Medellin festival of lights gets international recognition

In this Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 photo, Christmas lights are displayed along the Medellin river, in Medellin, Colombia. The city once wracked by drug violence has undergone massive social and economic transformation, and its now known in tourist circles for spectacular Christmas light displays that veil churches, buildings, parks and even the Medellin River with glittering cascades of color. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides)

In this Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 photo, Christmas lights adorn a building on the banks of the Medellin river, in Medellin, Colombia. The city once wracked by drug violence has undergone massive social and economic transformation, and its now known in tourist circles for spectacular Christmas light displays that veil churches, buildings, parks and even the Medellin River with glittering cascades of color. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides)

In this Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 photo, Christmas lights are displayed along Medellin river, in Medellin, Colombia. The city once wracked by drug violence has undergone massive social and economic transformation, and its now known in tourist circles for spectacular Christmas light displays that veil churches, buildings, parks and even the Medellin River with glittering cascades of color. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides)

Christmas decoration in Medellin, Colombia. December 2009. (Fox News Latino)