Women's projects on Escobar's legacy: A new beginning!

Women's projects on Escobar's legacy: A new beginning!

A new glimmer of hope for women in Colombia: The government of the South American country under President Gustavo Petro has decided to use part of Pablo Escobar's former “Hacienda Nápoles” for agricultural projects. The aim is to support women who were victims of the decades-long civil war and to offer them perspective. This progressive decision could play an important role in the reconstruction of communities affected by the conflict.

Felipe Harman, head of the national land agency ANT, announced that a women's organization had received the commitment to cultivate around 120 hectares out of a total of around 3,000 hectares. “This is a step in the right direction,” says Harman. A new story is now to be written at the hacienda, which was once a private zoo and a luxurious retreat for the notorious drug lord.

The history of Hacienda Nápoles

The Hacienda Nápoles, owned by Pablo Escobar, once included not only a Spanish colonial house, but also a zoo that housed animals from around the world such as elephants, ostriches and - Escobar's most famous legacy - hippos. The ranch was a true spectacle with a sculpture park, a Formula 1 race track and a brothel. After Escobar's death in 1993, the property became the subject of legal battles between his family and the Colombian government, which was ultimately victorious. Today the abandoned property is managed by the municipality of Puerto Triunfo and has been partially converted into a theme park.

Although many animals were donated to other zoos after Escobar's death, some hippos remained in the wild. In recent decades, these animals have multiplied uncontrollably. There are now over 160 hippos living in Colombia, which scientists have classified as an invasive species. The original herd of four hippos that Escobar illegally brought into his hacienda has become a growing population that has serious environmental impacts.

The challenge with the hippos

Similar to worrying reports about the hippos have emerged in recent years. These animals have no natural enemies in Colombia and pose ecological problems. Researchers warn that hippopotamus feces have a massive impact on the water quality of rivers, thereby negatively impacting their habitat and that of native species such as manatees and capybaras. It is estimated that the hippo population could grow to over 1,000 animals by 2035 if action is not taken soon.

To control the spread, the Colombian government, led by Environment Minister Susana Muhamad, plans to sterilize hippos and possibly transfer some animals to other countries or even euthanize them. Starting next week, the first 40 hippos are scheduled to be sterilized, a measure that is costly and carries risks.

It remains to be seen what steps the government and society will take next. However, the political decision to allocate land to women's projects provides at least a small ray of hope in a country that has long suffered from the shadows of the past.