Pablo Escobar was the cruelest and most brutal drug kingpin Columbia had ever seen. He was also the most intelligent. By being so intelligent he was able to become the seventh wealthiest man in the world and was able to build an empire that supplied cocaine to 80% of the world’s population. Through intimidation, fear, control, manipulation and brutality one of the world’s largest drug cartels rose in power over the citizens and government of Columbia and these characteristics is what also drove the Medellin cartel to its collapse in 1993.
Pablo Escobar was born on December 1, 1949 to a peasant farmer and a school teacher. After many years as a small time criminal, Escobar saw an opportunity to become what he had always wanted; wealthy and powerful. Escobar realized the money he could make with coca paste. He would “buy the coca paste in Bolivia or Peru, smuggle the paste back into Columbia, grind the paste into cocaine and then transport it for sale in the U.S and many other countries.”(1) In 1976, Pablo Escobar murdered his way to the top of the Medellin cartel by killing off the cartel’s original kingpin, Fabio Restrepo. With this new position opened, Escobar now had sole control over Columbia’s cocaine trade. With his election into Columbia’s Congress in 1982, Escobar had a political advantage over his rival, The Cali Cartel. With his new found political power, Escobar could now reach his murderous hand into every corner of Columbia and every country beyond Columbia, including the United States.
By the mid 1980’s Escobar had built an empire worth $24 billion dollars. “Forbes magazine listed him as being the seventh wealthiest man in the world.”(3) This wealth made it easy for Escobar to pay off judges, political figures, and policemen. “The saying “plata o plomo”—silver or lead—meaning “take the bribe or take a bullet,”(4) became a national slogan for Columbia during the reign of Escobar when blood ran through the streets like a cold rushing river runs through a forest. Escobar’s first arrest was in 1978 when he and four other men were attempting to smuggle coca paste into Medellin. Escobar attempted to pay off the judges residing over his case, “he tried to bribe Medellin judges but was unsuccessful. After many months of legal wrangling Pablo had the two arresting officers killed and the case was dropped.”(5) After this victory for Escobar, he quickly put into effect “Plata o Plomo.” While many political figures and policemen accepted the bribes, primarily to protect themselves and the lives of their families, many were too honest and refused to succumb to Escobar’s demands. These individuals would meet their end at the hands of Escobar through torture and through especially barbaric murders. During this time, Columbia resembled a 1943 Germany, where if one were to oppose the leader, they would be murdered on the spot. This type of control Escobar implemented made the citizens and government officials in Columbia Escobar’s puppets. It is because of this fear and control, Escobar was able to carry out numerous terrorism plots. Several terrorism plots were accredited to Escobar, the most famous being Avancia flight 203. “The 1989 bombing of Avianca Airlines flight 203 was a crime against humanity, according to Guillermo Mendoza, Colombia's Prosecutor General”(6) One of Escobar’s men planted a bomb on the aircraft in an attempts to assassinate a political candidate. Although, the candidate was not on board, 110 innocent civilians were onboard the flight that immediately exploded midair. All souls on the flight were lost. This single act gained the attention of the world and proved Escobar’s barbaric actions did not show mercy to anyone. Escobar’s murders did not stop with terrorism plots, he is accredited for assassinating many political figures, over 200 judges, journalists, and policemen. The number of innocent civilians he had murdered is still unknown, but many speculate the number to be in the thousands. Escobar’s strategy of intimidation, control, fear and manipulation allowed blood to stain the streets of Columbia for over a decade.
The brutality and control of Escobar’s organization gained him notoriety throughout the world. While he spent his time driving fear into the majority of his home country of Columbia, he also took the time to invest back into the poor Medellin neighborhoods he grew up in. Escobar was known as the modern day Robin Hood to many poor Columbians. He poured millions into building churches, houses, schools, stadiums and parks for the communities surrounding Medellin. He sheltered them from starvation, disease and homelessness. “Word came to Pablo about 700 families, who were living at the city’s dump, in order to scavenge food from other people’s garbage. Horrified, Escobar had a neighborhood built, at no charge for any of the residents. They named the community “Barrio Pablo Escobar and it remains to this day.” (6) The people of these communities turned a cheek to his brutality in exchange for his gifts. The citizens of these communities also accepted Escobar’s known pedophilia and knew “he tended to prefer underage girls” (4). Escobar was 35 years old when he married his 15 year old bride. By manipulating the people of his community who had no one else to rely on, Escobar obtained thousands of loyal followers who would do anything to protect him when he needed it. This included providing him with young girls for his extramarital affairs. Through gifts and charity, Escobar was able to acquire a loyal following that lasts even to this day. Tours of his home, private prison and grave plot are available to those who still are convinced; Escobar was not a ruthless manipulator but rather a poor boy from the barrio that made a positive impact on his community.
By 1990, Pablo Escobar’s infamous cartel was crumbling as the pressure from the United States to extradite drug traffickers was being considered by the Columbian government. Escobar became enraged with the betrayal of his country and began flooding the streets with the bodies of those who supported extradition. After turning himself into the authorities, Escobar was sentenced to a five year prison term in a private prison designed by himself. Pablo Escobar was ordered from his own private prison to a maximum security prison by the Columbian government when they learned he was running his empire behind the walls of his prison. Escobar walked out of his prison before he was transferred and this began a worldwide manhunt. “Escobar's daring escape launched one of the biggest manhunts by the Colombian government with the help of the United States Delta Force, Navy Seals, the CIA, FBI, DEA, vigilante death squads, hired assassins supported by the Cali Cartel, as well as the Colombian military forces.” (2). The manhunt ended after a telephone call Escobar placed, was traced to a safe house in a barrio Escobar built himself. On December 2nd, 1992, Escobar was shot and killed in a gun battle when he attempted escape by climbing through an upstairs window.
Escobar met his demise through the same brutality he had once inflicted on his own country. The death of Pablo Escobar dismantled the brutal influence of the Medellin Cartel. Through his death, the years of fear, manipulation and intimidation, that plagued the people of Columbia and brought terror to the lives of thousands, ended. Although many lives were lost with Escobar in control, many more have been saved and Columbia’s violence and illegal trade has become controllable.