CONTRE LA CRIMINALITÉ DES BIDONVILLES - Colombie - Tour du monde #8

Hugo is in Cali, the third most populated city in Colombia after Bogotá and Medellín, as part of his world tour following Canada and the United States.

Colombia is one of the most unequal countries in the world, with inequality particularly visible in major cities where poor neighborhoods are located in surrounding mountains.

Cali's poor neighborhoods are situated in mountains surrounding the city, similar to Brazilian favelas, making them disconnected from the city center.

In 2015, the city council inaugurated Mio Cable, a cable car system designed to reconnect these poor neighborhoods to downtown Cali.

• Mio Cable has changed the lives of 165,000 inhabitants in the Siloé neighborhood • The cable car has promoted economic development and neighborhood growth • Tourism from around the world has increased to the area in the past two years

Siloé was previously classified as the second most violent neighborhood in the world, but thanks to the cable car, criminality has decreased by 60-70% through social integration work.

• Young gang members now work for Mio Cable with monthly salaries to support their families • They are no longer driven to commit crimes • 98% of cable car employees come from Siloé

There is now less insecurity in the area, and the cable car allows residents to save money compared to previous transportation methods.

The mountainous terrain surrounding poor neighborhoods makes access difficult, similar to Brazilian favelas, rendering bus access impossible or nearly impossible due to steep elevation changes.

Cable cars are the practical solution to overcome geographical barriers that prevent traditional buses from serving these elevated neighborhoods.

• A resident explains that the cable car is essential for going to work • Before the cable car, they never left home and could not work • Now they work in a downtown shopping mall

The cable car has made employment and economic participation possible for residents who were previously isolated by geography.

Cable cars have become a massive phenomenon across South American cities, with multiple cable car systems installed in major urban areas.

• Medellín, Colombia has three cable car lines • La Paz, Bolivia has a cable car system • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has cable cars

Cable cars typically respond to the geographical situation of cities surrounded by mountains and aim to reconnect poor neighborhoods with city centers to reduce crime and develop economies.

Hugo will continue reporting from Colombia next week before heading to South Africa.