Pablo Escobar: Rise, Legacy, and the Anti-Hero Myth

Introduction: The Anti-Hero of the Drug Trade

Pablo Escobar established his reputation as a modern-day Robin Hood: a man who genuinely came from a humble, working-class background and who at some point did give substantial amounts of money to social service organizations in Colombia. He was also an astute businessman who recognized trends and opportunities in the illicit drug trade. Yet Escobar was no hero; he was "violent" and "ruthless" ("Pablo Escobar Crime Files" 1) and was directly responsible for "terror campaigns that resulted in the murder of thousands" ("Pablo Escobar Biography" 1). This dichotomous figure has become one of the world's most notorious anti-heroes. He became so iconic that his story has been adapted into numerous television shows and films, such as the Netflix series Narcos. Escobar's story reveals the inherent problems with the war on drugs and signals the need for change in international drug policy.

Early Life and the Path to Crime

Escobar was born on December 1, 1949, in Rionegro, Antioquia. His father managed a farm, and his mother taught at a rural school. While his family was not poor, they were certainly not wealthy either. Escobar's father worked for a man named Joaquín Vallejo Arbaláez, who became Pablo's godfather. Arbaláez had served as a United Nations delegate and was a "highly respected intellectual," perhaps the first person to inspire Pablo toward positions of power and leadership (Thompson 55). Arbaláez has been credited with encouraging the teenage Escobar to become politically active, to serve in local community groups, and to participate in student organizations (Thompson 55). Escobar continued to engage in political activity throughout his life, which is one of the reasons he became known as more than just a drug lord — he was also a political figure.

Yet the young Escobar lacked access to wealth or public influence, which may have been why he initially turned to illicit activities to build his reputation and finances. While in high school, he had a reputation for mischief. He began stealing tombstones, rubbing off the names to sell them to Panamanian smugglers ("Pablo Escobar Crime Files" 1). He also reportedly sold fake diplomas ("Pablo Escobar Biography" 1). Escobar then shifted to higher-stakes crimes such as car theft and drug dealing. His start in the drug trade began with cannabis, and he later made a name for himself in cigarette smuggling during what has since been dubbed the "Marlboro Wars" ("Pablo Escobar Biography" 1). Escobar played a "high-profile role" as a cigarette smuggler, which "proved to be a valuable training ground for the future narcotics kingpin" ("Pablo Escobar Biography" 1).

Building the Medellín Cocaine Empire

In the early 1970s, Colombia was a hub of the cannabis trade but had yet to establish itself as the center of cocaine production. Escobar changed that. He recognized the opportunity to import coca paste from the Andes — primarily from Bolivia and Peru — into Colombia, where it would be processed into cocaine. Escobar started with a small crew. In 1975, the Medellín kingpin Fabio Restrepo was found murdered; while the crime remains officially unsolved, it is widely believed that Escobar ordered the killing to secure the future of his burgeoning operation ("Pablo Escobar Biography" 1). Escobar immediately "seized power and expanded Restrepo's operation into something the world had never seen" ("Pablo Escobar Biography" 1), almost single-handedly transforming a relatively small niche in the market into a thriving multinational industry.

Escobar escalated cocaine production to previously unforeseen levels. What had once been a small-scale operation became a major global commodity — albeit an illegal one. Cocaine demand soared worldwide, particularly in the primary target market of the United States. Escobar controlled 80% or more of all cocaine imported to the United States during the 1980s. His net worth soared to $30 billion, his operation generated $420 million each week, and Forbes magazine named him one of the richest men in the world ("Pablo Escobar Biography" 1). So vast was the Escobar empire that the kingpin invested in a fleet of planes, ships, and submarines for transportation logistics ("Pablo Escobar Crime Files" 1). Approximately 15 tons per day — up to 80 tons per week — of cocaine was being shipped from Colombia to the United States.