Pablo Escobar columbian drug lord

Personal Life

Escobar married Maria Victoria Henao, a 15-year-old bride, in 1976. The couple
had two children together: a son, Juan Pablo, and a daughter, Manuela. Shortly
before his death, Escobars family unsuccessfully sought asylum in Germany and
eventually found refuge in a Bogota hotel. After Escobars death the family was
placed under police protection.

Background and Early Life

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was born on December 1, 1949 in the Colombian
city of Rionegro, Antioquia, with his family later moving to the suburb of
Envigado. He came from modest means; his father worked as a peasant farmer
while his mother was a schoolteacher. From an early age, Escobar packed a
unique drive and ambition to raise himself up from his humble beginnings. He
got his start as a petty street thief, stealing cars before moving into the smuggling
business. in which he played a high-profile role in the control of Colombias
smuggled cigarette market.

It wasnt by chance that Colombia came to dominate the cocaine trade.

Beginning in the early 1970s, the country became a prime smuggling ground for
marijuana. But as the cocaine market flourished, Colombias geographical
location proved to be its biggest asset. Situated at the northern tip of South
America between the thriving coca cultivation epicenters of Peru and Bolivia, the
country came to dominate the global cocaine trade with the United States, the
biggest market for the drug, just a short trip to the north.

Escobar moved quickly to grab control of the cocaine trade. In 1975, Medellin
drug trafficker Fabio Restrepo was murdered. His killing, its believed, came at
the orders of Escobar, who immediately seized power and expanded Restrepos
operation into something the world had never seen.Under Escobars leadership,
large amounts of coca paste were purchased in Bolivia and Peru, processed, and
brought to America. Escobar worked with a small group to form the infamous
Medellin Cartel. By the mid-1980s, Escobar controlled more than 80 percent of
the cocaine smuggled into the United States. More than 15 tons of cocaine were
reportedly smuggled each day, netting the Cartel as much as $420 million a
week. The cash was so prevalent that Escobar purchased a Learjet for the sole
purpose of flying his money. With an estimated worth of $30 billion, Escobar was
named one of the ten richest people on earth by Forbes.

Even as his fortune and fame grew, Escobar didnt relinquish his dream to be
seen as a leader. In 1982 Escobar was elected as an alternate member of
Colombias Congress. But the reasons for his wealth could not stay hidden and
two years after his election, he was forced to resign, with the justice minister who
had revealed Escobar's notorious background later slain

Using terror, Escobar tried to influence Colombian politics towards a no-

extradition clause and to grant amnesty to drug barons in exchange for giving up
the trade. His terror campaign resulted in the killings of thousands of people,
including politicians, civil servants, journalists and ordinary citizens. The violence
claimed the lives of three Colombian presidential candidates, an attorney general,
scores of judges and more than 1,000 police officers.In addition, Escobar was
implicated as the mastermind behind the bombing of a Colombian jetliner in 1989
that killed more than 100 people, including two American citizens. Escobars
terror eventually turned public opinion against him and caused a breakup of the
alliance of drug traffickers.

Surrender and Escape

In June 1991, Escobar surrendered to the Colombian government of President

Cesar Gaviria. In return, the threat of extradition was lifted and Escobar was
allowed to build his own luxury prison called La Catedral, which was guarded by
men he handpicked from among his employees. The prison lived up to its name
and came complete with a casino, spa and nightclub.In June 1992, however,
Escobar escaped when authorities attempted to move him to a more standard
holding facility. A manhunt for the drug lord was launched that would last 16
months. During that time the monopoly of the Medellin Cartel, which had begun
to crumble during Escobars imprisonment as police raided offices and killed its
leaders, rapidly deteriorated.

Death

After so many near misses, Colombian law enforcement finally caught up to

Escobar on December 2, 1993, the day after his birthday, in a middle-class
neighborhood in Medellin. A firefight ensued and, as Escobar tried to escape
across a series of rooftops, he and his bodyguard were shot and killed. Escobars
death accelerated the demise of the Medellin Cartel and Colombias central role
in the cocaine trade. His passing was also celebrated by the countrys
government and other parts of the world. Still, many Colombians mourned his
killing. More than 25,000 people turned out for Escobars burial.He built houses
and cared about the poor, one funeral goer stated at Escobars funeral in a story
reported by The New York Times. In the future, people will go to his tomb to
pray, the way they would to a saint.

Escobars family unsuccessfully sought asylum in Germany and eventually found

refuge in a Bogota hotel. After Escobars death the family was placed under
police protection.