Globalization is the process by which an organization or community develops international influences or starts operating on a global scale. Globalization challenges a community to excel and evolve to a newer, more innovative place. Having lived in four different continents, I have had the pleasure of being able to learn about different cultures. However, I would say that out of all the places I’ve lived, I belong mostly to one community, the Colombian community. Over the past 20 years, Colombia has drastically altered and changed in multiple aspects such as the economic and political aspects. These two points have especially impacted my neighborhood and community.
El Retiro, the community, and neighborhood I'm from have gone through extreme changes over the past 20 years. Due to globalization, my neighborhood has developed for the better. El Retiro is located 20 minutes away from Medellin, the central city. The quality of life in Medellin was much different in the 1980s. Globalization has changed all aspects. The visual and infrastructural conditions of my neighborhood are one of the leading aspects that have transformed. Having heard the conditions my parents had to grow up in and comparing it to my personal experience really makes it clear that Medellin has gone through an intense reformation. The visual differences come from the improvement in the infrastructure.
The infrastructure in Colombia is known to be one of the worst in all Latin America due to the corruption in the government. The Colombian Government has been corrupt for decades, which means the politicians take the money that should be invested in the city. Most politics are part of this illegal act. This is why the infrastructure is such a liability.
In the 1980s there were very limited highways and cemented roads. To get to the city from El Retiro, it would take 45 minutes along a winding dirt road. Today, most roads are now pavemented, and a tunnel is in the process of being made so that it will only take 20 minutes to get to the city. Due to the overpopulation within the city, the government has been forced to use some of the money they want to steal to put into roads and bridges. The new bridges, more open lanes, and new streets have been made so that the citizens can assess more places in less time. However, even with all the new roadwork, it is still never enough.
A huge advantage to my community's economic growth was working with international, multicultural companies. Europe and the US have invested in Colombia. Multinational corporations have invested in Colombia, which generated a lot of employment and favors the economy. Twenty years ago, it was almost impossible to find anything imported from America and even less from Europe. The only products found were cigarettes or food that people smuggled into the country. Contrabanding was a significant problem for the economy because no taxes had to be declared, which meant that they gained 100 percent of profits.
My neighborhood is seen as a safe place to live; however, there are still risks involved. The Colombian cartel was destructive to the city of Medellin because it was the mecca of where everything illegal occurred due to the Pablo Escobar era. Drug traffickers left a horrible mindset in unemployment, a significant amount of illicit money, and blood. In the ’80s, the Cartel of Medellin controlled the city. My parents experience shootings, car bombs, and kidnappings almost on a weekly basis. A direct example I have where I’ve seen the violence diminish due to globalization is comparing the time my mother got shot in the back for not getting out fast enough during a car robbery and me never having to experience anything even close to that unfortunate event.
Ex-Presidente Alvaro Uribe restored an idea of peace to our community. Uribe managed to control the Gorillas and drug dealers. By controlling the violence, fewer people were getting hurt and the country as a whole felt like a safer place. This made Colombian much more appealing which made tourism skyrocket. Before no tourist would consider traveling anywhere near Colombia, however, today, Medellin and other beautiful cities like Cartagena are packed with tourists, drastically helping the economy. Although violent acts have dimished, one has to be careful. People begin to develop a sixth sense in learning what's right and what's wrong.
Due to the poor reputation Colombia has to carry with it because of the last 20 years, there has been an extraordinary development. The government, even though still corrupt, has managed to reduce drug production, the city’s infrastructure is slowly but surely advancing, and the economic growth of the country has all proven to be the most prominent forms of globalization. Globalization has done wonders for my community and the nation as a whole. What I make out of all this is that Colombia is gradually improving and developing from a third world country to something greater, however always having to face its obstacles.
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