Who was Pablo Escobar and how did he die?
PABLO Escobar was a notoriously violent, powerful and ruthless drug lord.
His evil crimes eventually caught up with him when he was met his death aged 44.
Who is Pablo Escobar?
Born in 1949 in Antioquia, Colombia, Pablo Escobar became the leader of the powerful Medellin drugs cartel.
His Medellin drugs cartel was accused of being behind up to 80 per cent of all the cocaine shipped to the US.
At the height of his power, Escobar was said to be the seventh richest man in the world.
Dubbed the “King of Cocaine”, he stopped at nothing to protect his drug trafficking business and was behind the murders of thousands of people.
He was the mastermind behind over 200 car bombs in the Colombian drug wars and even organised the bombing of a commercial airliner in which 107 people died.
Is Pablo Escobar in jail?
Escobar is not in jail, he was shot and died in 1993 during the Colombian drug wars.
In an agreement with the Colombian government in 1991, Escobar agreed to go to a prison called La Catedral for what was meant to be five years so he wouldn't be extradited to the US.
La Catedral was a luxury prison built for Escobar which included a football pitch, bar, jacuzzi and waterfall.
When four of his lieutenants were murdered and tortured in La Catedral, the government ordered for Escobar to be moved to a standard prison.
He refused and escaped his prison after being there for one year and one month.
It is said he simply walked out the back gate.
Who is Pablo Escobar's wife?
Escobar married Maria Victoria Henao when she was just 15-years-old and the pair remained together until his death in 1993.
They had two children - Juan Pablo, who has since changed his name to Sebastian Marroquin, and Manuela.
After Escobar's death, his family fled the country and travelled for a year before being granted asylum in Argentina.
How much did Pablo Escobar earn?
With an estimated worth of £24billion, Escobar made the Forbes' billionaires list of the world's richest people seven years in a row beginning in 1987 and peaked at number seven in 1989.
Escobar's business was so big and so that in addition to planes, helicopters, cars, trucks, and boats, he even bought two submarines for transporting his cocaine into the US.
Many of his properties had hidden stashes of cash and jewellery.
He was nicknamed "Robin Hood" as he spent a lot of money helping poor communities.
How did Pablo Escobar die?
Pablo was killed on a roof-top during a shoot-out as he was trying to flee from the police on December 2, 1993.
But his son Sebastian Marroquin has said he is “absolutely certain” the infamous drug kingpin took his own life to save his family from being taken hostage.
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Although his death was celebrated by the Colombian government, thousands turned up to his burial to mourn his killing.
The drug lord’s influence and legacy still prevails today.
La Oficina or “The Office” developed to become one of the biggest criminal organisations in the history of the country.
Now La Oficina is not only involved in drug trafficking but also in extortion, prostitution and human trafficking.