Comuna Trece is a neighborhood in Medellín that was considered one of the most dangerous communities in the world during the 80s and 90s. During the early 2000s, a couple of operations were conducted to remove gangs and paramilitary influence from the area.

A few years later, Medellín installed a Metrocable system that included cable cars to the base of the neighborhood. In 2011, escalators were installed under the guise of helping the citizens of Comuna Trece traverse the 28-story climb to the upper levels of the neighborhood. The tourists soon followed.

Along the escalators now, you can see impressive street art, buy trinkets from storefronts, and eat at restaurants with elaborate statues and views. While I am sure the escalators are beneficial to the residents further from the tourist chaos, I have my doubts that they were actually built with such an altruistic goal.