In 2014, La Primera Dama de Medellín, Claudia Márquez Cadavid, hosted two events with the city’s top bloggers and social media influencers at the offices of Telemedellín.
The events offered terrific networking opportunities for attendees, including Colombian fashion blogger Laura Echavarria and food blogger Tulio, as well as a chance for La Primera Dama* to highlight several of the city’s social programs.
We invited her to participate in our Paisa Perspective series and are glad she said yes.
* La Primera Dama translates as “The First Lady,” which is the title given to the Mayor’s wife.
Growing up
I was born in Laureles, a very different neighborhood from what it is today. During my childhood I lived in a traditional home. The neighbors and I would play hide and seek, tag, ding-dong-ditch, and rode bikes freely.
Now we live in a building in San Lucas which really changes life a lot because it is more independent and we sadly don’t have a lot of contact with the neighbors.
What sets Medellín apart
The people, the kindness, the smiles, the service. Attitude in Medellín is what sets us apart.
Medellín being named “City of the Year”
It inspires pride but is a challenge at the same time because you have to maintain that title.
As a large city, we gained recognition at a global level because for a long time Medellín hadn’t been on the world’s radar.
Favorite aspects of paisa culture
The mountains and the Chicharrón.
Activities and cultural events
I like Feria de las Flores very much because of the wonderful encounter between country and city life, also because of that purest demonstration of the silletera culture, the biodiversity that characterizes us and the recovery of flowers as heritage.
In her free time
I spend time with my family. What I do is take walks with my children, go to Parque Norte, Parque Explora, walk through Jardín Circunvalar, and we’re waiting for the Parques del Río to enjoy it as a family.
Good eats
We have a wide variety of establishments that are part of our Medellín Sí Sabe project that are made up of 49 traditional Colombian food establishments. There is something for every taste.
The Role of First Lady
I take on this role with absolute responsibility, with the many challenges that motivate my team and I to make things possible.
I would like for the population, more than know about the First Lady, to take on the projects like Mercados Campesinos, Medellín Sí Sabe, and Techo una Historia as their own.
I would like to see people walking the city, getting to know it, valuing our farmers and business men and women that work day to day to offer the best of themselves.
For those who want to volunteer
Luckily, Medellín has a large number of non-profit foundations that work in specific ways to accomplish specific objectives. Any of these foundations that receives help will, I’m sure, use the resources well.
10 years from now
I want a Medellín where we can walk more, use cars less.
A city with a lot of public space in which we can share with family, where we can go on more picnics and have more places to enjoy our biodiversity.
A happier Medellín, smart, equal, and very innovative. A Medellín without extreme poverty.
