Pablo Escobar

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; Spanish: [ˈpaβlo eskoˈβaɾ]; 1 December 1949 – 2 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician who was the founder and sole leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed "the king of cocaine", Escobar was one of the wealthiest criminals in history, having amassed an estimated net worth of US$30 billion by the time of his death—equivalent to $70 billion as of 2022—while his drug cartel monopolized the cocaine trade into the United States in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Born in Rionegro into a peasant family and raised in Medellín, Escobar studied briefly at Universidad Autónoma Latinoamericana of Medellín but left without graduating; he instead began engaging in criminal activity, selling illegal cigarettes and fake lottery tickets, as well as participating in motor vehicle theft. In the early 1970s, he began to work for various smugglers.

In 1976, forming alliances with Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha, Carlos Lehder, and Jorge Luis Ochoa and his clan, Escobar founded the Medellín Cartel, which distributed powder cocaine. He also established the first smuggling routes from Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador through Colombia and into the United States. Escobar's infiltration into the U.S. created exponential demand for cocaine, and by the 1980s, it was estimated Escobar led monthly shipments of 70 to 80 tons of cocaine into the country from Colombia, controlling more than 80% of the world's production of the drug and 60% of the illicit market in the United States. As a result, Escobar amassed an immense fortune, which amounted to around eight billion dollars between assets and cash; according to Forbes, for seven consecutive years, he was one of the richest people in the world.

In the 1982 Colombian parliamentary election, to excuse his immeasurable capital, Escobar was elected as an alternate member of the Chamber of Representatives as part of the Liberal Party. Through this, he was responsible for community projects such as the construction of houses and football fields, which gained him popularity among the locals of the towns that he frequented; however, Escobar's political ambitions were thwarted by the Colombian and U.S. governments, constantly battled rival cartels domestically and abroad, leading to massacres and the murders of police officers, judges, locals, and prominent politicians. who routinely pushed for his arrest, with Escobar widely believed to have orchestrated the Avianca Flight 203 and DAS Building bombings in retaliation.

In 1989, after several attempts at negotiation, multiple kidnappings, and selective assassinations of judges and public officials, the Medellín Cartel with Escobar at its helm declared total war against the government. Escobar organized and financed an extensive army of hitmen, who assassinated key figures for the Colombian institutionality, such as the liberal leader Luis Carlos Galán, and perpetrated indiscriminate terrorist acts, such as the use of car bombs in Colombia's main cities. This campaign of narcoterrorism destabilized the country and made Escobar the most wanted criminal in the world at the beginning of the nineties. Escobar was responsible for the murder of 657 police officers between 1989 and 1993, and fierce clashes against the Cali Cartel, the Magdalena Medio Antioquia paramilitary groups, and Los Pepes.

In 1991, after the consummation of the National Constituent Assembly, which gave Colombia a new constitution and the prohibition of the extradition of nationals, Escobar surrendered to authorities and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment on multiple charges; however, he struck a deal of no extradition with Colombian President César Gaviria, along with the ability to be housed in his self-built prison, La Catedral. In 1992, when authorities attempted to move Escobar to a more standard holding facility after confirming that he had continued to commit crimes while imprisoned, Escobar escaped and went into hiding, leading to a nationwide manhunt. As a result, the Medellín Cartel crumbled, and in 1993, Escobar was killed in his hometown by Colombian National Police, a day after his 44th birthday.

Escobar's legacy remains controversial; while many denounce the heinous nature of his crimes, he was seen as a "Robin Hood-like" figure for many in Colombia, as he provided many amenities to the poor. His killing was mourned and his funeral attended by over 25,000 people. Additionally, his private estate, Hacienda Nápoles, has been transformed into a theme park. His life has also served as inspiration for or has been dramatized widely in film, television, and in music.