Inside a neighborhood scarred by drugs and despair.



It is one of Colombia's most dangerous neighborhoods, a crowded and dilapidated crush of drug dealers, prostitutes and the homeless fight for survival.


But despite the poverty and despair of Barrio Triste - Sad Neighborhood - photographer Juan Arredondo found glimmers of hope among the people who call it home.


For three years, the 35-year-old photographer has documented life in Medellín, once the most dangerous city in the world, where drug lords and paramilitary groups fight for power.




Survival: A homeless man cooks over an open fire made from bits of wood found on the street





Addicts: Hugo, 33, is one of many drug users who gather in deserted warehouses to smoke crack





Trade: The neighborhood has become a place to trade drugs





Refuge: A sex worker holds her daughter as she makes their meal in a rented hotel room



He became fascinated with Barrio Triste after meeting a mother-of-four who sought refuge in the neighborhood after a paramilitary group killed her husband.


As Medellín, the hometown of infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, cleaned up its act, Barrio Triste remained a battleground for other dealers.


It was once named the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but now mechanics and sex workers trade on its grease-stained streets, and turn to paramilitary group Los Convivir for protection.


But despite the poverty and crime, Arredondo remains optimistic for its future.


'Barrio Triste serves a window to the violent past that once plagued the city of Medellín. It reminds me of a past I left behind and the hardship the citizens of this city and this country have endured over many years,' he said.




Tragedy: A family say goodbye to a child placed in a tiny coffin





Oppressive: It make look uninviting but hotel Rest Stop of the Traveler offers cheap shelter to those displaced by violence





Despair: Orejas, 21, has been living on the streets of Barrio Triste since running away when he was 12





Displaced: With nowhere else to go, this drunk is forced to sleep on the sidewalk





Faith: A cathedral dominates the dilapidated neighborhood





Icon: A painting of Sacred Heart of Jesus, the old name of the town, hangs in a workshop





Worn: Pieces of metal and wire from the mechanics' shops are encrusted in the sidewalk





Savior: A large painting of Jesus is carried through the bustling streets





Down time: Workers play parqu during an afternoon break





Boxed in: A framed photo of a wedding day hangs on the flimsy walls of this man's hut





Home: Carmen Salgado, 67, has been living is this room for 17 years. She pays $6.50 a day in rent





Trapped: A pregnant woman smokes marijuana from the back yard of a repair shop





Hardship: A man who has lost both hands and one leg showers in the ruins of a house





Crowded: Laundry hangs over the bed in a tiny room shared by this family





Cramped: Eight-year-old Jenny shares this rented room with her four brothers, mother and step-father





Comfort: A mother hugs one of her children in their tiny home





Motor city: By day mechanics and car workshops are the main trade





Homeless: Men bathe in the streets among street vendors and traffic





Break: A mechanic rests inside a bus to escape the heat of the afternoon





Pit stop: A worker rests in a local bar in Barrio Triste





Celebration: A pig is slaughtered for a traditional New Year's Eve party





Deprived: Homeless teenagers gather in a sewage tunnel that runs under the neighborhood





Youthful: Despite the despair, children still play happily on a rooftop





Grime: Workers repair vending carts on the street





Broken: Barrio Triste lives up to its name as Sad Neighborhood but Juan Arredondo says there is hope

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2456016/Streets-scarred-drugs-despair-Pablo-Escobars-hometown.html#ixzz2hcfTyrvA
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