Inside a neighborhood scarred by drugs and despair: Life on the tough streets of Pablo Escobar's hometown where drug addicts and prostitutes struggle to survive
It is one of Colombia's most dangerous neighborhoods, a crowded and dilapidated crush of drug dealers, prostitutes and the homeless fight for survival.
But despite the poverty and despair of Barrio Triste - Sad Neighborhood - photographer Juan Arredondo found glimmers of hope among the people who call it home.
For three years, the 35-year-old photographer has documented life in Medellín, once the most dangerous city in the world, where drug lords and paramilitary groups fight for power.
Survival: A homeless man cooks over an open fire made from bits of wood found on the street
Addicts: Hugo, 33, is one of many drug users who gather in deserted warehouses to smoke crack
Trade: The neighborhood has become a place to trade drugs
Refuge: A sex worker holds her daughter as she makes their meal in a rented hotel room
He became fascinated with Barrio Triste after meeting a mother-of-four who sought refuge in the neighborhood after a paramilitary group killed her husband.
As Medellín, the hometown of infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, cleaned up its act, Barrio Triste remained a battleground for other dealers.
It was once named the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but now mechanics and sex workers trade on its grease-stained streets, and turn to paramilitary group Los Convivir for protection.
But despite the poverty and crime, Arredondo remains optimistic for its future.
'Barrio Triste serves a window to the violent past that once plagued the city of Medellín. It reminds me of a past I left behind and the hardship the citizens of this city and this country have endured over many years,' he said.
Tragedy: A family say goodbye to a child placed in a tiny coffin
Oppressive: It make look uninviting but hotel Rest Stop of the Traveler offers cheap shelter to those displaced by violence
Despair: Orejas, 21, has been living on the streets of Barrio Triste since running away when he was 12
Displaced: With nowhere else to go, this drunk is forced to sleep on the sidewalk
Faith: A cathedral dominates the dilapidated neighborhood
Icon: A painting of Sacred Heart of Jesus, the old name of the town, hangs in a workshop
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ed-drugs-despair-Pablo-Escobars-hometown.html
It is one of Colombia's most dangerous neighborhoods, a crowded and dilapidated crush of drug dealers, prostitutes and the homeless fight for survival.
But despite the poverty and despair of Barrio Triste - Sad Neighborhood - photographer Juan Arredondo found glimmers of hope among the people who call it home.
For three years, the 35-year-old photographer has documented life in Medellín, once the most dangerous city in the world, where drug lords and paramilitary groups fight for power.
Survival: A homeless man cooks over an open fire made from bits of wood found on the street
Addicts: Hugo, 33, is one of many drug users who gather in deserted warehouses to smoke crack
Trade: The neighborhood has become a place to trade drugs
Refuge: A sex worker holds her daughter as she makes their meal in a rented hotel room
He became fascinated with Barrio Triste after meeting a mother-of-four who sought refuge in the neighborhood after a paramilitary group killed her husband.
As Medellín, the hometown of infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, cleaned up its act, Barrio Triste remained a battleground for other dealers.
It was once named the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but now mechanics and sex workers trade on its grease-stained streets, and turn to paramilitary group Los Convivir for protection.
But despite the poverty and crime, Arredondo remains optimistic for its future.
'Barrio Triste serves a window to the violent past that once plagued the city of Medellín. It reminds me of a past I left behind and the hardship the citizens of this city and this country have endured over many years,' he said.
Tragedy: A family say goodbye to a child placed in a tiny coffin
Oppressive: It make look uninviting but hotel Rest Stop of the Traveler offers cheap shelter to those displaced by violence
Despair: Orejas, 21, has been living on the streets of Barrio Triste since running away when he was 12
Displaced: With nowhere else to go, this drunk is forced to sleep on the sidewalk
Faith: A cathedral dominates the dilapidated neighborhood
Icon: A painting of Sacred Heart of Jesus, the old name of the town, hangs in a workshop
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ed-drugs-despair-Pablo-Escobars-hometown.html
