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Inflexión Memorial Park (Parque Conmemorativo Inflexión) is a public park in the El Poblado district of Medellín. It honors the victims of narcoterrorism in Colombia from 1983 to 1994.
History of Inflexión Memorial Park
Inflexión Memorial Park opened to the public on December 20, 2019. It was commissioned by the Medellín City Hall (Alcaldía de Medellín) and over 45 proposals were submitted by architects. The winning proposal, chosen by judges, belonged to Carolina Henao Salazar, Tomás Del Gallego Rico, Felipe Zapata Flórez y Germán Tamayo Osorio. The park is now an important place for visitors to solemnly reflect on the city’s violent past.
Location of Inflexión Memorial Park
The park is located in the Santa María de los Ángeles neighborhood. In fact, it sits on the former site of Edificio Mónaco, the home of Pablo Escobar, his family, bodyguards, and members of the Medellín Cartel. The building was demolished on February 22, 2019.
Path of Heroes
Inflexión Memorial Park is divided into three sections. First is the Path of Heroes (Camino de los héroes). The path is lined with nine granite monoliths containing quotes made by public figures about the violence occurring during this terrible period. All of the people quoted were assassinated.
Plaza of Reflection and Memory
Next is the Plaza of Reflection and Memory (Plaza de Reflexión y Memoria). This is the focal point and most important part of the park. It features a black granite wall measuring 70 meters long by four meters high, broken into four sections.
On the north face opening onto the Path of Heroes, the wall contains 46,612 holes. Each hole represents a victim of the violence taking place during the period. At night, the holes are illuminated from the inside, creating a “constellation” that connects visitors with each of the lives lost.
On the south face is a timeline of 208 violent events associated with narcoterrorism that occurred throughout Colombia. Each event is listed with the location, date, and type of event.
Forest of Resilience
The third and final section of Inflexión Memorial Park is the Forest of Resilience (Bosque de la Resiliencia). It represents the ability of society to overcome the pain and difficulties it experiences, providing opportunities and new perspectives. The forest contains different species of trees from all over the country.
Peacebuilders
Peacebuilders, a sculpture dedicated to dead, missing, and injured police, sits on one edge of the park. It was erected in 2017 and designed by artist Linda Valentina Barrera. It’s made of bronze and brass.
Rubble Walls
Finally, along the edges of the park are the Rubble Walls (Muros de Escombros). These walls were created with the rubble from Edificio Mónaco to remind visitors of the symbol of pain that once stood there.
