Pablo EscobarPablo escobar (Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria), born on December 1st 1949, is known as one of the most notorious criminals and drug lords in history. It's a fairly tragic story and I get the impression that people from Medellin just want to move on with their lives and forget about him. The scars of Medellin run deep. As a side note, I would like to mention that I'm filmmaker and that I made the documentary film, Dear Lina that is about my wife who is from Medellin. The film is about her life growing up in the city and her efforts to become a painter in the United States. It's a personal story and gives insight into one persons' account of Medellin's history and what it was like growing up during the time that Escobar was at the height of his power. The film is also about what it was like living in Norway and San Francisco, USA as a Colombian emigrant. You can read more about it
here.
From Rags to RichesPablo Escobar came from poverty, dropped out of university and began his career as a criminal at an early age. In 1975, he began his cocaine enterprise at the time when cocaine consumption was hitting the U.S. by storm.At his richest, Escobar was considered by Forbes Magazine to be the 7th richest person alive, at a net worth of roughly US$ 25 billion from controlling 80% of the global cocaine market. With ambitions of entering politics, he offered to pay of the entire Colombian national debt at one point. Hero to the PoorHe was considered a hero by the poor in Medellin that he bribed by giving them schools, housing, churches even, and in return, he received protection and loyalty.Sicarios (assasins) & EffectsMany people were killed during his reign through assassinations, car bombs and so on. Young boys called sycarios were hired to work for his system, often doing delivery jobs initially, but eventually being hired to perform shootings.My old paragliding instructor from Medellin, told me about how his brother was shot in the head while driving his car in Medellin during that period. Completely out of the blue. Speak to anyone from Medellin in their 30s and they will have suffered during that time either directly or indirectly. Below is a clip from Dear Lina where my wife Lina tells about how boys her age used to be recruited to work as "sycarios" or assassins while she was growing up in Medellin.
ImprisonmentEventually, pressure built up following the Escobar orchestrated assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan, leading to a negotiation between himself and the government for his surrender and imprisonment. The terms were that he would receive preferential treatment. Escobar was imprisoned in a private prison, where he lived in luxury.He continued with his killings while in prison and escaped during an attempt at moving him to another prison in 1992. Killing PabloUS Delta Force and Navy Seal operatives trained a special Colombian task force, the Search Bloc, in the hunt for Escobar. Additionally, a vigilante group financed by his enemies and other drug cartels known as Los Pepes all joined in the hunt.Facts are a bit blurry about what exactly happened at this point onwards, but finally on December 2, 1993, Escobar was gunned down on a rooftop while attempting to escape. It is unknown exactly who shot him or how it occurred, but wounds to the leg, torso and ear killed him. This could have been a close up assassination but it remains unknown. Pablo Escobar's death lead to the breaking up of the Medellin Cartel and soon thereafter, the Cali Cartel took its place for another few years. Personal StatementThere's still fascination with Pablo Escobar and to understand Medellin, it is important to understand who he was and the terror of that time. However, I advice anyone visiting to not bring up questions, jokes etc., about him unless you really know who you're talking to.Return from Pablo Escobar to Will you be Safe? Return from Pablo Escobar to Colombia Travel Guide New! CommentsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
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