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, dominating the cocaine trade to the US during the 1980s and early 1990s. Known as the "King of Cocaine," he amassed immense wealth, becoming one of history's richest criminals. Escobar's operations involved narcoterrorism and significant political influence, making him a notorious and impactful figure in Colombia and international drug trafficking until his death.

Sections (5)

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

October 2006: Escobar's Body Exhumed

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

2007: 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: Announcement of Escobar Films

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

Loading Video...

2009: Release of 'Sins of My Father'

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.

Loading Video...

2009: Release of Escobar (2009)

In 2009, one of the two major feature films on Escobar, titled Escobar (2009), was released.

Loading Video...

2009: Hippos Escape and Attack

In 2009, two adults 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 October 2010, the film "Sins of My Father" premiered in the U.S. on HBO.

Loading Video...

2011: Release of Killing Pablo (2011)

In 2011, one of the two major feature films on Escobar, titled Killing Pablo (2011), was released.

Loading Video...

2014: Hippo Population Reported

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

2014: Marroquín publishes 'Pablo Escobar, My Father'

In 2014, Marroquín published "Pablo Escobar, My Father" under his birth name. 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.

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.

2016: Hippo Population Expected to Double

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

2018: Article on Hippos Published

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 22 February 2019, Medellín authorities demolished the Edificio Mónaco apartment complex where Escobar planned some of his most brazen attacks. A park honoring cartel victims was to be erected in its place.