But today Medellin is a boomtown that is safer than some US cities and has tourists queuing up to learn about its violent past.
The "Pablo Escobar" tour starts in the lobby of a swish hotel in the fashionable El Poblado district of Medellin.
There are Colombians and foreigners, among the latter Phil Chanel, who works for a leading UK travel company setting up the infrastructure for a major influx of British tourists.
"As it is becoming more secure, it is somewhere we are looking to promote more to our clients," said Mr Chanel.
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