How Pablo Escobar Shaped the Future: A Legacy Timeline

A detailed timeline of the impact and legacy of Pablo Escobar across different fields.

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

1989: Conspiracy in the Assassination

In 1989, Virginia Vallejo, a television anchorwoman romantically involved with Escobar from 1983 to 1987, offered Attorney General Mario Iguarán her testimony in the trial against former Senator Alberto Santofimio, who was accused of conspiracy in the 1989 assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán.

July 2006: Virginia Vallejo Offers Testimony

On 4 July 2006, Virginia Vallejo, a television anchorwoman romantically involved with Escobar from 1983 to 1987, offered Attorney General Mario Iguarán her testimony in the trial against former Senator Alberto Santofimio.

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)

Check it on Amazon

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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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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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.

2017: Loving Pablo Movie Released

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

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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.