Recently, I watched a documentary on Netflix called "Drug Lords." It's about some popular drug lords and their cartels, how they trafficked their drugs, increased their business and ended up getting caught by the feds at the end. It is a really fascinating documentary and I totally recommend anyone to watch it, if you are into crime dramas that is. Watching this documentary is how I discovered Pablo Escobar. I know I am late to the party since he is pretty well known, but after watching the documentary about him I have realized why it is so.
He was a very powerful drug trafficker in Colombia, which is what made him one of the richest people at age twenty-eight. Even as a drug lord, he aspired to be a politician, but his country would not accept him so he could achieve his dream. This is when the controversy surrounding Pablo Escobar begins. He becomes a terrorist and causes havoc, terrorizing the citizens of his country.
After I watched the documentary I became more curious about this man. Who was this person? How did he become so powerful that he could kill a thousand people just by saying a word? So powerful he influenced the president of his country to allow him to build his own personal prison? So feared that he was wanted by countries all over the world? It was hard not to try to know more about that kind of person.
However, even while fascinated with this man, it is hard not to forget that this was a person who caused the death of thousands of the citizens of his country, all because he was not allowed to be a politician. He might have made millions and used most of it to take care of his city, but it does not refute the fact that the money came from illegal business. This money was made from illegally transporting hard drugs, which in turn ended up killing a large number of people in America.
I always see random posts everywhere celebrating Pablo Escobar, as if the few years he has been dead automatically erased the terror he aroused.
I agree that Pablo Escobar is a pretty fascinating person because of the kind of life he lived, but this does not mean that people should forget the kind of person he was. He was a criminal who does not deserve to be given an ounce of respect. Most of the bad things he did should not be forgiven or forgotten.
