Yes, Medellín has changed. No, it isn't ruined.
A response to every think-piece written in the last two years by people who spent eight days here.
A weekly think-piece appears in some travel magazine arguing that Medellín has been "ruined by digital nomads." The author was here for eight days. We have lived here our whole lives.
The city has changed. That part is true. Provenza in 2018 was different from Provenza in 2026. The rents are higher, the cafés are pickier, the streets are louder on Friday nights. We feel it too. We're not pretending we don't.
But "ruined" is a word for outsiders. The neighborhood is still ours. The panadería on Calle 9 is still 3,000 COP for a tinto. The lady who's been selling juice at the corner since 2003 is still there. The Metro still works. We still know our neighbors.
Long version coming. Short version: come visit. Tip well. Don't write the think-piece.