Narco-aesthetics are a thing of the past

It happens in Colombia with plastic sugeries, in Mexico with narcocorridos and some “peso pluma songs”, in Argentina with narco cumbia, and in Chile with Narcopop. Everything is improving.

This photo, like all those you'll see in this article, is the work of Manuela Henao, highlighting the culture of plastic surgery among underage girls in Colombia.

Today, I'm going to talk a bit about our Colombian culture, focusing on what has perhaps most influenced our behavior: the pursuit of quick money at any cost.

Narcotrafficking isn't just a business; it's also an aesthetic and a culture that is part of Colombia's history and is now manifest in music, netflix, language, and architecture. I must also say that it's not just a Colombian issue—it happens in Mexico with narco corridos and some “peso pluma songs”, in Argentina with narco cumbia, and in Chile with Narcopop.

Generally, this culture is hypocritical because Colombians boast about our TV soap operas, almost all about drug lords, yet we are outraged when foreigners speak about us with stigma. The first thing we must do is change our culture, and we can't change it if we pretend it doesn't exist. We must first acknowledge that this culture is part of us if we want to change it.

In fact, I find it funny how the mayor of Medellín is now campaigning against the sexual exploitation of locals by foreigners, but he doesn't talk about the sexual exploitation of girls by local family men. This isn't only happening in Medellín; it occurs in Cartagena and even in Santa Marta to a lesser extent, but I myself have seen terrible cases of sexual exploitation, especially in Taganga.

But I must say that everything is changing for the better. This is no longer as common as it used to be... Let me explain…

Estefania and Tatiana, 18 and 19, Medellín. Estefania: ‘I had my liposuction when I was 15, then breast implants at 18. I can’t even remember when I started to want to change my body; I have always had that desire. When I was very little I remember saying to my mum that one day I will have breast implants. It’s about time to have another liposuction. I would also like to have my bum done, and probably a face job.’