Pablo Escobar, the Czar of the Coca

The story of Pablo Escobar Gaviria, the most important drug trafficker ever in history, hatreds and passions awakened equally. Considered a true hero and an example of concern to people of humble origin, was also one of the biggest enemies you've had the Colombian state, and even the United States. A man who knew how to build, almost from nothing, a millionaire fortune by dint of crimes and murders and who held his immense power as a form of extortion.

Pablo Escobar was born on December 1, 1949, in a small rural town called El Tablazo, in the vicinity of Antioquia (Colombia). Parallel to his high school education he had in Medellin city would witness and protagonist of much of his adventures, he began to start in various criminal practices. Some accounts suggest that had its beginnings in the theft of tombstones in cemeteries, others also engage in auto theft. But the truth is that it began in the drug trade was what led him to be one of the richest men in the world decades later.

Was gradually increasing its reputation as an entrepreneur. So, their foray into the sale of cannabis led him to migrate gradually to a much more lucrative activity, trafficking in cocaine. In the early 70's, cocaine began to spread in the coffee country, from Peru and Bolivia. Escobar was soon attached to this emerging market, establishing connections with different incipient signs were emerging in the country. In the beginning, was dedicated to the transport of raw materials. Shortly thereafter, multiple land already owned his own farm (the famous Naples) and several runways, where planes took off and landed full of drugs.

To be fair, you can not say that Pablo Escobar was a criminal of the worst kind. On the contrary, Paul was a beloved man among his people. He never forgot his humble origins, showing his present affluent, became a benefactor of the lower classes in Medellin. So it is no surprise to invest part of their huge revenues in several charities.

The slums of the city, began to look better thanks to the work of Escobar and as a good football fan was built several courts in the area. Paradoxically, those lands that were supposed to serve to deter youth crime, ended up being the center of recruiting killers par excellence. Is that, alongside his good deeds, do not forget to build an empire that would reach unusual points.

Gradually his fame continued to build. In the late 70's and was a charismatic personality to the dispossessed, who saw him as a real alternative to escape poverty and misery that lived Colombia at that time.

Thus, Escobar was establishing important contacts within the political power. Power that was part thanks to Alberto Santofimio Botero and Jairo Ortega, two politicians who were financially supported by the, and by then powerful drug lord.

Congressman Escobar managed to be the new liberalism, thanks to the support of those statesmen and thanks to the popularity achieved in a matter of social matters, which it exhibited as a selfish person at all, despite his immense fortune. Even all the city remembers its housing plan called "Medellín without slums?.

In 1982, he attended as a special guest to be part of the Colombian government, the ascent of Felipe Gonzalez as Spanish Prime Minister. Surely those present at the event, many of them future enemies of Escobar, never imagined that this man talking grotesque and striking dress became one of the most influential and powerful personalities of the twentieth century.

Did not last long permanence of Pablo Escobar Gaviria in politics, at least as active participant. Colombian Justice Minister Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, who then allegedly ordered the assassination, reported their activities and forced him to retire from politics. Since that time, it was a life dedicated to business and charity work, went to a path of death and sealed by an exercise of coercion rarely seen, where Escobar would do whatever was necessary to achieve their goals.

Pablo Escobar was not willing, much less to anyone interfere in their actions or business. So he used his famous policy of "silver or lead?. Anyone police or military ruler who stood in his way, should accept the bribe money or status to be asesinado.Entre expose most notorious crimes attributed to him, is the attack that blew up in midair a aircraft airline Avianca, which killed nearly 200 passengers.

He was also accused of the murder of several presidential candidates who had strong opposition. One of them, Luis Carlos Galan, appeared as the clear winner of the 1989 elections. Another attack of notoriety that seemed to seal Escobar was the car bomb that exploded outside the Department of Administrative Security (DAS), killing at least 70 dead and hundreds injured.

Step by step, he became public enemy number one Gaviría Colombia.Escobar continued to develop parallel activities with drug trafficking. Continued to be active as an investor in football Atletico Nacional of Medellin, was consecrated as the first Colombian club to win the Copa Libertadores in 1989, thanks to its generous contribution and funded schools, killers. In 1991, fed up with so many persecutions, is delivered to justice.

It is held in a prison that he himself had built, "the cathedral?, Described as a true five-star hotel. From there it continued to operate at home, until 1992, before the certain possibility of being extradited to the United States to stand trial, decided to elope.

So start a chase that lasted several months and would ridicule the Colombian government. Escobar's image was increasingly on the rise, acted at will and was emerging as invincible. But little by little, the environment very strong absolute leader of the Medellin cartel was weakened. Some of his most faithful men, such as "Tyson?," Poplar? or "El Palomo?, were succumbing to the Colombian authorities and the circle was closing on him more and more.

Finally, on December 2, 1993, a day after his 44th birthday, Pablo Escobar was killed in one of his residences by an elite corps formed by Colombian forces, although it is suspected that part of the intelligence apparatus of the CIA collaborated with an end.

It was a long chase until they finally find the whereabouts of Escobar, thanks to the interception of a telephone call he had made.

Although there are still doubts about his death, the most widespread version speaks of being seriously injured by Guillermo Aguilar agent of an accurate shot in the head that put an end to one of the greatest personalities of the Colombian and Latin American history; that they are tired of saying that he preferred a thousand times a tomb in Colombia than a cell in the United States.

"He left three presidents govern. Transformed the language, culture, appearance and economy of Medellín and the country. Before Pablo Escobar, the Colombian hit man did not know the word. Before Pablo Escobar was considered a paradise. Before Pablo Escobar, Colombia world knew as the Land of Coffee. And before Pablo Escobar, Colombia no one thought that could blow up a supermarket or on an airplane in flight. On behalf of Pablo Escobar in Colombia is armored and security needs changed architecture. On account of he changed the judicial system, prison policy was restated and to the design of prisons, and became the armed forces. Pablo Escobar discovered, more than any predecessor, the Death may be the greatest instrument of power?, these were the words she chose the Colombian magazine Semana to talk about the death of Escobar Almighty.

A perfect synthesis of what he had achieved over his career criminal.

Pablo Escobar was a man who knew everything in life, extreme wealth became one of the richest men in the world according to Forbes magazine, and the humility of his youth, the unlimited power and work and daily sacrifice To achieve this, the ruthless murder and death almost alone.

Pablo Escobar Gaviria, in short, a person who was a true hero to some, but for the rest was the devil.

By Carlos Cabezas López