President of Colombia Gustavo Petro recently suggested to grant victims of the armed conflict ownership of “Hacienda Napoles”—a property once known as the stronghold of drug lord Pablo Escobar—as part of the country’s land restitution efforts.
The site holds deep historical and symbolic significance. It once served as the operations center of the Medellin Cartel before being seized by the Colombian state and later transformed into a theme park that now attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Located in Puerto Triunfo, in the department of Antioquia, Hacienda Napoles lies 190 kilometers east of Medellin. For years, it has been operated by the company Etecsa under a 20-year state concession that is now nearing its expiration.
Colombia plans to grant Hacienda Napoles to armed conflict victims
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has proposed transferring Hacienda Napoles, the former estate of drug lord Pablo Escobar, to victims of the armed conflict as part of his broader reparations and reconciliation policy. The initiative has sparked mixed reactions across Colombian society.
Located in the municipality of Puerto Triunfo, Antioquia, Hacienda Napoles was expropriated by the Colombian state in 2004 and later converted into a theme park. Petro argues that the property should now be handed over to conflict victims as both a symbolic and material act of reparation.
The president first unveiled the proposal during a public event in Barrancabermeja on May 23 and reiterated it during this week’s Council of Ministers meeting.
According to Petro, the estate represents a painful history of violence—one that should now be transformed into a space for reparation and social justice.
Local business sector opposes Petro government measure
Local business owners and merchants have voiced opposition to the government’s proposal, fearing it could negatively impact tourism and economic activity—both of which have grown significantly in recent years following the transformation of Hacienda Napoles into a theme park.
“We’re not against development or giving land to rural residents. We know many people are in need, but we can’t afford to jeopardize the growth of a park that adds a new attraction every year and spends millions on advertising to bring visitors here,” said Dubai Daza, a local tourism operator.
Hacienda Nápoles has become an economic engine for the Magdalena Medio region. The theme park now attracts 1.2 million tourists annually, generating thousands of direct and indirect jobs and benefiting sectors such as hospitality, transportation, and commerce.
Critics of the government’s proposal argue that the estate should be preserved as a cultural and tourism heritage site. They emphasize the importance of acknowledging the atrocities committed there—not to erase history, but to remember it, learn from it, and promote peace.
Hacienda Napoles, Pablo Escobar’s tropical empire
Located in the strategic Magdalena Medio region, east of the department of Antioquia, Hacienda Napoles was one of the most extravagant symbols of the power wielded by Pablo Escobar, the feared leader of the Medellín Cartel.
Acquired in the 1980s, the property spanned over 3,000 hectares and included a luxurious mansion, a private airstrip, a bullring, a collection of classic cars, and, unusually, a zoo featuring exotic animals like hippos, giraffes, and elephants.
Pablo Escobar used Hacienda Napoles both as a private residence and as a showcase to impress drug trafficking associates and allies. The estate also served to reinforce his self-fashioned image as a philanthropist and benefactor of the people.
After his death in 1993, however, the site fell into disrepair, and many of its exotic animals were left to roam freely—causing environmental problems, including the unchecked spread of hippopotamuses throughout the Magdalena Medio region.
Years later, the property was transformed into a legal tourism theme park focused on drug trafficking history and biodiversity. The goal was to reinterpret a violent past and create an educational and recreational space. However, the conversion has sparked debate over historical memory and accusations of promoting “narco-tourism.”
Today, the site’s future remains a source of contention in Colombia—especially as the concession agreement nears expiration and the state considers regaining control over a place that evokes one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s history.