Medellín has picked up another international nod for its efforts to tackle gang recruitment at the root. The city's Parceros program received the Award for Crime Reduction and Youth Opportunity from the Inter-American Dialogue at the 2026 Leadership for the Americas Awards gala, held at the Organization of American States headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The context is sobering. Medellín's city administration estimates that 43% of Colombia's criminal groups operate in the city, with around 6,000 members — a figure that climbs to 12,000 counting indirect associates. Roughly 1,000 young people aged 14 to 28 are recruited into these armed groups every year, and hundreds of women remain trapped in prostitution and sexual exploitation networks.
Run by the Secretariat of Security and Coexistence, Parceros — named after Medellín slang for a trusted friend — pairs at-risk young people with mentors and offers practical routes out: education, jobs, entrepreneurship training and psychosocial support. Since launching in 2024, it has reached 12,481 young people. Of those, 9,211 have graduated, 1,318 found formal employment, 128 won scholarships and 606 completed entrepreneurship training. The city's impact assessment reports a 23% drop in criminal behaviour among participants, a 15% rise in formal employment, and better emotional regulation for nearly 62% of those involved.
Mayor Federico Gutiérrez, who accepted the award in Washington, said the approach is now reaching younger ages. A school survey found some children still aspire to run their neighbourhood gang, prompting the launch of Parceritos for kids and Parceritas in 2026, a program for girls aged 10 to 15 designed to prevent recruitment and sexual exploitation. The four-year target is ambitious: 15,000 minors and women reached.
It's not the first recognition, either. The program won a Best Crime Prevention Project award in Granollers, Spain, in 2025 and the Educating Cities Award in May 2026.
Why should travellers care? Medellín's transformation is one of Latin America's great urban turnarounds — a city that went from the world's murder capital in the early 1990s to a major destination for digital nomads, backpackers and food lovers. Programs like Parceros are a big part of that story, and understanding the city's ongoing challenges helps visitors travel smart. Stick to neighbourhoods like El Poblado, Laureles and Envigado, keep valuables low-key, and use ride apps after dark. And if you want to see the other side of Medellín's reinvention, the comuna tours led by local residents — notably in Comuna 13 with its famous escaleras and street art — put money directly into communities building a future beyond the gangs.
