Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian drug lord and leader of one of the most powerful criminal organizations ever assembled. During the height of his power in the 1980’s, he controlled a vast empire of drugs and murder that covered the globe. He made billions of dollars, ordered the murder of hundreds, if not thousands of people, and ruled over a personal empire of mansions, airplanes, a private zoo and even his own army of soldiers and hardened criminals.



-EARLY YEARS OF PABLO ESCOBAR


Born on December 1, 1949, into a lower-middle-class family,
young Pablo grew up in the Medellín suburb of Envigado. As a young man, he was driven and ambitious, telling friends and family that he wanted to be President of Colombia some day.
He got his start as a street criminal: according to legend, he
would steal tombstones, sandblast the names off of them,
and resell them to crooked Panamanians. Later, he moved up to stealing cars. It was in the 1970’s that he found his path to wealth and power: drugs.


-ESCOBAR AND THE RISE OF POWER


In 1975, a local Medellín drug lord named Fabio Restrepo was murdered, reportedly on the orders of Escobar himself.
Stepping into the power vacuum, Escobar took over
Restrepo’s organization and expanded his operations. Before
long, he controlled all crime in Medellín and was responsible
for as much as 80% of the cocaine transported into the United States. In 1982, he was elected to Colombia’s Congress.


HEIGHT OF POWER


During the height of its operations, the cartel brought in
more than $60 million per day (making roughly $22 billion
in a year). Smuggling fifteen tons of cocaine per day, worth more than half a billion dollars, into the United States, the operation spent $1000 per weekpurchasing rubber bands to wrap the stacks of cash, storing most of it in their warehouses. Ten percent had to be written off per year because of "spoilage" by rats that crept in at night and nibbled on the hundred dollar bills.

Pablo Escobar said that the essence of the cocaine
business was "Simple: you bribe someone here, you bribe
someone there, and you pay a friendly banker to help you
bring the money back." In 1989, Forbes magazine
estimated Escobar to be one of 227 billionaires in the world
with a personal net worth of close to US$3 billion while
his Medellín Cartel controlled 80% of the global cocaine
market. [18] It is commonly believed that Escobar was the
principal financier behind Medellín's Atlético Nacional who
won South America's most prestigious football tournament,
the Copa Libertadores , in 1989.

While seen as an enemy of the United States and
Colombian governments, Escobar was a hero to many in
Medellín (especially the poor people [citation needed ]); he
was a natural at public relations and he worked to create
goodwill among the poor people of Colombia. A lifelong
sports fan, he was credited with building football fields and
multi-sports courts, as well as sponsoring children's football
teams. Escobar was responsible for the construction of
many hospitals, schools and churches in western Colombia,
which gained him popularity inside the local Roman
Catholic Church.He worked hard to cultivate his Robin
Hood image, and frequently distributed money through
housing projects and other civic activities, which gained
him notable popularity among the poor. The population of
Medellín often helped Escobar by serving as lookouts,
hiding information from the authorities, or doing whatever
else they could to protect him. At the height of his power, drug traffickers from Medellín and other areas were handing over between 20% and 35% of their
Colombian cocaine-related profits to Escobar, because he
was the one who shipped the cocaine successfully to the
US.
The Colombian cartels' continuing struggles to maintain
supremacy resulted in Colombia quickly becoming the
world’s murder capital with 25,100 violent deaths in 1991
and 27,100 in 1992.This increased murder rate was
fueled by Escobar's giving money to his hitmen as a reward
for killing police officers, over 600 of whom died as a result.


-ESCOBAR'S PERSONAL LIFE


In 1976, he married 15 year old Maria Victoria Henao Vellejo,
and they would later have two children, Juan Pablo and
Manuela. Escobar was famous for his extramarital affairs, and he tended to prefer underage girls. One of his girlfriends,
Virginia Vallejo, went on to become a famous Colombian
Television personality. In spite of his affairs, he remained
married to María Victoria until his death.


-LEGAL TROUBLES OF THE DRUG LORD

Ecobar’s first serious run-in with the law was in 1976, when
he and some associates were caught returning from a drug
run to Ecuador. Escobar ordered the killing of the arresting
officers, and the case was soon dropped. Later, at the height
of his power, Escobar’s wealth and ruthlessness made it
almost impossible for Colombian authorities to bring him to
justice. Every time any attempt was made to limit his power,
those responsible were bribed, killed, or otherwise neutralized.
Pressure was mounting, however, from the United States
government, which wanted Escobar extradited to face drug
charges. Escobar had to use all of his power and terror to
prevent extradition.


-LA CATHEDRAL PRISON


In 1991, due to increasing pressure to extradite Escobar, the
Colombian government and Escobar’s lawyers came up with
an interesting arrangement: Escobar would turn himself in and serve a five-year jail term. In return, he would build his own prison and would not be extradited to the United States or anywhere else. The prison, La Catedral, was an elegant
fortress which featured a Jacuzzi, a waterfall, a full bar and a
soccer field. In addition, Escobar had negotiated the right to
select his own “guards.” He ran his empire from inside La
Catedral, giving orders by telephone. There were no other
prisoners in La Catedral. Today, La Catedral is in ruins,
hacked to pieces by treasure hunters looking for hidden
Escobar loot.

-ESCOBAR ON THE RUN

Everyone knew that Escobar was still running his operation
from La Catedral, but in July of 1992, it came out that Escobarhad ordered some disloyal underlings brought to his “prison,”where they were tortured and killed. This was too much for even the Colombian government, and plans were made totransfer Escobar to a normal prison. Fearing he could be extradited, Escobar escaped and went into hiding. A massive manhunt was organized, with help from the United States Government. By late 1992, there were two organizations searching for him: the Search Bloc, a special, US-trained Colombian task force, and “Los Pepes,” a shadowy organization of Escobar’s enemies, made up of family members of his victims and financed by Escobar’s main business rival, the Cali Cartel.


-THE END OF PABLO ESCOBAR

On December 2, 1993, Colombian security forces using US
technology located Escobar hiding in a home in a middle-
class section of Medellín. The Search Bloc moved in,
triangulating his position, and attempted to bring him into
custody. Escobar fought back, however, and there was a
shootout. Escobar was eventually gunned down as he
attempted to escape on the rooftop. He had been shot in the
torso and leg, but the fatal wound had come through his ear,
leading many to believe that he committed suicide, and many others to believe that one of the Colombian policemen had executed him.
With Escobar gone, the Medellín Cartel quickly lost power to
its ruthless rival, the Cali Cartel, which remained dominant
until the Colombian government shut it down in the mid
1990’s. Escobar is still remembered by the poor of Medellín as a benefactor. He has been the subject of numerous books,movies and websites, and fascination continues with this master criminal, who once ruled one of the greatest crime empires in history.



oga lalasticlala come and see snake kindly move these to FP And enlighten my people
ishilove
mynd44


www.latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/20thcenturylatinamerica/a/bioescobar.htm


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Escobar

a great man ...

bonechamberlain:
a great man ...

lol how is he great??

olarhtunji:


lol how is he great??

the only difference between him and some government is that some rule with laws and decrees with limits but his got no limit.

most of what he built in Columbia like hospitals are still being used today to provide good healthcare for the people.

if he hadn't been carried away by power and wealth. he would have changed his city to paradise

bonechamberlain:


the only difference between him and some government is that some rule with laws and decrees with limits but his got no limit.

most of what he built in Columbia like hospitals are still being used today to provide good healthcare for the people.

if he hadn't been carried away by power and wealth. he would have changed his city to paradise

so what about those he killed??...police officials, journalists,servants and in fact killed a Presidential candidate and you saying such a person should live because he helps d poor......

olarhtunji:


so what about those he killed??...police officials, journalists,servants and in fact killed a Presidential candidate and you saying such a person should live because he helps d poor......

what about the millions of innocent people the govt has killed especially the u.s govt with its phony wars.

the society made escoba what he is, if the govt has done the right thing there wouldn't have been no Escobar, do u know that there are more dangerous drug kingpins who walk freely in the u.s than Escobar today, the are given few minimum sentences and released, but the u.s is always quick to pit their noses in other people's business.

if Escobar were to be in the u.s the highest thing that would be done to him is a minimum jail sentence and seizure of most of his wealth, as long as he pays certain taxes and remains non violent his drug activities might be overlooked. the CIA was also known to sell drugs to raise funds for some of their activities.
imagine Escobar being an American he would be a middle man for the cia.

bonechamberlain:
what about the millions of innocent people the govt has killed especially the u.s govt with its phony wars.

the society made escoba what he is, if the govt has done the right thing there wouldn't have been no Escobar, do u know that there are more dangerous drug kingpins who walk freely in the u.s than Escobar today, the are given few minimum sentences and released, but the u.s is always quick to pit their noses in other people's business.

if Escobar were to be in the u.s the highest thing that would be done to him is a minimum jail sentence and seizure of most of his wealth, as long as he pays certain taxes and remains non violent his drug activities might be overlooked. the CIA was also known to sell drugs to raise funds for some of their activities.
imagine Escobar being an American he would be a middle man for the cia.

I still find it difficult to agree with u on that terms though but I hope diz post gets to FP so we can hear others opinion

bonechamberlain:
what about the millions of innocent people the govt has killed especially the u.s govt with its phony wars.

the society made escoba what he is, if the govt has done the right thing there wouldn't have been no Escobar, do u know that there are more dangerous drug kingpins who walk freely in the u.s than Escobar today, the are given few minimum sentences and released, but the u.s is always quick to pit their noses in other people's business.

if Escobar were to be in the u.s the highest thing that would be done to him is a minimum jail sentence and seizure of most of his wealth, as long as he pays certain taxes and remains non violent his drug activities might be overlooked. the CIA was also known to sell drugs to raise funds for some of their activities.
imagine Escobar being an American he would be a middle man for the cia.

Trash. Don't know why people always blame united state for everything. Very soon someone will still blame US for not been able to impregnate his wife!

kennycanny:




Trash. Don't know why people always blame united state for everything. Very soon someone will still blame US for not been able to impregnate his wife!

no need to display ur incivility here, if u have another counter argument state it, instead of saying trash.

no one is blaming the u.s, if u had read and assimilated well.

kennycanny:




Trash. Don't know why people always blame united state for everything. Very soon someone will still blame US for not been able to impregnate his wife!

no need to display ur incivility here, if u have another counter argument state it, instead of saying trash. if u don't have state it

no one is blaming the u.s, if u had read and assimilated well.

olarhtunji:


I still find it difficult to agree with u on that terms though but I hope diz post gets to FP so we can hear others opinion

no qualms, but I would urge u to browse on the CIA activities and how they raise funds for most of their campaigns, especially in the 20th century

bonechamberlain:
no qualms, but I would urge u to browse on the CIA activities and how they raise funds for most of their campaigns, especially in the 20th century

but come to think about how is it possible 4 u to know stuffs about the CIA......when they are not a public figure like d police or FBI ...so ur news might b false....its just people giving there opinions on how they think the CIA might b raising funds. at least they also run or on the us budget just as d mi6 and d rest

kennycanny:




Trash. Don't know why people always blame united state for everything. Very soon someone will still blame US for not been able to impregnate his wife!

oga take am softly ooo...

olarhtunji:


but come to think about how is it possible 4 u to know stuffs about the CIA......when they are not a public figure like d police or FBI ...so ur news might b false....its just people giving there opinions on how they think the CIA might b raising funds. at least they also run or on the us budget just as d mi6 and d rest

do u know there are some declassified CIA documents u can get online, that they are no public figure doesn't make them or their activities sacrosanct or unknown. do u know how the bay of pigs was funded. do a little research.

olarhtunji:

lol how is he great??

he was a very great man. Only negative