Research by Mariana Díaz Chalela, Assistant Professor of International History at the Pardee School, was recently cited in an opinion column published by the Colombian newspaper El Espectador. The article by Tatiana Acevedo Guerrero, titled, ‘Sospechar de los milagros,’ examines the often-celebrated “Medellín miracle” and questions the social and economic costs that have accompanied the city’s development model.

The column references recent work by Díaz Chalela and collaborator Julián Gómez-Delgado, which explores the ways debt has shaped relationships between the Colombian state, international lenders, and the country’s poorest citizens. According to the authors’ research, the Colombian state has functioned not only as a borrower from international institutions such as the World Bank, but also as a creditor to low-income households, creating lasting debt obligations that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.

The article draws on Díaz Chalela and Gómez-Delgado’s findings to argue that public utility debt has become a central feature of everyday life for many residents of Medellín. As utility companies sought to recover costs and repay external loans, households increasingly assumed financial burdens through rising service fees and debt repayment programs. The column highlights Díaz Chalela’s research as part of a broader discussion about how development projects, infrastructure expansion, and public finance can create complex forms of indebtedness that shape citizens’ relationships with the state.