The notorious Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar, is the subject of Netflix’s engrossing documentary series Narcos. It tells the remarkable story of how he rose from a poor boy to become one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, with an estimated net worth of $25 billion dollars.
His Medellín cartel controlled 80% of the global cocaine market and Escobar used his newfound wealth to become a hero to many in Medellín, especially among the poor people. He was credited with building football fields and multi-sports courts, as well as sponsoring little league football teams. He also constructed churches in Medellin which gained him popularity within the local Roman Catholic Church.
Despite his Robin Hood image among Medellin’s population, Escobar was known for his ruthlessness and paranoia. At the height of his power, drug traffickers from Medellin and other areas were handing over between 20 and 35% of their profits to Escobar. This led to Colombia’s quickly becoming the world’s murder capital with 7,081 victims recorded in 1991 alone – much of it due to Escobar’s payments to young men for killing police officers; over 600 police officers died this way.
This documentary series does an excellent job at depicting Escobar’s fascinating life and highlights how he rose from poverty to immense wealth while simultaneously causing fear and chaos throughout Colombia. It is essential viewing for anyone interested in learning more about this notorious criminal and his powerful influence on modern day Colombia.
