Pablo Escobar: Violence, Cocaine, and Wealth

Written by Maggie Sullivan

Pablo Escobar: violence, cocaine, and wealth. These are the first words that come to mind when I think about the man who was named seventh-richest in the world by Forbes magazine in 1989 and who was considered by many to be the most brutal drug kingpin until his death on December 2nd, 1993.

In the late 1980s, American law enforcement and intelligence organizations were involved in a major initiative with Colombian authorities to track down and bring to justice Medellin cocaine trafficker Pablo Escobar. I just finished reading “Killing Pablo” by Mark Bowden, a book that recounts this game of cat and mouse involving both the Colombian and US governments.

I was surprised to read that contrary to popular belief, Escobar did not actually offer to pay off the Colombian debt of $10 billion in exchange for a pardon by the government. This is not to say that he did not bribe his way through Colombia, paying officials to look the other way whenever he shipped cocaine out of the country and convincing the government to let him build his own prison complete with a Jacuzzi, big screen televisions, and a bar.

And while Pablo Escobar did become one of the world’s most wanted man by both the Colombian and US governments, he was also very well-liked in his hometown of Medellín. He cultivated his Robin Hood image by supporting the construction of homes for the poor, sports complexes, and other community restoration projects.

As time passed, the cocaine industry grew and generated much greater profits. At one point Escobar might have been able to "make amends" with the Colombian government, however he eventually became deeply involved in an industry that ultimately led to the outright declaration of war between the Colombian government and the Medellín cartel. And as previously mentioned, the US played a significant role in this war. The US government, including the Central Intelligence Agency, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the State Department played a crucial role in the pursuit of Pablo Escobar by providing the Colombian government with training, equipment, and intelligence.

Whether or not US officials were present when Escobar was killed is still a matter of debate. However, what is certain is that US support played an undeniably important role in the search and assassination of Pablo Escobar.

The decline of the Medellin Cartel and rise of the Cali Mafia

So what did Escobar’s death signify for the cocaine industry? Did it result in the end of the so-called "war on drugs?" The answer is no. Instead, it signified the death of the Medellín cartel. And rather than destroy the Colombian cocaine industry, Escobar’s death merely shifted the balance of power from the Medellin Cartel to the Cali Mafia and it increased involvement of the paramilitaries (a.k.a. "death squads") in the cocaine business. Few would argue that Escobar’s death ended the “drug war.” Instead, most would argue that it simply shifted the major players of the game.

Maggie Sullivan is a second-year MALD student at The Fletcher School and is focusing her studies on Development Economics and International Monetary Theory. She is currently in Colombia doing an internship with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).