Born in 1949, Britannica writes that Escobar came from humble beginnings. In his teens, he began committing petty theft, which included stealing stereos and tombstones. His crimes would eventually escalate to drug trafficking, and in 1975, Escobar formed what would later be known as the Medellín Cartel (via Biography). By 1980, InSight Crime reports that he supplied over 80% of cocaine sent to the U.S. This would make Escobar one of the world's richest men. Despite his immense wealth, he struggled to be accepted into Colombia's elite.
Escobar had always dreamt of being president and thought his money would give him political gain. When he realized that he had no chance, he sought revenge. Escobar ordered hits on journalists, judges, and political candidates. Associated Press reports that he even hired people to specifically target police officers. Amongst his worst crimes is the explosion of Avianca Flight 203 — 107 people on board died because Escobar believed a political rival was on the flight (per Noiser).
In addition, Escober had a presidential candidate that promised the extradition of drug traffickers to the U.S. assassinated. Escobar's biggest fear was reportedly dying "in an American jail cell" (via All That's Interesting), and he did everything in his power to prevent it from happening. Per StMU Research Scholars, he referred to his violent policy as "plata o ploma," which translates into "silver or lead." Ultimately, Escobar's bloodthirsty actions turned Medellín into the murder capital of the world.
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