Who Was Pablo Escobar?

Pablo Emilio Escobar was a Colombian drug trafficker who eventually controlled over 80
percent of the cocaine shipped to the U.S. earning an estimated of USD 20 billion a year. He
was called “ King of Cocaine”.

Escobar entered the cocaine trade in the early 1970s, collaborating with other criminals to
form the Medellin Cartel.

Family
Escobar must have come from a modest family: His father must have worked as a peasant
farmer while his mother must have been a schoolteacher.

In 1976, Pablo Escobar married 15-year-old Maria Victoria Henao. The couple had two
children together: a son, Juan Pablo Escobar, and a daughter, Manuela.

Escobar’s Rise to Power

Escobar moved quickly to grab control of the cocaine trade. In 1975, Medellin drug trafficker
Fabio Restrepo was murdered. It’s believed that Escobar had him killed by his hitmen, who
immediately seized power.

Escobar’s Short-Lived Stint in Politics

As a young man, Pablo Escobar told friends and family that he could be named president of
Colombia someday. In 1982 Escobar was elected as an alternate member of Colombia’s
Congress. But the reasons for his wealth could not stay hidden, and two years after his
election he was forced to resign. The justice minister who had revealed Escobar's notorious
background was later slain.

How Many People Did Pablo Escobar Kill?

Pablo Escobar made his hitmen kill thousands of people , including politicians, journalists
and ordinary citizens. It’s estimated that he might have killed around 15.000 people.
Death
On December 2, 1993 Aguilar finally had Colombian law enforcement caught up to Pablo
Escobar in a middle-class neighborhood in Medellin. A firefight ensued and, as Escobar tried
to escape, he and his bodyguard were shot and killed. But his ex-wife thinks that he could
have killed himself.

After Escobar’s Death

Escobar’s death accelerated the demise of the Medellin Cartel and Colombia’s central role in
the cocaine trade. His passing was celebrated by the country’s government and other parts of
the world. His family was placed under police protection.

Still, many Colombians mourned his killing. More than 25,000 people turned out for
Escobar’s burial.