In this reflective essay, I reflect as a foreigner on what is known as “Metro Culture” in Medellín, Colombia. Although framed within a discourse of care for oneself, others, and the environment—free from violence—I argue that Metro Culture should be viewed primarily as a form of soft power, which backs up Medellín as a brand. Presented as a “positive way of relating,” there is almost no room for dissent. This managerial use of a framework of flowers and love silences certain actors who question the city’s elitist aspirations, obscures the harsh realities faced by the victims of development, and prevents us from questioning how to reinvent the political sphere and the urban issue.
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