Early Life and Education of Pablo Escobar: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Pablo Escobar. A timeline of key moments.

Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord and the leader of the Medellín Cartel. Known as the "King of Cocaine," he became one of the wealthiest criminals in history, controlling a significant portion of the cocaine trade into the United States during the 1980s and early 1990s. Escobar's wealth was estimated at US$30 billion by the time of his death. His cartel's operations and his own actions caused significant violence and instability in Colombia.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1948: Construction of Miami Beach Mansion

In 1948, Escobar's waterfront mansion in Miami Beach, Florida, was built.

December 1949: Pablo Escobar's Birth

In December 1949, Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was born in Rionegro, Antioquia Department, Colombia. He grew up in poverty in Medellín.

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1966: Escobar Drops Out of High School

In 1966, Escobar dropped out of high school shortly before his 17th birthday.

1971: Escobar's Kidnapping of Diego Echavarria

In the summer of 1971, Escobar kidnapped businessman Diego Echavarria and eventually killed him, receiving a $50,000 ransom from the Echavarria family.

March 1976: Escobar's Marriage to María Victoria Henao

In March 1976, the 26-year-old Escobar married María Victoria Henao, who was 15. The relationship was discouraged by the Henao family, who considered Escobar socially inferior.

May 1976: Escobar's Arrest for Drug Trafficking

In May 1976, Escobar was arrested by the Colombian Security Service (DAS) upon his return from drug trafficking in Ecuador. DAS agents found 39 kg of cocaine in the spare tire of Escobar's car.

1976: Investigation of Escobar's Arrest

In 1976, Escobar's arrest was investigated by subordinates of the new Minister of Justice, Rodrigo Lara-Bonilla.

1982: Escobar Purchases Land

In 1982, Escobar was able to purchase 20 square kilometers of land in Antioquia for several million dollars, on which he built the Hacienda Nápoles.

1982: Escobar Elected to Parliament

In 1982, Escobar was elected as an alternate member of the Chamber of Representatives as part of the Liberal Party in the Colombian parliamentary election.

1982: Escobar Elected to Colombian Congress

In 1982, Escobar was elected to the Colombian Congress and gradually became a public figure. He was also known as "Paisa Robin Hood" due to his charitable work.

January 1984: Escobar's Retirement from Politics

In January 1984, Escobar announced his retirement from politics.

1984: Rodrigo Lara, Colombia's Justice Minister Assassinated

In 1984, Rodrigo Lara, Colombia's Justice Minister, was assassinated.

1985: Escobar's Role in the Palace of Justice Siege

In 1985, according to Virginia Vallejo, Escobar financed the Palace of Justice siege, committed by M-19. Vallejo blamed the army for the killings of over 100 people.

1988: Edificio Mónaco Car Bombing

In 1988, the Edificio Mónaco, an apartment complex that belonged to Escobar's wife, was gutted by a Cali Cartel car bomb.

August 1989: Assassination of Luis Carlos Galán

On 18 August 1989, Luis Carlos Galán was assassinated on Escobar's orders. Escobar then planted a bomb on Avianca Flight 203 in an attempt to assassinate Galán's successor, César Gaviria Trujillo, who missed the plane and survived. All 107 people were killed in the blast.

1989: Luis Carlos Galán Assassinated

In 1989, Luis Carlos Galán, the presidential candidate, was assassinated.

1991: Escobar Surrenders to Authorities

In 1991, Escobar surrendered to Colombian authorities after negotiating with the government for a reduced sentence and preferential treatment during his captivity.

1991: Escobar's Surrender and Imprisonment

In 1991, Escobar surrendered to authorities and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment on a host of charges. He struck a deal of no extradition with Colombian president César Gaviria, with the ability of being housed in his own, self-built prison, La Catedral.

July 1992: Escobar Escapes From Prison

On 22 July 1992, Escobar escaped from La Catedral after the government attempted to move him to a more conventional jail.

1992: Escobar's Escape From Prison

In 1992, Escobar escaped and went into hiding when authorities attempted to move him to a more standard holding facility, leading to a nationwide manhunt.

December 1993: Pablo Escobar's Death

In December 1993, Pablo Escobar died. He was one of the wealthiest criminals in history, leading the Medellín Cartel and monopolizing the cocaine trade into the US in the 1980s and early 1990s until his death.

December 1993: Escobar's Death in Medellín

On 2 December 1993, Escobar was found in a house in a middle-class residential area of Medellín by Colombian special forces and was shot and killed while trying to escape from the roof.

1993: Escobar Killed in Medellín

In 1993, Escobar was killed in his hometown by the Colombian National Police, a day after his 44th birthday.

1995: Escobar's family flees Colombia

In 1995, after failing to find a country that would grant them asylum, Escobar's widow (María Henao, now María Isabel Santos Caballero), son (Juan Pablo, now Sebastián Marroquín Santos) and daughter (Manuela) fled Colombia.

July 2006: Vallejo taken to the United States

In July 2006, Virginia Vallejo was taken to the United States by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for "safety and security reasons" due to her cooperation in high-profile criminal cases.

October 2006: Exhumation of Escobar's Body

On October 28, 2006, Escobar's body was exhumed at the request of some of his relatives in order to take a DNA sample and confirm the alleged paternity of an illegitimate child and remove all doubt about the identity of the body that had been buried next to his parents for 12 years.

2007: Hippo Population Growth

By 2007, the hippos at Hacienda Nápoles had multiplied to 16 and had taken to roaming the area for food in the nearby Magdalena River.

2007: Publication of Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar Memoir

In 2007, the journalist Virginia Vallejo published her memoir "Amando a Pablo, odiando a Escobar" (Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar), in which she describes her romantic relationship with Escobar and the links of her lover with several presidents, Caribbean dictators, and high-profile politicians.

Amando a Pablo, odiando a Escobar / Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar (MTI) (Spanish Edition)

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2007: Two major feature films on Escobar announced

In 2007, two major feature films on Escobar, Escobar and Killing Pablo, were announced.

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2008: Reopening of Palace of Justice Siege Case

In 2008, Vallejo's statements prompted the reopening of the Palace of Justice siege case. Vallejo was asked to testify, and many of the events she had described in her book and testimonial were confirmed by Colombia's Commission of Truth.

2009: Escobar film announced

In 2009, one of two major feature films on Escobar was released

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2009: Hippo Escapes and Death

In 2009, two adult hippos and one calf escaped the herd and, after attacking humans and killing cattle, one of the adults (called "Pepe") was killed by hunters under authorization of the local authorities.

October 2010: Sins of My Father Premieres in the U.S.

In October 2010, Argentinian filmmaker Nicolas Entel's documentary "Sins of My Father" premiered in the U.S. on HBO, chronicling Sebastián Marroquín's efforts to seek forgiveness, on behalf of his father, from the sons of Rodrigo Lara and Luis Carlos Galán.

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August 2011: Santofimio sentenced to prison

In August 2011, Santofimio was sentenced to 24 years in prison for his role in Galán's assassination.

2011: Killing Pablo film announced

In 2011, one of two major feature films on Escobar was released

2014: Hippo Population Size

As of early 2014, 40 hippos have been reported to exist in Puerto Triunfo, Antioquia Department, from the original four belonging to Escobar.

2014: Purchase of Miami Beach Mansion by Christian de Berdouare

In 2014, Christian de Berdouare, proprietor of the Chicken Kitchen fast-food chain, bought Escobar's dilapidated waterfront mansion in Miami Beach, Florida.

2014: Publication of Pablo Escobar, My Father

In 2014, Sebastián Marroquín published "Pablo Escobar, My Father" under his birth name, providing a firsthand insight into his father's life and the impact of his death on the family.

2016: Projected Hippo Population Growth

As of 2016, without management, the hippo population size is likely to more than double in the next decade.

June 2018: Money Laundering Accusation

On June 5, 2018, in Argentina, federal judge Nestor Barral accused María Isabel Santos Caballero, Escobar's widow, and her son, Sebastián Marroquín Santos, of money laundering with two Colombian drug traffickers and ordered the seizing of assets for about $1m each.

2018: National Geographic Article on Hippos

In 2018, National Geographic published an article on Escobar's hippos which found disagreement among environmentalists on whether they were having a positive or negative impact but that conservationists and locals – particularly those in the tourism industry – were mostly in support of their continued presence.

February 2019: Demolition of Edificio Mónaco

On February 22, 2019, Medellín authorities demolished the six-story Edificio Mónaco apartment complex, where Escobar planned some of his most brazen attacks, to build a park honoring cartel victims.