Hunting Pablo Escobar
In 1989 Forbes magazine estimated Escobar to be the seventh-richest man in the world with a personal wealth of close to $25 billion, while his Medellín cartel controlled 80% of the global cocaine market. While seen as an enemy of the United States and Colombian governments, Escobar was a hero to many in Medellín (especially the poor people); 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 little league football teams.
Escobar looked responsible for the construction of many churches in Medellín, which gained him popularity inside the local Roman Catholic Church. He worked hard to cultivate his "Robin Hood" image, and frequently distributed money to the poor 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 do to protect him.
Despite his popular image among the Medellín community Escobar was well-known among his business associates to be an insecure, paranoid, ruthless murderer. His brother was reported saying that Pablo was so violently committed to loyalty that he once threatened him at gun point over a minor misunderstanding. His brother said his ability to befriend the dangerous and intimidate the powerful is what made him as unstoppable as he was. 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.
Escobar’s continuing struggles to maintain supremacy resulted in Colombia's quickly becoming the world’s murder capital with 7,081 victims in 1991 alone. This increased murder rate was fueled by Escobar's giving money to poor youths as a reward for killing police officers, over 600 of whom died in this way.
I agree with what Niko said above. It's hard to believe stories if there is a possibility that the American government fabricated it. I've been into Escobar research for a while, and he's not anywhere near as awful as other cartel heads. I'm sorry but I'm American so an extremely wealthy drug kingpin hands money to the poor (because he just had too much to know what you do with) is a pretty respective thing to do for an entire country. That's how people are, we love the bad guys that give to the poor and protect them (like Gotti, if you remember).... our government is so gd dirty that hey.....we LOOK up to the bad guys. It's what happens when you have been bent over and raped by the same government who is supposed to protect you and your family......guys like Escobar are good compared to government and politicians.
Another president could stop the war on drugs..
Start treating the people instead of letting them work 20 years for companies while they are locked up That wont deliver 25 billion. it makes people guilty for a joint.Once arrested for such little offense never a job!!
I can't watch this film, because of the politics behind it all and the insatiable taste for the product!
america wages a $170 000 000 war on cocaine ? What a joke...Isn't that the CIA budget after arming Nicaraguan contras and flooding american cities with the very same cocaine being produced here ?
aaand what the f*** and why an american fellow is present in this action as in any other ,,, what a damn joke and disrespect for those in south america !?
all of this american fight against drugs do not hold the water , and BBC does such a naive documentary as if escobar could not be reached and killed lol.
Blaming Pablo that sends drugs to USA or wherever? OO please!?
Bottom line, Escobar was a maniac and a killer. Sure, his charitable donations are SEMI noble, but he killed innocent people. God bless whoever the Los Pepes members were. Yeah, drugs still run in and out of Columbia, that's just the way it is for now, but what those brave Columbian's did, was made sure that their friends, sons, daughters, mothers and fathers would never have to live on their knees for someone like Pablo Escobar. He was a savage and ruthless killer who gave some money to the poor. Whats the saying again? Ain't no such thing as half-way crooks? Thank God there ain't no such thing as Pablo Escobar anymore...
@ Inmortal
You are absolutelly right, we do have indeed the best coffee in the world. And yes, I'm bragging because it's true and because I'm proud of it!!
The police force in ColOmbia (not Columbia, that's next Alberta - I also live in Canada) is very corrupt unfortunatelly. Medellin used to be a very dangerous city but it has changed in the las 5-7 years. Now it is a beautiful city, it always has been, and it is much safer than Bogota or Cali. You see a lot of police around, looking after the city but unfortunatelly there is lots of corruption throughout the whole government. Just like in every governemnt of every single country, including my beautiful Canada :0)
Also what are the police like in Columbia now, specifically Medellin, still corruption? We don't get that sorta news in Canada
@Natalia
Best coffee
@ Lucian:
WHAT? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? Please tell me you are just joking!!!
That is so far the most ignorant comment I have ever heard.
For your information, not all Colombians are drug dealers and we do NOT all do drugs. Your generalization is what's wrong with the world and why ignorant thinking gets us nowhere in life.
Also, Colombia's main export products are emeralds, flowers and coffee.
I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinions and feelings but your comment is highly offensive and I feel belittled by it.
None of you people have any idea how crazy this man was. So please, unless you know and experienced it, I kindly ask that you keep your rude comments to yourself.
I like this. You never know who is reading your comments. There you go @Lucian. You've just offended one Colombian girl. Say you're sorry.
intersting story ,but if colombians dont produce any drugs they will starved to death. the drugs are the main industry there...
This Is So funny... At the end the CARTEL keeps running 75% of
s profits. again! what was accomplished? Just a bunch of sell out Colombians so called 'officers' ... wishing all their life being somebody.. wow!!! the 7th richest man in the world...
hail Pablo Escobar R.I.P
I also would like to see this. If you are similarly disappointed but haven't seen Cocaine Cowboys II about the godmother of cocaine, I think you will be appeased by checking it out.
All right. I've fixed that. Enjoy.
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I want to watch this video!
VLATKO, The doc is saying... "Were Sorry no embeddable videos are currently selected for this player". Any idea whats going on?
With the way that the American government has been know to create lies in order to turn local people against their enemies. Such as spreading a rumour that Sadam Hussien was homosexual. I wouldn't at all be suprised if they had actually blew the plane up themselves and planted that car bomb in front of that bookshop. In order to turn the Columbian people against him.
After watching this documentry and reading up on Pablo Escobar, I actually belive he was a nice person whom looked after his people. A modern day Robin Hood who should be remembered by his loyalty and charitable acts. Not the way that other people are trying to portray him. It was a little desturbing to watch people celebrate after killing another human being. The amount of people whom attended his funeral goes to show what a decent and kind person he actually was.
Rip Pablo Escobar.
Wow. Didn't know much about his before.
He was as mad as a march hare.
This documentary is really great. It shows how unbelievably intelligent yet cold hearted Pablo Escobar was. One thing though, he terrorized and killed a whole lot more people that it is mentioned here. He had hundrends of car bombs blown up, specially in Medellin. I remember every one fearing for thier lives at all times, specially if they went to a place where there were lots of people like a stadium or an arena.
One intresting fact is that the day he died there was a hughe thunderstorm, dark clouds covered the city and it just poured and thundered! Like if a demon had died... and there's lots of people that says that when his mother went to the site where they killed him, she kneeled before him and looked up to the sky and said,"Thank God he's dead".
Too sad he was so smart but used his intelligence for the bad.