His name was Pablo Escobar: ruthless Colombian drug lord, folk hero, and beloved family member.

Growing up, he was driven and ambitious, often telling people about his dreams of becoming the President of his country. So how did this young man, who started his career as a petty criminal on the streets of Medelln, turn into the most feared man in all Colombia? Escobar was raised on the Medelln suburb of Envigado, in an atmosphere of violence. By the 1960s he was a smalltime racketeer and marijuana dealer. And it is rumored that he truly began his criminal career, stealing tombstones, removing the names off of them, and later resell them t crooked Panamanians. Later, he dabbled in car theft. It wasnt until the 1970s that he finally found his pathway to the wealth and power that he has so passionately preached about in his youth. Drugs. Through bribery, back handed schemes, and murder he had found himself the leader of the Medelln cartel. And as time would tell, he controlled an empire that would turn out be one of the most powerful in history. The sudden popularity of cocaine in the U.S. made him the most powerful man in Colombia. Escobar funded his own army, lived on an extravagant estate, owned a private zoo, planes, and automobiles. He took control of the cartel in 1975, ordering the leader in place to be shot. He possessed the aurora of a king, and his net worth proved it too. Pablo Escobar held a net worth of 10 billion dollars. At his cartels height he controlled four fifths of the world of the cocaine market, seeing an annual revenue of 30 billion. He operated in Colombia, but his products expanded far beyond this country. His clients were almost all of North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and possibly Asia. His use of intimidation and terror, sparked immediate attention from Colombia, and the most powerful country in the world. The United States of America. The two countries came together on the sole purpose of capturing the King of Cocaine. Aware of the authorities inching closer to claiming his life, he proceeded to make a deal. He surrendered after forcing the members of the Colombian government to rewrite their constitution, so that he could not be extradited to the United States. He was then placed inside prison. The correct term might be a mountain side

resort, due to the fact that he has constructed it himself , still experience all the luxuries of life, including a soccer field, a jacuzzi, and his family was able to fly in an out as they pleased. The name of this prion was La Catedral, and it was an exchange for not being extradited to the U.S. (where he would surly serve hard time). This is a gripping example of the power of Mr. Escobar, who was at the time, probably the most notorious criminal in the world, and who is still regarded today as the most powerful drug lord of all time. After suspecting two associates of his of foul play, he killed them. The move landed Escobar in an actual prion. But before he could be transferred, he managed to escape. The manhunt had resumed, and it was with ten times the effort. The United States offered men and equipment, and other massive assistance to aid in the capture and the eventual murder of the man. On the run he resorted to his usual tactics, senselessly claiming the lives of hundreds. In the midst of the horror, a group known as Los Pepes (Perseguidos por Pablo Escobar: people persecuted by Pablo Escobar). This shadowy group killed key figureheads in Escobars cartel, crippling his drug empire. Soon, Escobar was backed into a corner. At any time, his cartel was losing its most important members, one of the biggest super powers in the word was on a relentless hunt for him, they were speaking of targeting his family (which was his prized possession) and he starting to lose the trust of the citizens of Colombia. It wasnt until December 2nd 1993, a phone call to his son allowed him to be tracked by officials. He then died in a gun fight, of which the authorities took great pride in.

To further more emphasize Escobars ruthlessness , he has a policy known as Plata o Plomo. In Spanish, that directly translates to silver or lead. If one were to get in his way, his first attempt would be to bribe them- and for the hundreds of honest politicians, men, and women who did not accept would have to face the wrath of the cartel, along with their families. The exact number of subject to the harsh treatment will never be known, but it well into the hundreds, and may enter into the thousands. And even with his first run in with the law, when he was caught At his height, Forbes magazine listed him the seventh most richest man in the world, with a vast empire of private estates all over the country of Colombia, privately owned army of ambitious criminals and soldiers, private planes and airways, an astounding personal wealth of $ 24 billion. He was known as the Worlds Greatest Outlaw. And was truly the most effective drug lord to ever walk the face of the Earth. With a word he was able to control the moves of people, and force the government as well as the officers to abide by his will. His cartel was charged with racketeering, terrorism, murder, kidnapping, political corruption, money launderings, extortion, bombing, and much more. And yet, they still set an example for the rest of the cartels to come. Despite the allegations, can we still consider him a folk hero- a robin hood of the sorts? To gain the trust of the Medelln people he spent millions on housing, parks, schools, and more. In the eyes of the Medelln, he was a local man who had made it in life, and was giving back to community he grew up in. This, indeed, was noble. To some the underlying tone would make it doubtful. But in my opinion, his tense love for his family, which he displayed on a daily basis shows that one can have the desire to spend money without having another motive to it. Perhaps he was attempting to kill two birds with one stone. In fact, the New York Times reports just two days after the death of Escobar, the ruthless cocaine baron to the outside world, To chants of "Viva Pablo!" thousands of mourners crowded a muddy hilltop cemetery today to bury Pablo Escobar Gaviria. This obviously displays a love, and appreciation for the man. the unruly crowd chanted: You can feel it! You can feel it! Pablo is present! And to this day, it remains true.

His family, featured to the left, are normal people. While they have may been spoiled by notorious criminal in the world, they mourned with the rest of the Colombian people. And this really appealed to the general part of the nation that had love for Mr. Escobar. In fact, appealing them further, the son- who was greatly feared to retaliate had apologized for his fathers actions. On top of apologizing, he restarted his life, and even appeared in a movie. This world has lost has lost a wonder. A hero. This man was responsible for much more than the death of thousands, and the steady flow of drugs. Hes responsible for the useless heartache of many, the expensive and intense manhunt ensued, the halt and control of the Colombian government, and much more. If you switch roles, however, youll see that he was responsible for jobs, for inspirations, for opportunities that would not have otherwise been there. He was responsible for the well-being of his hometown, and the millions it generates now from tourism. Hes responsible for stronger relations between the United States and Colombia, the strength of the government now, and how it conducts itself when it comes to criminals. There are many ways one can view Escoabar: as a hardened criminal, or a modern day Robin Hood. Whichever the light, there is no denying the impact he has had on his time, and the generation s to come.