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Who Was Pablo Escobar?
Pablo Escobar was a notorious Colombian drug trafficker who, alongside other criminals, established the Medellín cartel in the early 1970s. By the peak of his operations, Escobar controlled over 80 percent of the cocaine entering the United States, earning him the moniker “The King of Cocaine.” With an estimated net worth of $30 billion, he was recognized as one of the ten richest individuals globally by Forbes. Despite his wealth, which he often showcased through philanthropic endeavors supporting charity projects and local soccer clubs, Escobar’s reputation deteriorated due to his involvement in violent terror campaigns that led to the deaths of thousands. After surrendering to Colombian authorities in 1991, he escaped from custody in 1992, remaining a fugitive until his dramatic death in December 1993.
Early Life
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was born on December 1, 1949, in Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia. His family later relocated to the suburb of Envigado, where he grew up as the third of seven children in a household that faced economic hardships. His mother was a schoolteacher, and his father was a peasant farmer. From an early age, Escobar exhibited a strong ambition to rise above his impoverished circumstances, even harboring dreams of one day becoming the president of Colombia. He reportedly began his criminal career early, engaging in petty theft such as stealing tombstones and selling fake diplomas. As his ambitions grew, he progressed to stealing cars and later became involved in the smuggling trade. His early notoriety emerged during the “Marlboro Wars,” where he played a significant role in controlling Colombia’s illicit cigarette market—an experience that would later serve as valuable training for his future endeavors in narcotics.
Establishing the Medellín Cartel
Colombia’s emergence as a dominant player in the cocaine trade was not coincidental. Beginning in the early 1970s, the country had already established itself as a prime smuggling route for marijuana. As the cocaine market expanded, Colombia’s geographical position became a significant advantage, nestled at the northern tip of South America between the major coca-producing countries of Peru and Bolivia. This strategic location enabled Colombia to effectively dominate the global cocaine trade, particularly to the United States, the largest market for the drug.
Having been involved in organized crime for over a decade, Escobar swiftly moved to take control of the cocaine industry. In 1975, the assassination of Medellín drug trafficker Fabio Restrepo marked a pivotal moment, with many believing Escobar orchestrated the killing to seize control of Restrepo’s operations. Under Escobar’s leadership, the cartel grew into a formidable force, purchasing large quantities of coca paste from Bolivia and Peru, processing it, and transporting it to the United States. This period also marked the beginning of Escobar’s family life, as he married Maria Victoria Henao in 1976; she was 11 years his junior and still a teenager at the time of their wedding. The couple would go on to have two children.
Rapid Rise in Power
Pablo Escobar’s swift ascent to power drew the attention of the Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (DAS), culminating in his arrest in May 1976 after he returned from a drug trafficking trip to Ecuador. Authorities discovered 39 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the spare tire of his truck. Escobar evaded prosecution by bribing a judge, and the two DAS agents responsible for his arrest were assassinated the following year, as documented in Mark Bowden’s Killing Pablo. During this period, Escobar devised his infamous strategy of “plata o plomo,” which translates to “silver or lead,” offering authorities the choice between accepting bribes or facing lethal consequences.
In 1978, Escobar invested millions in purchasing 20 square kilometers of land in Antioquia, Colombia, where he constructed the opulent Hacienda Nápoles. This estate featured a sculpture garden, a lake, a private bullring, and various amenities for his family and cartel associates, including a collection of luxury vehicles and a zoo housing exotic animals such as antelope, elephants, giraffes, hippos, ponies, ostriches, and birds. After Escobar’s death, the property was transformed into a theme park. Today, the descendants of the hippos he brought to Colombia have multiplied, leading to significant environmental challenges while also attracting tourism.
As demand for cocaine surged in the United States, Escobar expanded his smuggling operations and established distribution networks in various locations, including a shipment base on a private island in the Bahamas with cartel co-founder Carlos Lehder. By the mid-1980s, Escobar’s estimated net worth had reached $30 billion, earning him recognition as one of the ten richest individuals globally by Forbes. The sheer volume of cash generated from his operations enabled him to acquire a Learjet specifically for transporting money. At the height of his power, Escobar controlled over 80 percent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States, with reports indicating that more than 15 tons were trafficked daily, yielding the Medellín cartel as much as $420 million weekly.
As his wealth and notoriety grew, Escobar aspired to be recognized as a leader within his community. He cultivated an image reminiscent of Robin Hood, a sentiment echoed by many locals, by funding social programs aimed at assisting the impoverished. He invested millions in Medellín’s underprivileged neighborhoods, constructing roads, electrical lines, soccer fields, and roller-skating rinks. Additionally, he compensated workers in his cocaine labs sufficiently to enable them to purchase homes and vehicles, as noted by Bowden.
Escobar’s Short-Lived Stint in Politics
Driven by his longstanding ambition to ascend to the presidency, Escobar entered the political arena and supported the formation of the Liberal Party of Colombia. In 1982, he was elected as an alternate member of Colombia’s Congress; however, Minister of Justice Rodrigo Lara-Bonilla soon launched an investigation into the illicit means by which Escobar amassed his wealth, forcing him to resign two years later. Shortly thereafter, Lara-Bonilla was assassinated, as detailed in Kings of Cocaine by Guy Gugliotta and Jeff Leen.
A Large Body Count
Escobar was responsible for the deaths of thousands, including politicians, civil servants, journalists, and ordinary citizens. Faced with the diminishing prospect of achieving his presidential aspirations and increasing pressure from the United States for his capture and extradition, Escobar unleashed a campaign of terror against his adversaries in a bid to influence Colombian politics. His objectives included securing a no-extradition clause and amnesty for drug traffickers in exchange for relinquishing their trade.
This campaign of violence resulted in the murders of three Colombian presidential candidates, an attorney general, numerous judges, and over 1,000 police officers. Furthermore, Escobar was implicated as the mastermind behind the bombing of a Colombian jetliner. In November 1989, he orchestrated a bomb attack on Avianca Flight 203, targeting presidential candidate César Gaviria Trujillo, who was not on board at the time. The explosion claimed the lives of all 107 individuals aboard.
Just nine days later, a truck bomb detonated outside a DAS building in Bogotá, killing more than 50 people and injuring over 2,200. The Medellín cartel was believed to have orchestrated this attack, further turning public sentiment against Escobar.
Escobar’s Luxury Prison
By the 1990s, Escobar faced mounting pressure from President César Gaviria’s administration, particularly following the assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán in 1989. In June 1991, Escobar negotiated a surrender to the government in exchange for a reduced sentence and preferential treatment during his imprisonment. A legal provision at the time prohibited his extradition to the United States.
Escobar constructed a lavish prison, known as La Catedral, which was guarded by his handpicked employees. Often referred to as “Hotel Escobar,” the facility boasted a casino, spa, nightclub, football field, jacuzzi, waterfall, and a large dollhouse.
However, in June 1992, Escobar escaped when authorities attempted to transfer him to a more conventional facility. This led to a 16-month manhunt for the drug lord, aided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. During this time, the Medellín cartel’s dominance began to unravel as police conducted raids and eliminated key leaders.
Death
Escobar’s family sought asylum in Germany but eventually found refuge in a Bogotá hotel. Unfortunately, Escobar’s fate was sealed when Colombian law enforcement located him on December 2, 1993, in a middle-class neighborhood in Medellín. A firefight ensued as Escobar attempted to evade capture by fleeing across rooftops, resulting in his death alongside his bodyguard. He had celebrated his 44th birthday just a day prior.
Escobar’s death marked a significant turning point, hastening the decline of the Medellín cartel and reducing Colombia’s central role in the cocaine trade. His demise was met with relief by the Colombian government and international community, while many Colombians mourned his passing. More than 25,000 attendees gathered for his funeral, reflecting on his complex legacy. As one funeral-goer remarked, “He built houses and cared about the poor. In the future, people will go to his tomb to pray, the way they would to a saint,” according to The New York Times.
Family Life
In 1976, at the age of 26, Pablo Escobar married Maria Victoria Henao, who was just 15 years old at the time. Due to her young age, Escobar had to obtain a special dispensation from the bishop to proceed with the marriage, a process that reportedly required a fee, as noted by author Bowden. The couple remained married until Escobar’s death and had two children together: a son, Juan Pablo, and a daughter, Manuela. Today, Juan Pablo goes by the name Sebastián Marroquín, working as a motivational speaker. Marroquín studied architecture and published a book in 2015 titled Pablo Escobar: My Father, in which he recounts his experiences growing up with one of the world’s most infamous drug lords. He controversially asserts that his father did not die from a gunshot wound but rather took his own life.
In an interview, Marroquín emphasized the lessons he learned from his father, stating, “My father’s not a person to be imitated. He showed us the path we must never take as a society because it’s the path to self-destruction, the loss of values, and a place where life ceases to have importance.”
Cultural Impact
Pablo Escobar’s life has been extensively portrayed in various forms of media, including books, films, and television series. One notable adaptation is the 2012 Colombian mini-series Pablo Escobar: El Patrón del Mal, produced by Camilo Cano and Juana Uribe, whose families suffered tragic losses due to Escobar’s violent actions.
Additionally, Escobar was portrayed by Academy Award-winning actor Javier Bardem in the 2017 film Loving Pablo, alongside Penélope Cruz, who played his girlfriend Virginia Vallejo.
The 2015 Netflix series Narcos also chronicles Escobar’s life, primarily from the perspectives of American drug enforcement agents Steve Murphy and Javier Peña, who dedicated years to investigating him. In 2016, Escobar’s brother Roberto announced intentions to sue Netflix for $1 billion over the series’ depiction of their family, though he later decided against pursuing legal action.