The “Hueco” is a highly underutilized area for most of Medellin’s High-class.  Despite being a gold mine of opportunity, it has faced a long-time fading scar of stigma and prejudice that distorts its reality and how people interact with the area.

“El Hueco” is one of Medellín’s thriving concentrations of commerce, offering the best products at competitive prices. Yet, privileged individuals avoid the area due to long-lasting generational prejudices. Ignorance of this stigmatization has prevented people from exploring themselves, causing them to miss out on everything it offers and overlooking its economic impact in Medellín.

“First off, I think El Hueco contributes largely to Medellín’s urban fabric and commerce. I believe it’s one of the biggest because of how many people it attracts a true funnel of commerce, business, and entrepreneurship. It offers a ridiculous amount of jobs and economic opportunities.” Vicente Echavarria, 11th-grade student, said.

 It’s clear that El Hueco has a significant role as an economic center, it is reflected through its ability to attract and start up personal entrepreneurship ideas. The ability to utilize it to build anything imaginable.

“The perfect place for entrepreneurs who want to start a business. Whether you’re opening a shop or sourcing materials for a home-based venture, it offers high-quality products at fair prices,” Vicente  Uribe, 11th-grade student, said. “In short, everyone is missing out if they overlook the opportunities here if it’s clothes, shoes, sunglasses, or anything else.” 

El Hueco’s ability to provide just about anything at great quality and for such a fair price has congregated it as a key economic concentration. 

“Speaking specifically about its economic impact, I think El Hueco is an economic powerhouse,” Echavarria said.  “Having a concentration of vendors in one place has greatly facilitated commerce in the city. It creates numerous opportunities for businesses to grow, allowing people to access a wide variety of goods quickly and efficiently at great prices. This benefits many in the community.”

While El Hueco, modernly, is seen as an economic powerhouse, its past is tinted by historical challenges, like political instability and crime, which have left stains on its reputation. Long-lasting episodes of violence have greatly influenced the area. 

“Speaking of historical context, El Hueco suffered greatly in the 1950s – 1990s during a period of political instability and conflicts with local cartels. The infamous bombings, and organized crime, and violence left a lasting scar that still influences how upper-class citizens view the “insecure” area. However, increased political stability and government enforcement have helped reshape public perception over the decades.” Echavarria said.

The historical past has left a shadow on the perception of especially high-class individuals, but personal experiences are starting to prove that it is not how they appear. 

“My dad experienced these prejudices firsthand. He warned me that if I went to El Hueco, I had to be extremely careful because I might get robbed. I think that’s a wrong prejudice, I’ve honestly never felt unsafe there.” Uribe said.

As individual narratives evolve, the fresh perspectives of people who adventure and decide to look for themselves are illustrating and redefining the area’s long-lasting divide.

“El Hueco has suffered from prejudice throughout its history, particularly among the higher classes. Some people believe that if you go there, you’ll get robbed. From my personal experience—and from what I’ve heard—that simply isn’t true. Although the area can be crowded and diverse, it is inherently safe, and the stigma that you might get robbed has largely disappeared,” Shared Echavarria.