Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was born on December 1, 1949, in Rionegro, a small town near Medellin, Colombia. His father, Abel, was a hardworking cattle farmer, while his mother, Hermilda, worked as a school teacher. Raised in a middle-class environment, Pablo was the second of seven children in a community heavily influenced by the drug trade.
Though not everyone was directly involved, many protected those who were. Violence related to the narcotics industry was ever-present. Before Pablo started school, his family moved to Envigado, near Medellin, where Hermilda founded an elementary school. Abel sold his farm and became a neighborhood watchman. Through her work, Hermilda became a respected community member.
At school, Pablo was a quick learner, though somewhat overweight due to his love for fast food. He excelled in sports, particularly soccer. Many of his teachers were involved in social causes, which influenced him deeply. By his early teens, he was attending protests and throwing rocks at police. He became part of the counterculture movement Nadaismo, which encouraged youth to reject authority. At 13, he developed a lifelong marijuana addiction.
Early Criminal Activities
By 16, Pablo had dropped out of school, eager to make money. He started a bicycle repair shop, scavenging discarded parts to fix bikes. The earnings allowed him to buy a Lambretta motorcycle, which he soon used for crime. His first known scheme involved stealing headstones, erasing names, and reselling them. He then turned to armed robbery, using his motorcycle for quick getaways. Teaming up with his cousin, one would drive while the other carried out the heist.
Bored with petty theft, Pablo expanded into car theft. He collaborated with a Renault dealer who provided car keys and addresses of buyers. Pablo would then steal the cars. Eventually, he was caught and spent months in La Ladera Jail, where he learned about more serious crimes, including kidnapping and drug trafficking.
Rise to Power
Upon release, Pablo and his cousin resumed car theft but soon ventured into extortion. He developed a reputation for violence, kidnapping those who owed him money and, at times, killing them to instill fear. He then specialized in high-profile kidnappings. One such victim was wealthy businessman Diego Echavarria, who, despite his family paying a $50,000 ransom, was murdered. This act, oddly enough, made Pablo popular among Medellin’s poor, who viewed him as a social equalizer.
In 1971, at 22, Pablo joined contraband dealer Alvaro Prieto. Seeking greater control, he drove to Ecuador, purchased five kilos of Peruvian cocaine paste, and smuggled it into Medellin. Processing the paste into cocaine, he partnered with the Ochoa brothers to sell it to local drug lord Fabio Restrepo. The deal netted him nearly $100,000. Within months, Restrepo was murdered, and Pablo took over Medellin’s cocaine trade. Though never proven, many believed Pablo ordered the hit.
By 1976, he had married 15-year-old Maria Victoria Helena Vellejo and expanded his operations. He streamlined the cocaine trade, purchasing planes, including a Learjet, to transport drugs to the U.S. That same year, he was arrested with 39 kilos of cocaine. His first attempt at bribing the judge failed, but he then hired the judge’s estranged brother, forcing the judge to recuse himself. The replacement accepted a bribe, and Pablo walked free.
With millions pouring in, Pablo secured his entire operation, buying farms, processing plants, and bribing officials across multiple countries. His “plata o plomo” (silver or lead) policy left officials with two choices: accept his bribes or face death. By 1980, he was the undisputed king of Medellin, owning multiple mansions, race cars, helicopters, and a vast entourage of bodyguards.
Public Image & Political Ambitions
Despite his criminal empire, Pablo cultivated a Robin Hood image. He funded social programs, built soccer fields, and launched the Barrio Pablo Escobar housing project, providing homes for the poor. His philanthropy made him immensely popular in Medellin.
In 1982, he was elected to Congress as a substitute representative, granting him judicial immunity and a diplomatic visa. However, his political career crumbled when Justice Minister Rodrigo Lara publicly exposed his drug empire. Expelled from the New Liberal Party, stripped of his visa, and denounced by the Catholic Church, Pablo retaliated. In May 1984, Lara was assassinated in his limousine, turning the government against Escobar.
Escalating Violence & The War on Escobar
With the U.S. pushing for extradition, Pablo went into hiding. In exile, he offered to dismantle his empire in exchange for protection but was rejected. He returned to Medellin, responding with brutal violence. His cartel killed judges, politicians, and journalists opposing him. In 1985, he funded M-19 guerrillas to storm the Palace of Justice, resulting in 94 deaths, including 11 Supreme Court justices.
By 1989, his hit squads assassinated presidential candidate Luis Galan and a police chief. In retaliation, the Colombian government extradited 20 drug traffickers to the U.S. Pablo unleashed chaos, killing hundreds, including law enforcement. Though constantly pursued, he negotiated his surrender in 1991 under the condition he would serve time in a self-designed luxury prison, La Catedral.
Imprisonment & Escape
La Catedral was no ordinary prison—it featured a football field, jacuzzi, and bar, with Pablo continuing to run his empire. When authorities learned of his ongoing criminal activities, they planned to transfer him. Before they could act, he escaped in 1992, igniting the largest manhunt in Colombian history.
Final Days
For 16 months, Pablo eluded capture, but his influence waned. In December 1993, authorities tracked him to a hideout in Medellin. In a rooftop shootout on December 2, he was shot and killed. His death marked the end of an era, but his legacy in the drug trade and Colombian history remains profound.
