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, the 'King of Cocaine', was the leader of the Medellín Cartel, which dominated the cocaine trade in the US during the 1980s and early 1990s. He amassed immense wealth through his criminal activities. Escobar was a narcoterrorist and politician who became one of the richest criminals in history with an estimated net worth of $30 billion by the time of his death.

Sections (5)

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

1948: Construction of Miami Beach mansion

In 1948, a four-bedroom estate was built on Biscayne Bay at 5860 North Bay Road in Miami Beach, Florida. Later, Escobar owned this home under his own name.

December 1949: Birth of Pablo Escobar

In December 1949, Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was born. He would later become a notorious Colombian drug lord and the leader of the Medellín Cartel.

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December 1949: Pablo Escobar's Birth

On December 1, 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, Pablo Escobar dropped out of high school shortly before his 17th birthday. He returned two years later with his cousin Gustavo Gaviria.

1971: Kidnapping of Diego Echavarria

In the summer of 1971, Pablo Escobar's gang kidnapped businessman Diego Echavarria and killed him after receiving a $50,000 ransom from the Echavarria family. This event made Escobar's gang well known.

March 1976: Escobar marries Maria 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; the pair eloped.

May 1976: Escobar's Arrest for Drug Trafficking

In May 1976, Pablo Escobar was arrested by the Colombian Security Service (DAS) after returning from drug trafficking in Ecuador with 39 kg of cocaine found in his car. However, Escobar bribed the second judge in the lawsuit and was released.

1982: Election to Colombian Congress

In 1982, Pablo Escobar was elected as an alternate member of the Chamber of Representatives as part of the Liberal Party in the Colombian parliamentary election. He initiated community projects but faced opposition from the Colombian and US governments.

1982: Purchase of Hacienda Nápoles

In 1982, with the profits from the Norman's Cay smuggling route, Pablo Escobar purchased 20 square kilometers of land in Antioquia and built the Hacienda Nápoles, a luxurious house with various amenities including a zoo and a private bullring.

1985: Escobar's role in the Palace of Justice siege

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

1988: Bombing of Edificio Mónaco

In 1988, the Edificio Mónaco, initially built for Escobar's wife, was gutted by a Cali Cartel car bomb and had remained unoccupied ever since.

1991: Escobar's Surrender and Imprisonment

In 1991, Pablo Escobar surrendered to authorities and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment on several charges. As part of a deal with Colombian president César Gaviria, he was housed in his self-built prison, La Catedral, and was guaranteed no extradition to the U.S.

1991: Escobar's Surrender

In 1991, after the assassination of Luis Carlos Galán, Pablo Escobar surrendered to Colombian authorities, declaring an end to his violent acts, in exchange for a reduced sentence and preferential treatment. The newly approved Colombian Constitution of 1991 prohibited the extradition of Colombian citizens to the United States.

July 1992: Escobar Escapes from La Catedral

On July 22, 1992, Pablo Escobar discovered the plan to move him to a more conventional jail and escaped from his luxurious private prison, La Catedral, spending the remainder of his life evading the police.

1992: Escobar's Escape from La Catedral

In 1992, Pablo Escobar escaped from his self-built prison, La Catedral, after authorities attempted to move him to a standard holding facility, which led to a nationwide manhunt.

1995: Escobar's family flees Colombia

In 1995, Escobar's widow María Henao, son Juan Pablo, and daughter Manuela fled Colombia after failing to find a country that would grant them asylum.

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 28 October 2006, Escobar's body was exhumed at the request of some of his relatives in order to take a DNA sample to confirm the alleged paternity of an illegitimate child. A video of the exhumation was broadcast by RCN, angering Marroquín.

2007: Hippo population growth

By 2007, the hippo population at Hacienda Nápoles had grown to 16, and the animals had taken to roaming the area for food in the nearby Magdalena River.

2007: Publication of Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar

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.

2007: Announcement of Escobar films

In 2007, two major feature films on Escobar, Escobar (2009) and Killing Pablo (2011), were announced.

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2008: Reopening of the 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: Release of Sins of My Father documentary

In 2009, Argentinian filmmaker Nicolas Entel's documentary Sins of My Father chronicles Marroquín's efforts to seek forgiveness, on behalf of his father, from the sons of Rodrigo Lara, Colombia's justice minister who was assassinated in 1984, as well as from the sons of Luis Carlos Galán, the presidential candidate who was assassinated in 1989.

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2009: Release of Escobar film

In 2009, the major feature film on Escobar, Escobar, was released.

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2009: Hippo escape and killing

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 on HBO in the U.S.

In October 2010, the documentary film "Sins of My Father" premiered in the U.S. on HBO.

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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 the assassination of Galán.

2011: Release of Killing Pablo film

In 2011, the major feature film on Escobar, Killing Pablo, was released.

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2014: Hippo Population reaches 40

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

2014: Sale of Escobar's Miami Beach mansion

In 2014, Christian de Berdouare, proprietor of the Chicken Kitchen fast-food chain, bought the dilapidated property, formerly owned by Escobar, in Miami Beach.

2014: Publication of Pablo Escobar, My Father

In 2014, Marroquín published the book Pablo Escobar, My Father under his birth name to resolve any inaccuracies regarding his father's excursions during the 1990s.

2016: Hippo population projection

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

2017: Release of the movie Loving Pablo

In 2017, Virginia Vallejo's book inspired the movie Loving Pablo was released.

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2018: Environmentalist disagreement on hippos

In 2018, National Geographic published an article that found disagreement among environmentalists on whether the hippos at Hacienda Nápoles were having a positive or negative impact, but that conservationists and locals were mostly in support of their continued presence.

February 2019: Demolition of Edificio Mónaco

On 22 February 2019, Medellín authorities demolished the six-story Edificio Mónaco apartment complex in the El Poblado neighborhood where Escobar planned some of his most brazen attacks. Colombian president Ivan Duque said the demolition "means that history is not going to be written in terms of the perpetrators, but by recognizing the victims".