Pablo Escobar is undoubtedly one of the world’s most notorious drug lord and more than 25 years after his violent death, there’s still nobody quite like the legendary Colombian crime boss also known as ‘El Patron’. If you’ve never heard of him before, which is quite unlikely, Pablo Escobar was a drug kingpin from Medellin, Colombia. Dubbed as the ‘King of Cocaine’, he was credited for supplying 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States in the 70s and 80s, making him one of the richest criminals in the world at that time.
But Don Pablo was no ordinary criminal. Behind his billion-dollar drug cartel and the thousands of killings associated with his cocaine operation, Escobar was considered a local god. Cultivating a Robin Hood image, Escobar gave away money, built houses, funded football fields, and other infrastructure to benefit the less fortunate in his town. This sparked hero worship among the masses and of course, worldwide fascination.
Up until this day, the name Pablo Escobar is still revered by many. This is sadly glorifying the terrible drug culture, not only in America but in many parts of the world. Here are five pieces of evidence that show how El Patron continues to be a pop culture obsession.
Narcos and Netflix
In 2015, the drama Narcos introduced Escobar to the Netflix generation. As the central character of the series, millennials who were not even born during the drug lord’s heyday were suddenly given a cocaine history lesson through Escobar’s life. And even if the production did not intend it to happen, the series somehow added another layer of appeal to Escobar’s image.
Netflix itself reported that more than 60 million viewers streamed Narcos. The huge success of the drama even prompted Pablo Escobar’s brother to file a $1 billion dollar copyright lawsuit against the streaming service, which was later withdrawn.
That Tom Cruise Movie
In 2017, a film headlined by Tom Cruise titled American Made again put Escobar in the spotlight. Cruise played pilot Barry Seal who was a drug smuggler for the drug boss. Even if the film showed the downsides of being in the drug business, you can’t help but notice how glamorous Escobar’s life was pictured to be. Of course, this was not the only feature film that centered on Pablo’s life but Cruise’s one was the most popular.
Pablo Escobar Island for Fyre Festival
One of the initial marketing tactics of this failed music festival was to tell attendees that the event was to be held at Pablo Escobar’s private island. Top supermodels and Instagram influencers were shown on a promo video traipsing on white sands in the Bahamas. It gave the impression that by attending the festival, you can live the Pablo Escobar lifestyle: beautiful girls, exotic location, and epic parties.
The festival was not granted access to Escobar’s alleged island, nor did it turn out to be the FOMO event of the year. It was called ‘the greatest party that never happened’ due to major problems it encountered.
$15.9 Million Miami Hideout
The 30,000 square foot property is considered prime real estate located in North Bay Road in Miami. It formerly housed Don Pablo’s pink flashy mansion in the 1980s, said to be his cocaine drop safe house. In March 2019, it was announced that the property is for sale.
Although it already changed owners a long time back and the current property hold no trace of the former mansion, it is no surprise that multiple publications, including Forbes, labeled this property as the kingpin’s lair. Well, it will definitely drum up more interest than just saying it’s owned by just a regular rich guy.
El Patron’s Face
In April 2019, there were news reports regarding a $20 million dollar drug bust in Harlem, New York that took place in March. What the authorities found unusual was that one of the packages that contained fentanyl and heroin had a photo of Pablo Escobar’s face. They also found pieces of papers with the name ‘Pablo’ and ‘Escobar’ on them.
Pablo Escobar’s life may seem fascinating. His life is definitely the stuff of legends. However, this does not change the fact that his deeds have wreaked havoc to so many lives. If there’s one lesson we all must learn from Escobar’s life, drugs – in whatever manner – will never, ever end well.
If you are struggling with substance addiction, help is available. Contact Lighthouse Treatment Center to learn more about our specialized modes of treatment.
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