Escobar: El Patrón del Mal
“Escobar: The Patron of Evil”
Marijuana, coca, and other drugs had been part of the lifestyle of some Colombians, but the extensive global demand in the 1960s and 1970s increase the production and processing of these stimulant drugs in Colombia. As the consumption of cocaine grew so did the influence and power of cartels, drug lord Pablo Escobar’s barbarity and ambition made him one of the wealthiest, most powerful and violent criminals of his time. An “it factor” is an easy to see, but hard to define qualities that an individual possess, like Escobar, who influenced Colombia’s economy, politics, and the world’s access to cocaine. The purpose of this paper is to educate on Pablo Escobar’s impact that positively and negatively shaped Colombia in more ways than one.
In David Thompson’s scholarly article “Pablo Escobar, Drug Baron: His Surrender, Imprisonment, and Escape” conveyed Pablo Escobar’s life story and his rise to power in the illicit drug industry. He develops this information even further by guiding the reader through the evolution of Escobar’s notorious past and even the influence he has today. Thompson’s purpose was to educate the public about Escobar, the aid and damage he caused to both the city of Medellin and the country of Colombia. He creates an honest tone throughout this piece of writing for his audience, giving both the pros and cons of the Escobar era in Colombia.
In the thesis article “Robin Hood or Villain: The Social Constructions of Pablo Escobar”, Jenna L. Bowley implies and supports her claim of Pablo Escobar’s “robin hood” and "Villain” image he had in Colombia. Bowley develops these claims throughout the article by explaining how Escobar was both good and bad; how he helped the citizens of Colombia more than the government would’ve ever, but only did it for his own benefit. Bowley’s purpose of this article is to reveal that an individual can both be loved and feared; Escobar rose to power because he both feared and love by the Colombian citizens and politicians. A sense of admiration and disapproval was established in this article through an informative tone for the reader to decide whether or not Escobar was a villain or Robin Hood.
In David Thompson’s section “The Rise and Fall of the Gentlemen of Cali" in his scholarly journal “Studies in Conflicts and Terrorism” he claims the events that lead to rise and fall of the Cali cartel. He supports this evidence by giving a bit of history on the power struggle the Cali Gentlemen had when the Medellin cartel was in power, and how their hunger for power and money lead them to help with the downfall of their rivals the Medellin cartel. Thompson’s purpose is to enlighten the reader of the years after the fall of Pablo Escobar’s notorious cartel and how rivals of his cartel took control. He adopts a very serious tone for the reader, he wanted to make sure readers know the cause and effect of cartels on their rivals and the community.
Pablo Escobar's rise in power among Colombian drug trafficking is associated with his personal characteristics; Escobar was a very ambitious, cruel, and charismatic individual. These characteristics lead him to invest his time and money in real estate, small criminal groups, and primarily in charity projects and soccer clubs; his charitable contributions to the community earned him a certain degree of popularity and political standing. In Medellin, he was known as a modern day Robin Hood, Escobar often paid housing for low income citizens and provided other community necessities for the poor people of his neighborhood. It was these meticulous charitable actions that built the image that Escobar wanted for himself in the community, which would later ensure his protection by many Medellin citizens.
Using the FBI’s vault files as a primary source, they revealed that Escobar also built his drug trafficking industry using his intuitive business knowledge, charismatic charm and aggressive ways to such an extent that he eventually controlled over 80% of the cocaine sent to America. With a chokehold on the Colombian government, rival cartels, and the civilians he brought himself to the top of the cocaine trading industry. Alongside having friends in the right places, Escobar did as he pleased and more often than not would kill anyone who opposed him. With his vicious ways put into play Escobar’s power grew and he was associated with many kidnappings and assassinations throughout the years.
In the end, even after twenty years since his death, Pablo Escobar’s impact on Colombia and the world is beyond the bounds of possibility to measure. His cocaine trafficking empire made him one of the most successful delinquents in history, and he was responsible for the death of thousands. Yet the saint-like persona he cultivated, along side with his brief political career, rendered him a hero among his fellow Colombians. As the controversy of the global war on drugs, which has cost billions and has taken countless lives, and the legalization of narcotics grows, Escobar is used as an example of the impact illicit drug trafficking has on a community. His reign on the cocaine industry and Colombia was both detrimental and beneficial to the country, it brought both revenue and darkness to Colombia. Political officials are now asking themselves “ Is legalization the solution to our problems?”. To some legalization means the end of the war on drugs, but to others it means the downfall in society. Government officials should take into consideration the character traits of Escobar, his traits skyrocketed him to the top of the game and it could do the same for them in the political world; if his traits are used in a self beneficiary way it should be remembered that both good and evil can be done with great power.