Around the collection of 23 sculptures by Master Fernando Botero, located in the Plaza that bears his name, multiple stories and realities are woven, a new one is the one that has been experienced for four months when it opened after a year of closure in which fences and 24-hour surveillance were installed.
2023 will go down in history when the most important set of art sculptures in the country was fenced off and to enter you had to go through a National Police checkpoint.
One of the most traditional places in the Plaza is the La Montañita Ice Cream Shop, located next to the Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of Culture, a business that is celebrating 63 years of being inaugurated.
The owner, and the one who serves daily, is Balmer de Jesús Quiroz Orrego, who recognizes that the area is better without fences but that having had them managed to turn the social and institutional gaze on one of the most iconic places in the city.
“This year security has improved a lot, the authorities have cooperated with merchants and there is more control with homeless residents regarding hygiene issues. Now that it is open, people feel calmer passing through because the fences created a blockage,” says Quiroz, who has spent more than half of his life in this important area.
The new approach
Precisely the new approach to comprehensive intervention in Plaza Botero has generated a transformation in recent months, since Mayor Federico Gutiérrez has the security and cultural revitalization of that space as one of his priorities.
The commitment has resulted in a series of initiatives that have not only improved security but also increased interest and the flow of activities in this central plaza.
Manuel Villa, Secretary of Security of Medellín, highlighted that with the removal of the fences it was possible to return this iconic space to the citizens. “This has implied a constant presence, not only human but also technological, with security cameras operating 24/7, ready to respond to any eventuality,” said Villa.
For women dedicated to commerce and street arts, the change has been felt, as they say that now without the closure the Police have been there permanently. “Before, sales dropped a lot, with the closure people preferred to return rather than come in. Now there is security and sales are stable again,” says Ana Rivera, a cell phone seller in the sector.
“In general, I think that people have returned to Plaza Botero, but it is necessary to ask for more police presence, especially at night, there are very indelicate people,” says Mireya Terán, a Venezuelan who arrived in the city five years ago and is emblematic. in the park for being the living sculpture of “La Gorda de Botero”, she has a degree in business administration and did theater in her native Trujillo.
The cultural experience comes to life again in Plaza Botero
One of the objectives of the current administration with the opening of Plaza Botero is to turn it into an epicenter of cultural life, through the revitalization of public spaces, emphasizing the importance of art and culture in the creation of a more inclusive and democratic.
María del Rosario Escobar, Director of the Museum of Antioquia, highlighted the importance of the rebirth of Plaza Botero as a center of cultural and social activity that not only revitalizes the physical space, but also fosters a deeper and more respectful understanding of the diversity of the city.
“We could say that after its closure, what we are experiencing today is a new way of experiencing the square and of interaction between the various actors, artists, pedestrians, tourists. It seems very important to us to resume the presence of cultural, creative, sports and artistic activities that give the square an inviting tone and also citizen education,” says the Director.
The district administration has plans to strengthen “Cultura Parque”, one of its flagship programs to promote spaces for art and gathering, especially in Plaza Botero, so that it becomes a testimony of how Medellín is putting culture at the center. of its strategy to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants.
Author: Tatiana Balvin
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