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 amassed immense wealth, estimated at $30 billion, by monopolizing the cocaine trade to the US in the 1980s and early 1990s. His actions involved narcoterrorism and significantly impacted Colombia's social and political landscape during that period. Escobar's influence and wealth made him one of history's wealthiest and most notorious criminals.

Sections (5)

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

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.

October 2006: Escobar's body exhumed for DNA sample

On October 28, 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 and remove all doubt about the identity of the body.

2007: Escobar's hippos multiply

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: Virginia Vallejo publishes her 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: Announcement of two major feature films on Escobar

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

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 from the sons of Rodrigo Lara and Luis Carlos Galán.

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2009: Escobar's hippos escape and attack

In 2009, two adults and one calf hippopotamus escaped the herd and, after attacking humans and killing cattle, one of the adults (called "Pepe") was killed by hunters.

October 2010: "Sins of My Father" premieres in the U.S. on HBO

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

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2014: Report of 40 hippos in Puerto Triunfo

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

2014: Chicken Kitchen proprietor buys Escobar's Miami mansion

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

2014: Roberto Escobar founds Escobar Inc

In 2014, Roberto Escobar founded Escobar Inc with Olof K. Gustafsson and registered Successor-In-Interest rights for his brother Pablo Escobar in California, United States.

2014: Marroquín publishes Pablo Escobar, My Father

In 2014, Sebastián Marroquín published Pablo Escobar, My Father under his birth name to resolve inaccuracies regarding his father's excursions during the 1990s. The book provides a firsthand insight into details of his father's life and describes the fundamentally disintegrating effect of his death upon the family.

2016: Potential doubling of hippo population

As of 2016, without management, the population size of Escobar's hippos is likely to more than double in the next decade.

2017: "Loving Pablo" movie released

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

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June 2018: María Henao accused of money laundering

On June 5, 2018, the Argentine federal judge Nestor Barral accused María Henao and her son, Sebastián Marroquín, of money laundering with two Colombian drug traffickers. The judge ordered the seizing of assets for about $1m each.

2018: Environmentalists disagree on hippo impact

In 2018, National Geographic published an article on the hippos which found disagreement among environmentalists on whether they 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 February 22, 2019, Medellín authorities demolished the six-story Edificio Mónaco apartment complex, where Escobar planned attacks. A park honoring cartel victims was planned in its place.