MORE MEDELLIN

19th -20th Nov 2018

The late Pablo Emillo Escobar Gaviria. 1949-1993

I was taken on a 'Pablo Escobar' tour of the city by a charming 'guide' called Neo. Just me and him. He stressed that nobody in the country has a good thing to say about the arch narco-terrorist Escobar and this tour was not intended to glorify him. Actually that is not strictly true. For all his foul deeds and criminal activity he donated billions to provide housing and facilities for the poor. Purely a means of survival and self-promotion of course but, amazingly, there are still a lot of poorer people here who revere him! After all there were 25,000 who turned up at his funeral! He had even 'bribed' his way to beome a Congressman, for a short time.

He was, without doubt, a vicious and utterly brutal man, outlandishly arrogant and with a mountainous, almost childlike, ego. However, he was also undoubtedly clever in a street-wise fashion and effectively through bribery, threats and, when that didn't work, bombings and murder courtesy of any number of well paid hit-men and a private army, he controlled politicians, police, the army and judiciary. That is how he effectively ruled the city of Medellin and made fortunes from his cocaine  cartel business during the 1980s until his death in 1993. His wealth was valued at US$ 30 billion and at one point was world's 7th wealthiest person on the Forbes Rich List. I always wonder why a character like that does not wish to put his talents to legal and profitable use. I suspect it is all about a bloke from a relatively poor background with an enormous chip on his shoulder wanting to flaunt power and be a Mr Biggest of the Big. Its all about ego and power.

If you are interested in the details of his 'career' it is well documented on Wikipedia so I won't bother to elaborate. Suffice to say his life was entirely devoted to criminal activity from teenager onwards.

Left: His first HQ and 'office' (the one now with the green banco front) when running his cocaine cartel was in the suburb of Envigado, with a pawn shop across the street (with the Omega sign) which was one of many establishments 'laundering' his ill-gotten gains.

Wanting to move into the big time, and flaunt it, he built this 7 storey building as his next Headquarters. It is in Poblado and in a smart and prestigious street. He called it 'Dallas" after the South Fork TV series. It is now a 4 star hotel.

He had many extravagant residences around the city, indeed the country and abroad plus, of course, private helicopters, yachts and all the trappings money could buy.

Left: The shrine to Santisima Virgen Rosa Mistica off a main street, again in Poblado. This is in a pretty little grotto and was where Escobar's, and other cartel's hit-men, went to pray and place plaques to ask for spiritual guidance and protection! They were staunch Catholics. It was always the custom of worshippers to place little inscribed marble plaques on the steps, but the gangsters in the 1980s rather tore the arse out of it with 'unsuitable' inscriptions (ie. 'May God protect me and extinguish my enemies' etc). and locals, understandably, avoided the place during that period.


Right: There is a vast casino on the opposite side of the street. Worshippers at the shrine are now doubtless 'praying' for a big win.












Having acquiring great wealth, Pablo demanded respect and wanted to join the prestigious Country Club in the neighbourhood.  This is a club for the city's elite. He was refused membership and the 'traditionally minded' members did not bow to his threats; "Not the done thing old chap, against Club Rules to threaten to blow the place up don't cha know". Anyway, suitably piqued and furious, he proceeded to build another great pile to house himself, family and guards just opposite and in full view of the Club (left). It had tennis courts, swimming pool, barbecue area and a super-luxurious penthouse suite, plus heli-pad, for his personal use. It was a 'two-fingered' gesture to the Country Club members and to show them who had the real money and power around town. He called the place 'Monaco' after the Principality as he regarded himself as royalty.
It was subsequently bought by the city, but is now abandoned and semi-derelict. 

Pablo had many enemies, as you can imagine. A group of them, some of whom had previously been friends and henchmen of his but had fallen foul of him, set up an anti-Escobar vigilante gang called the PEPEs ('Perseguidos por Pablo Escobar' meaning 'Persecuted by Pablo Escobar'). They waged war on Escobar, further escalating the violence in the city.

He was arrested in 1988 and given a deal by frightened judges (he had already had two of them assassinated). They said he should be imprisoned for 6 years and have no further narcotics cartel dealings, after which the slate would be wiped clean. Not only that, he could build his own private gaol, which he did and which resembled a Country Club with luxurious facilities. In typically grandiose style he called it 'La Catedral'. It was out of bounds to the police. Also rather typically he continued to run his cartel from here. After less than a year the Government lost patience and were going to remove him to a high security prison, so he escaped. Silly bugger, he was now on the run. 

Added to his problems was the fact that a new President and Congress had been elected and were free from the threats and bribes which restricted the previous regime. They passed a vote to enable the US to help them round up Escobar and his cohorts and stamp out the narco-syndicates. An elite police task force called the 'Search Bloc' was established with US advice and support, and probably contained a few 'PEPEs'. 

After 4 years of hunting him (he was permanently on the move by now), thanks to a clever mobile phone tracking operation, on 2nd December 1993, the day after his birthday, he was cornered in a modest house in the Los Olivos district. He and his long serving driver/bodyguard, Límon, were the only occupants. Límon rather rashly opened fire on the police cordon at the front of the house. Fire was returned 'con gusto' and Límon killed. Pablo decided to make a break for it out of an upstairs window at the back of the house. He jumped down onto a lower flat roof and then, apparently, made a fatal error. He drew his pistol when confronted by the Search Bloc police at the back (or so we are told).  One of the several bullets that hit him went through his head. That was the end of Pablo Escobar.

Right: The photo I took of the back of the house in Los Olivos from which Escobar tried to escape from the now bricked-up window onto the low roof.

Left: The scene at the time. Happy Birthday Pablo!

Right: His grave at the Jardins Monte Sacro. He is buried alongside his mother and other family members. I did not take this photo but it shows at least someone  liked him.

Left: His grave at the moment. It is undergoing 'renovation' sponsored by his remaining family in preparation for the 25th anniversary of his death on 2nd December.

Right: Part of the large Jardins Monte Sacro cemetery (and I can't remember where it is, but some way out of town). Escobar's grave is where people are standing to the right of photo.

I asked if there had ever been an attempt to desecrate or damage his grave which, given his past, one would think likely. But no, Neo told me, this is a Catholic country and everyone respects graves regardless of the incumbents.

I hope that was interesting. It interested me!


Surrounding the city there are several 'Barrios' (districts) of very poor housing running up the vertiginous sides of the valley. The Medellin City Council is very forward thinking and has installed three cable-car routes to get up to these Barrios. More are in the planning. One of these cable-car routes takes you, in three stages, to the very top of a mountain where there are  good views and pleasant walks in the forests. Its all part of the Metro system. I decided to go and see.

Metro to a northern station, name forgotten, then seamlessly onto a smart modern cable-car (all included in the price). These (left) are the quaint little 8 seater gondolas which travel up the hillsides...........

....sometimes only just scraping over the houses. Right: You get good views straight into people's rooms! Rather disconcerting for the occupants I would have thought.

I don't on the whole like cable cars, especially the ones high in the sky and which sway about. These little cars did sway a bit, but were usually quite close to the ground

Unfortunately, when I reached the final stage up to the mountain-top I found it had been closed for maintenance. Slightly disappointing, but I got the gist of it.

....and then all the way back down and to Poblado for an evening amongst the convivial 'celebrating' crowds.

Left: Just outside my hostel was this small outdoor gym. It was in continuous use. Not by me, I hasten to add. Many of the locals seem to take their fitness seriously. 

So that is just about all from Medellin. I was impressed by the city and I believe all Colombians regard Medellin as the smartest and most progressive city in the country. 

On next to Cartegena on the Caribbean coast to the north. Vamos!