main drainage systems: the Pacific drain, the Caribbean drain, the Orinoco Basin and the Amazon Basin. The Orinoco and Amazon Rivers mark limits with Colombia to Venezuela and Peru respectively. The climate of Colombia

7840-409: The MMP, so that Medellín now reached the urban areas of other cities of the Aburrá Valley, like Envigado , Bello and Itagüí ; the new Medellín settlers were poor families without enough credit to buy their own homes, so several neighborhoods were built beyond the MMP; several old downtown buildings were demolished to construct tall towers, offices, and avenues. In 1968 the Second Conference of CELAM

7980-412: The Machine (1988). Arts and literature have been an important social element in Medellín. The University of Antioquia , the National University of Colombia with its Medellín branch, and the Pontifical Bolivarian University have historically been the academic centers of the city and are responsible for the formation of an intellectual class in the region. During the first part of the 20th century,

8120-451: The Metropolitan Institute of Technology (ITM), the Metro de Medellín , the department for the Administration of the Medellín parks (Metroparques) and Metroseguridad. The municipality is divided into six zones: The urban zone, which is subdivided into 16 comunas (communes). The communes are further divided into 249 statistical neighborhoods. The remaining zones outside the urban zones comprise five corregimientos (townships). Further,

8260-426: The Philippines, the source of Asian products like silk and porcelain which was in demand in the Americas. Illegal trade between Peruvians, Filipinos, and Mexicans continued in secret, as smuggled Asian goods ended up in Córdoba, Colombia , the distribution center for illegal Asian imports, due to the collusion between these peoples against the authorities in Spain. They settled and traded with each other while disobeying

8400-431: The Spanish Crown. To protect the indigenous peoples, several forms of land ownership and regulation were established by the Spanish colonial authorities: resguardos , encomiendas and haciendas . However, secret anti-Spanish discontentment was already brewing for Colombians since Spain prohibited direct trade between the Viceroyalty of Peru , which included Colombia, and the Viceroyalty of New Spain , which included

8540-400: The US cities of Baltimore, St. Louis, Detroit and New Orleans, which appear in the CCSPJP's top 50 list. As the home of the Medellín Cartel funded by Pablo Escobar , the city was a victim of the terror caused by the war between the organization headed by Escobar, and competing organizations such as "El Cartel del Valle". However, after the death of Escobar in December 1993, crime rates in

SECTION 60

#1732859420376

8680-433: The Urban Development Enterprise, mainly due to the North-Western Integral Development Project in the city. Medellín hosted UN-Habitat's 7th World Urban Forum in 2014. In 2016, the city won the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize. The award seeks to recognize and celebrate efforts in furthering innovation in urban solutions and sustainable urban development. The valley and its Spanish settlement have gone by several names over

8820-408: The Venezuelan-born Simón Bolívar , who finally proclaimed independence in 1819. The pro-Spanish resistance was defeated in 1822 in the present territory of Colombia and in 1823 in Venezuela. During the Independence War, between 250 and 400 thousand people (12–20% of the pre-war population) died. The territory of the Viceroyalty of New Granada became the Republic of Colombia , organized as

8960-412: The Year due to a great advancement in public transportation, with more than 500,000 residents and visitors using its Metro train system each day; a public bike-share program; new facilities and landmarks, including the España Library and a cultural center in Moravia; a large outdoor escalator the size of a 28-story building, enabling residents of the city's elevated Comuna 13 neighborhood to safely ride down

9100-485: The area (especially the Panama Canal construction and control) led to the separation of the Department of Panama in 1903 and the establishment of it as a nation. The United States paid Colombia $ 25,000,000 in 1921, seven years after completion of the canal, for redress of President Roosevelt 's role in the creation of Panama, and Colombia recognized Panama under the terms of the Thomson–Urrutia Treaty . Colombia and Peru went to war because of territory disputes far in

9240-471: The armed conflict and to satisfy victims' right to justice . During his visit to Colombia, Pope Francis paid tribute to the victims of the conflict. In June 2018, Iván Duque , the candidate of the right-wing Democratic Center party, won the presidential election . On 7 August 2018, he was sworn in as the new President of Colombia to succeed Juan Manuel Santos. Colombia's relations with Venezuela have fluctuated due to ideological differences between

9380-495: The bipartisan political forces, occasionally igniting very bloody civil wars, the most significant being the Thousand Days' War (1899–1902), in which between 100 and 180 thousand Colombians lost their lives when the Liberal Party , supported by Venezuela , Ecuador , Nicaragua , and Guatemala rebelled against the Nationalist government and took control of Santander , ultimately being defeated in 1902 by nationalist forces. The United States of America's intentions to influence

9520-420: The birth of the industry, railroad building and navigating the Magdalena River . Specifically, the cemetery was founded on July 8, 1842, under the initiative of Pedro Uribe Restrepo, who called a meeting of important families of the Villa de la Candelaria. They agreed to the founding of a new cemetery, seeing the lack of one worth their families, since the Cemetery of San Lorenzo, which was founded in January 1828,

9660-511: The capital of the Federal State of Antioquia until 1888, with the proclamation of the Colombian Constitution of 1886 . During the 19th century, Medellín was a dynamic commercial center, first exporting gold, then producing and exporting coffee. Towards the end of the 20th century and into the beginning of the 21st, the city regained industrial dynamism, with the construction of the Medellín Metro commuter rail, liberalized development policies and improvement in security and education. Researchers at

9800-440: The center. From 2010 and 2011, homicides have declined as with crime in general, but there remains a high crime rate in the poorest communities. 3.2 percent of street addresses account for 97 percent of homicides. More than half of the violent deaths are attributed to clashes between criminal gangs in certain parts of the city. In 1991 there were 7,273 murders at a rate of 266 per 100,000 people; in 2017 had suffered 577 murders at

9940-431: The church was improved. Only one story, the Cabildo was located at the western part of the plaza. It had a thatched roof until 1742 when tiles were put on. In 1682, traders and foreigners started the construction of the Veracruz Hermitage , which was consecrated as a church by the Bishop of Popayán in 1712. In 1675, the first census during colonial times was taken: there were 3,000 people and 280 families. Another census

10080-557: The city administration, Medellín Solidaria represents an improvement on Colombia's national program, 'Familias en Accion' (Families in Action). The city administration is further responsible for coordinating more than 100 other social programs. Under the Cultura E program, the city administration has established a network of 14 publicly funded business support centers known as CEDEZO, Centros de Desarrollo Empresarial Zonal). The CEDEZOs are found in

10220-420: The city have decreased dramatically. Throughout the rest of the 1990s crime rates remained relatively high, although gradually declining from the worst years. In October 2002, President Álvaro Uribe ordered the military to carry out "Operation Orion", the objective of which was to disband the urban militias of the FARC and the AUC . Between 2003 and 2006 the demobilization of the remaining urban militias of

10360-661: The city of Cali ; the Cordillera Central , running between the Cauca and Magdalena River valleys (to the west and east, respectively) and including the cities of Medellín , Manizales , Pereira , and Armenia ; and the Cordillera Oriental , extending northeast to the Guajira Peninsula and including Bogotá, Bucaramanga , and Cúcuta . Peaks in the Cordillera Occidental exceed 4,700 m (15,420 ft), and in

10500-437: The city was part of the literary transition from romanticism to the modern art and literary movements of the new century. The writer Tomás Carrasquilla (1858–1940) focused on the people of his native Antioquia, portraying their daily lives and customs. The writer and philosopher Fernando González from Envigado (in the metropolitan area of Medellín), the cartoonist Ricardo Rendón , and the poet León de Greiff were some of

10640-490: The city's ownership of the main energy supplier, Empresas Publicas de Medellín (EPM); 30% of its profits go directly to the city's administrative budget. In addition to infrastructure projects, the city administration has developed a program of cash grants called 'the Medellín Solidaria' program that is very similar to Brazil 's highly successful Bolsa Familia and also the city runs the Cultura E program. According to

10780-559: The city, but, after achieving initial inroads, devastating outbreaks of disease crippled their numbers, and the British were forced to withdraw. The battle became one of Spain's most decisive victories in the conflict, and secured Spanish dominance in the Caribbean until the Seven Years' War . The 18th-century priest, botanist, and mathematician José Celestino Mutis was delegated by Viceroy Antonio Caballero y Góngora to conduct an inventory of

10920-618: The college moved to a new building in the small San Ignacio square. In 1821 it was renamed Colegio de Antioquia, and it became the University of Antioquia in 1901. The university also had the first vocational training school, the first cultural radio station in Latin America, and the first regional botanical garden . In the first half of the twentieth century, the population of Medellín increased sixfold, from 59,815 inhabitants in 1905 to 358,189 in 1951. The Thousand Days War (1899–1902) stopped

11060-542: The countries that emerged after the dissolution of Gran Colombia , the other two being Ecuador and Venezuela. Colombia was the first constitutional government in South America, and the Liberal and Conservative parties, founded in 1848 and 1849, respectively, are two of the oldest surviving political parties in the Americas. Slavery was abolished in the country in 1851. Internal political and territorial divisions led to

11200-406: The country's legitimate president. In January 2020, Colombia rejected Maduro's proposal that the two countries restore diplomatic relations. Protests started on 28 April 2021 when the government proposed a tax bill that would greatly expand the range of the 19 percent value-added tax . The 19 June 2022 election run-off vote ended in a win for former guerrilla, Gustavo Petro , taking 50.47% of

11340-586: The country's tallest peaks ( Pico Cristóbal Colón and Pico Simón Bolívar ), and the La Guajira Desert . By contrast the narrow and discontinuous Pacific coastal lowlands , backed by the Serranía de Baudó mountains, are sparsely populated and covered in dense vegetation. The principal Pacific port is Buenaventura . Part of the Ring of Fire , a region of the world subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions , in

11480-491: The country. In Colombia there are 32 terrestrial biomes and 314 types of ecosystems . Protected areas and the "National Park System" cover an area of about 14,268,224 hectares (142,682.24 km ) and account for 12.77% of the Colombian territory. Compared to neighboring countries, rates of deforestation in Colombia are still relatively low. Colombia had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.26/10, ranking it 25th globally out of 172 countries. Colombia

11620-739: The deal was unsuccessful. Afterward, the Colombian government and the FARC signed a revised peace deal in November 2016, which the Colombian congress approved. In 2016, President Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize . The Government began a process of attention and comprehensive reparation for victims of conflict. Colombia shows modest progress in the struggle to defend human rights, as expressed by HRW . A Special Jurisdiction of Peace has been created to investigate, clarify, prosecute and punish serious human rights violations and grave breaches of international humanitarian law which occurred during

11760-707: The difficult geography of one of the most mountainous regions of South America, notably with the La Quiebra Tunnel , which connected the industrial center to the Magdalena River , the most major navigable river in Colombia. In 1932 Medellín also built its first airport, the Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport . The study by Charles H. Savage on industrial production in Antioquia between 1960 and 1972 showed how important Medellín industries became to Colombia and South America. He studied social change produced by

11900-451: The dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830. The so-called " Department of Cundinamarca " adopted the name " New Granada ", which it kept until 1858 when it became the "Confederación Granadina" ( Granadine Confederation ). After a two-year civil war in 1863, the United States of Colombia was created, which became known as the Republic of Colombia in 1886. Internal divisions remained between

12040-587: The districts through which he passed " New Kingdom of Granada ". In August 1538, he provisionally founded its capital near the Muisca cacicazgo of Muyquytá , and named it "Santa Fe". The name soon acquired a suffix and was called Santa Fe de Bogotá. Two other notable journeys by early conquistadors to the interior took place in the same period. Sebastián de Belalcázar , conqueror of Quito , traveled north and founded Cali , in 1536, and Popayán , in 1537; from 1536 to 1539, German conquistador Nikolaus Federmann crossed

12180-450: The early development of Medellín, the export of coffee contributed the most impetus in the 20th century for the city's growth. Trade grew to international dimensions as the main export of Colombia became coffee . The industrial and commercial dynamism of Medellín also created a caste of traders and entrepreneurs, who founded the first nationwide industries in Colombia. Coltejer is one of the most important textile companies in Colombia. It

12320-458: The edict creating the Cabildo on November 22, 1674. The governor Miguel de Aguinaga proclaimed the royal edict on 2 November 1675. The new city was given the title of Villa de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria . Before the creation of the town, the inhabitants were scattered throughout the valley, with only a few families concentrated at the confluence of the Aná (today called the Santa Elena ) and

12460-471: The end of the 18th century. After 1574, with Gaspar de Rodas settled in the valley, the population started to grow. According to the church records of the San Lorenzo Church, six couples married between 1646 and 1650, and 41 between 1671 and 1675. Gold mines were developed northeast of Antioquia, thus they needed food supply from nearby agriculture. The Aburrá Valley was in a strategic position between

12600-458: The expedition as the astronomer Francisco José de Caldas , the scientist Francisco Antonio Zea , the zoologist Jorge Tadeo Lozano and the painter Salvador Rizo . Rebellions against Spanish rule had occurred in the empire since the advent of conquest and colonization, but most were either crushed or remained too weak to change the overall situation. The last one that sought outright independence from Spain sprang up around 1810 and culminated in

12740-452: The extradition of paramilitary leader Don Berna caused a brief spark in crime wave and increase in killings. There is a significant disparity in crime rates by neighborhoods, with virtually no homicides in El Poblado and Conquistadores and higher crime rates in the south west, around the airport and the north of the city. Generally, crime rates increase the further the neighborhood is from

12880-496: The forced Spanish monopoly. The Viceroyalty of New Granada was established in 1717, then temporarily removed, and then re-established in 1739. Its capital was Santa Fé de Bogotá. This Viceroyalty included some other provinces of northwestern South America that had previously been under the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalties of New Spain or Peru and correspond mainly to today's Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. Bogotá became one of

13020-405: The founders of Los Panidas , a Medellín literary movement. Other featured poets and writers were Porfirio Barba-Jacob and Efe Gómez . In painting, the most famous were Eladio Vélez and Pedro Nel Gómez . Carlos Vieco Ortiz was a popular composer and musician. Medellín became the headquarters of record labels like Sonolux, Ondina, and Silver. Medellín clubs, many of them dating to the end of

13160-502: The gold mines and the first provincial capital of Antioquia, Santa Fe de Antioquia . The provincial capital, Santa Fe, started to lose importance and gradually became poor, as trade and prominent personalities of the region came to the Aburrá Valley, where rich families started to buy land. Soon, the first settlers asked for the creation of a Cabildo (council) in the valley, thus getting a separate government from Santa Fe. The Santa Fe government fought this, but Mariana of Austria signed

13300-412: The industrial development of the city, although the civil war did not affect the region directly. Under reforms by President Rafael Reyes after the conflict, the city continued its industrial development and founded a Chamber of commerce . The Chamber developed a regional transport project that connected Medellín to other Colombian regions and other nations. Despite the importance of gold production in

13440-575: The interior of Colombia the Andes are the prevailing geographical feature. Most of Colombia's population centers are located in these interior highlands. Beyond the Colombian Massif (in the southwestern departments of Cauca and Nariño ), these are divided into three branches known as cordilleras (mountain ranges): the Cordillera Occidental , running adjacent to the Pacific coast and including

13580-639: The introduction of new technology. Savage looked at three factories in Antioquia: two potteries in Santuario and La Blanca , and a tailoring factory in Medellín. Savage studied the production of the Antioquian factories, and the relationship between the workers and their employers, an industrial efficiency which he called the "Culture of Work". His conclusions were published by his colleague George F. Lombardi as Sons of

13720-711: The isolated mountain range of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta . The Quimbaya inhabited regions of the Cauca River Valley between the Western and Central Ranges of the Colombian Andes. Most of the Amerindians practiced agriculture and the social structure of each indigenous community was different. Some groups of indigenous people such as the Caribs lived in a state of permanent war, but others had less bellicose attitudes. During

13860-516: The legislative branch and the judicial branch. As the head of the executive branch, the President of Colombia serves as both head of state and head of government , followed by the Vice President and the Council of Ministers . The president is elected by popular vote to serve a single four-year term (In 2015, Colombia's Congress approved the repeal of a 2004 constitutional amendment that changed

14000-479: The local chief-men. In 1574, Gaspar de Rodas asked the Antioquia's Cabildo for 10 square kilometers (4 sq mi) of land to establish herds and a ranch in the valley. The Cabildo granted him 8 square kilometers (3 sq mi) of land. In 1616, the colonial visitor Francisco de Herrera y Campuzano founded a settlement with 80 Amerindians, naming it Poblado de San Lorenzo , today " El Poblado ". In 1646

14140-529: The local economy with new micro-enterprises. However, several mayoral candidates for the October 2011 elections have argued the Banco de las Opportunidades's interest rates are too high, loan maturity is too short and it should have grace periods . They, therefore, suggest a new small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development bank to complement the Banco de las Opportunidades. Medellín used to be considered one of

14280-614: The mid-16th century, they had colonized much of present-day Colombia, and established the New Kingdom of Granada , with Santa Fé de Bogotá as its capital. Independence from the Spanish Empire was achieved in 1819, with what is now Colombia emerging as the United Provinces of New Granada . The new polity experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation (1858) and then the United States of Colombia (1863), before becoming

14420-407: The most dangerous cities in the world, a result of an urban war set off by the drug cartels at the end of the 1980s. However, its homicide rate has decreased by 95% and extreme poverty by 66%, thanks in part to a string of innovative mayors who laid out plans to integrate the poorest and most violent hillside neighborhoods into the city center in the valley below. Medellín is now considered safer than

14560-601: The municipality belongs to the Medellín Metropolitan Area , which is made up of ten neighboring municipalities. The government of the city of Medellín is divided into executive and legislative branches. The mayor of the city (Alcalde) is publicly elected for a term of four years (just like the president and the governor of any other department in Colombia). Low tax rates mean Medellín's city administration's social and economic development policies have been funded by

14700-587: The name of his town, Medellín in Extremadura, to the new settlement in America. His request was accepted on November 22, 1674, when the Regent Mariana of Austria proclaimed the city's name to be Villa de Nuestra Señora de Medellín . Miguel Aguinaga y Mendiogoitia, Governor, made the name official on November 2, 1675. The Crown granted a coat of arms to the city on June 24, 1676. In August 1541, Marshal Jorge Robledo

14840-408: The name was again changed, this time to United States of Colombia , before finally adopting its present name – the Republic of Colombia – in 1886. To refer to this country, the Colombian government uses the terms Colombia and República de Colombia . Owing to its location, the present territory of Colombia was a corridor of early human civilization from Mesoamerica and the Caribbean to

14980-608: The nature of New Granada. Started in 1783, this became known as the Royal Botanical Expedition to New Granada . It classified plants and wildlife, and founded the first astronomical observatory in the city of Santa Fe de Bogotá. In July 1801 the Prussian scientist Alexander von Humboldt reached Santa Fe de Bogotá where he met with Mutis. In addition, historical figures in the process of independence in New Granada emerged from

15120-420: The one-term limit for presidents to a two-term limit). At the provincial level executive power is vested in department governors , municipal mayors and local administrators for smaller administrative subdivisions, such as corregimientos or comunas . All regional elections are held one year and five months after the presidential election. The legislative branch of government is represented nationally by

15260-550: The opposition against the Viceroyalty . Cartagena became independent in November 1811. In 1811, the United Provinces of New Granada were proclaimed, headed by Camilo Torres Tenorio . The emergence of two distinct ideological currents among the patriots ( federalism and centralism ) gave rise to a period of instability called the Patria Boba . Shortly after the Napoleonic Wars ended, Ferdinand VII , recently restored to

15400-485: The planning of the city to be in harmony with the river, the construction of a city stadium, and an administrative center in La Alpujarra . Little of the plan was actually done. In 1951 the city had 358,189 inhabitants, but 22 years later, in 1973, the population had tripled to 1,071,252. The population explosion had several consequences for the MMP. The urban limits of the city grew to areas that were not contemplated in

15540-519: The poorest areas of Medellín and support the poor in developing business by providing free-of-charge business support services and technical advice. Also, as part of Cultura E, there is Banco de las Opportunidades that provides microloans (up to $ 2,500 at a cheap interest rate of 0.91% monthly). This has helped create more equal opportunities for all and overcome the barriers to entry to business for poor entrepreneurs with good ideas, but lacking capital, skills and connections. It has also helped develop

15680-410: The principal administrative centers of the Spanish possessions in the New World, along with Lima and Mexico City , though it remained less developed compared to those two cities in several economic and logistical ways. Great Britain declared war on Spain in 1739, and the city of Cartagena quickly became a top target for the British. A massive British expeditionary force was dispatched to capture

15820-561: The regions of El Abra and Tequendama in Cundinamarca . The oldest pottery discovered in the Americas, found in San Jacinto , dates to 5000–4000 BCE. Indigenous people inhabited the territory that is now Colombia by 12,500 BCE. Nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes at the El Abra, Tibitó and Tequendama sites near present-day Bogotá traded with one another and with other cultures from

15960-566: The south by Ecuador and Peru ; it established its maritime boundaries with neighboring countries through seven agreements on the Caribbean Sea and three on the Pacific Ocean. It lies between latitudes 12°N and 4°S and between longitudes 67° and 79°W . East of the Andes lies the savanna of the Llanos , part of the Orinoco River basin, and in the far southeast, the jungle of

16100-519: The steep hillside; and a Metro system which reduces Medellín's CO 2 emissions by 175,000 tons each year. Medellín has the biggest research-dedicated building in Colombia, called University Research Building ( Spanish : Sede de Investigación Universitaria, SIU ), a facility that concentrates the top research groups of the University of Antioquia . Medellín has 16 comunas (districts), 5 corregimientos (townships), and 271 barrios (neighborhoods). The metropolitan area of Medellín lies within

16240-424: The throne in Spain, unexpectedly decided to send military forces to retake most of northern South America. The viceroyalty was restored under the command of Juan de Sámano , whose regime punished those who participated in the patriotic movements, ignoring the political nuances of the juntas . The retribution stoked renewed rebellion, which, combined with a weakened Spain, made possible a successful rebellion led by

16380-837: The two governments. Colombia has offered humanitarian support with food and medicines to mitigate the shortage of supplies in Venezuela. Colombia's Foreign Ministry said that all efforts to resolve Venezuela's crisis should be peaceful. Colombia proposed the idea of the Sustainable Development Goals and a final document was adopted by the United Nations. In February 2019, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro cut off diplomatic relations with Colombia after Colombian President Ivan Duque had helped Venezuelan opposition politicians deliver humanitarian aid to their country. Colombia recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as

16520-632: The two leading political parties, which subsequently ignited after the assassination of the Liberal presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán on 9 April 1948. The ensuing riots in Bogotá, known as El Bogotazo , spread throughout the country and claimed the lives of at least 180,000 Colombians. Colombia entered the Korean War when Laureano Gómez was elected president. It was the only Latin American country to join

16660-400: The vote against the second most popular candidate, Antanas Mockus . A second round was required since no candidate received over the 50% winning threshold of votes. Santos won re-election with nearly 51% of the vote in second-round elections on 15 June 2014, beating right-wing rival Óscar Iván Zuluaga , who won 45%. In 2018, Iván Duque won in the second round of the election with 54% of

16800-432: The vote compared to 47.27% for independent candidate Rodolfo Hernández . The single-term limit for the country's presidency prevented President Iván Duque from seeking re-election. On 7 August 2022, Petro was sworn in, becoming the country's first leftist president. The geography of Colombia is characterized by its six main natural regions that present their unique characteristics, from the Andes mountain range region;

16940-545: The vote, against 42% for his left-wing rival, Gustavo Petro . His term as Colombia's president ran for four years, beginning on 7 August 2018. In 2022, Colombia elected Gustavo Petro, who became its first leftist leader, and Francia Marquez , who was the first black person elected as vice president. Medell%C3%ADn Medellín ( / ˌ m ɛ d ə ˈ l iː n / MED -ə- LEEN / ˌ m ɛ d eɪ ˈ ( j ) iː n / MED -ay- (Y)EEN ; Spanish: [meðeˈʝin] or [meðeˈʎin] ), officially

17080-417: The war in a direct military role as an ally of the United States. Particularly important was the resistance of the Colombian troops at Old Baldy . The violence between the two political parties decreased first when Gustavo Rojas deposed the President of Colombia in a coup d'état and negotiated with the guerrillas, and then under the military junta of General Gabriel París . After Rojas' deposition,

17220-691: The world and the second-highest level overall. Its territory encompasses Amazon rainforest , highlands , grasslands and deserts . It is the only country in South America with coastlines (and islands) along both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Colombia is a key member of major global and regional organizations including the UN , the WTO , the OECD , the OAS , the Pacific Alliance and

17360-421: The world's mammals species, 14% of the amphibian species and 18% of the bird species of the world. As for plants, the country has between 40,000 and 45,000 plant species , equivalent to 10 or 20% of total global species, which is even more remarkable given that Colombia is considered a country of intermediate size. Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world, lagging only after Brazil which

17500-461: The world. Social exclusion has eased due to the development of a transport infrastructure; a new system of public buses called "Metroplus" opened in December 2011, and gondolas called "MetroCable", which help connect the poorest barrio communities in the hills to the city, have been in operation since 2004, with more routes being added in recent years. Additionally, an electric escalator 1,260 feet long

17640-451: The years, including Aburrá de los Yamesíes , "Valley of Saint Bartholomew", "Saint Lawrence of Aburrá", "Saint Lawrence of Aná", Villa de la Candelaria de Medellín , and finally "Medellín". The name "Medellín" comes from Medellín, Spain , a small village in the Badajoz province of Extremadura . The village is known for being the birthplace of Hernán Cortés . The Spanish Medellín, in turn,

17780-485: Was 2,508,452 at the 2018 census . The metro area of Medellín is the second-largest urban agglomeration in Colombia in terms of population and economy, with more than 4 million people. In 1616, the Spaniard Francisco de Herrera Campuzano erected a small indigenous village ( poblado ) known as " Saint Lawrence of Aburrá" ( San Lorenzo de Aburrá ), located in the present-day El Poblado commune. On 2 November 1675,

17920-467: Was acquired. The first gallery built was that of San Lorenzo on the southwest side of the main courtyard and from this model was consolidated throughout the territory with similar constructions for the entire set. In the 1920s, various projects were started. During this time, engineer and Belgian architect Agustín Goovaerts created the cemetery's chapel in 1925 and a monument for Camilo Restrepo in 1926. Between 1996 and 1997 an evaluation and investigation

18060-964: Was conducted. The result of this evaluation defined the need to seek protective mechanisms for a work that had a high degree of deterioration. In 1997 the institution Colcultura (since subsumed by the Ministry of Culture ) was solicited to declare the Cemetery of San Pedro as a national monument of Colombia . The following is a select list of famous people interred in the cemetery: Fidel Cano, Mariano Ospina Rodríguez, Pedro Nel Ospina, Luciano Restrepo Escobar, Pedro Justo Berrío, Carlos Coriolano Amador, José María Sierra, Alejandro Ángel, Efe Gómez, Luis López de Mesa, Félix de Bedout Moreno, Manuel Uribe Ángel, Pedro Estrado, Luis Eduardo Yepes, Jorge Isaacs, Francisco Antonio Cano, Marco Tobón Mejía, Bernardo Vieco Ortiz, Jorge Marín Vieco, Pedro Nel Gómez, Constantino Carvajal, Rafael Sáenz, Colombia Colombia , officially

18200-519: Was created by a royal decree, and New Granada was ruled by the Royal Audience of Santa Fe de Bogotá , which at that time comprised the provinces of Santa Marta, Rio de San Juan, Popayán, Guayana and Cartagena. But important decisions were taken from the colony to Spain by the Council of the Indies . In the 16th century, European slave traders had begun to bring enslaved Africans to the Americas. Spain

18340-400: Was founded by members of the commercial, political, and intellectual elite of the time, it began to be called the cemetery of rich or "white city", for the many mausoleums and sculptures made of Carrara marble , most brought from Pietrasanta, Italy . With the growth and progress of Medellín, the cemetery needed to make additions and alterations to improve service, whereby the surrounding land

18480-412: Was founded in 1842, when the small town of La Candelaria (present-day Medellín) had 9000 inhabitants and only 16 years had passed since it became the new capital of Antioquia . This time was characterized by great advances in the town, such as a population increase and strengthening of major economic groups, wars fought between political parties, colonization of western Colombia, the consolidation of trade,

18620-570: Was founded in Medellín by Alejandro Echavarría on October 22, 1907. Its headquarters, the Coltejer Building , is the tallest skyscraper in Medellín and the fourth tallest building in Colombia. The discovery of coal in Amagá , a few kilometers south of the Aburrá Valley, and the building of hydroelectric plants provided the new industries with energy, and this allowed the creation of many smaller companies. The Antioquia Railway (built in 1875) conquered

18760-616: Was held in Medellín expressing a preferential option for the poor . The traditional Junin Theatre along the Santa Elena was demolished to build the Coltejer Tower. The huge migration into Medellín provided workers for the expansion of textile factories, being modernized in this period, but it also created new problems for the city: higher unemployment, lack of services for poor areas, urban violence in several districts, and collapse of any hope of

18900-423: Was in the place known today as Heliconia when he saw in the distance what he thought was a valley. He sent Jerónimo Luis Tejelo to explore the territory, and during the night of August 23, Tejelo reached the plain of what is now Aburrá Valley. The Spaniards gave it the name of "Valley of Saint Bartholomew ", but this was soon changed for the native name Aburrá , meaning "Painters", due to the textile decorations of

19040-524: Was inaugurated on December 26, 2011, in Comuna 13 , one of Medellín's poorest neighborhoods, making it one of the first of its kind in the world. Today's Medellín includes spaces for art, poetry, drama, the construction of public libraries, the foundation of new ecological parks, and the inclusion of people of the city in its development. In 2012, Medellín was among 200 cities around the world, including New York and Tel Aviv, nominated for Most Innovative City of

19180-629: Was not taken until the colonial Visitador (royal inspector) Antonio Mon y Velarde es ordered one between 1786 and 1787: there were then 14,507 people and 241 families. In 1808, two years before Colombia won independence, the city had 15,347 people and 360 families. In 1803, the Royal College of the Franciscans was founded in the Central Plaza, which is Berrío Park today, with the initial departments of Grammar, Philosophy, and Theology. Soon after,

19320-720: Was originally called "Metellinum" and was named after the Roman General Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius in 75 BC who founded the village as a military base. Some of the Conquistadors , such as Gaspar de Rodas , the first governor of Antioquia, came from the region of Badajoz . Count Pedro Portocarrero y Luna, President of the Council for the West Indies ( Consejo de Indias ), asked the Spanish monarchy to give

19460-553: Was the only European power that did not establish factories in Africa to purchase slaves; the Spanish Empire instead relied on the asiento system, awarding merchants from other European nations the license to trade enslaved peoples to their overseas territories. This system brought Africans to Colombia, although many spoke out against the institution. The indigenous peoples could not be enslaved because they were legally subjects of

19600-457: Was the only one there and, therefore, was too small to continue providing the service to the families of Medellín. The partners decided to buy land in the ridge of El Llano (today Bolivar Street). The lot was 125 yards long by 200 yards wide and on 30 September 1842 the deed of purchase was signed. The cemetery was called the New Cemetery, of Individuals or of San Vicente of Paul until 1871, when it changed names to San Pedro Cemetery. Because it

#375624