In the next two months we will report about Columbias recent history, focussing on the cocaine-wars in the 80s and 90s including their main characters Pablo Escobar and Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasques, also known as Popeye. Inspired by the Netflix-series Surviving Escobar, Celebridad del mal and the well known series Narcos, as well as the Hollywood movie Loving Pablo featuring Penelope Cruz and Javier Barden, we‘ re going to interview people from that period of time who are still alive and were directly involved. Moreover, we will present unpublished pictures and video footage to our readers.
The economic factor of this industry is enormous, which is why bloody wars were led on its behalf. 2000 years BC, Cocaine was firstly discovered and used by the Incas and Mays for medical purposes.
The economic commercialization started in the 50s by Coca-Cola, whereas it was used as blood-thinning medication for people living in heights as 3000 meters and above. The wild coca plant grows in heights between 200 and 400 meters, although today it is cultivated at 2000 meters. The name Coca derived from Quechua (KUKA), while the scientific term is „Erythoroxylum coca“.
The coca plant will grow to around 1.5 meters high and bears – next to its green leaves – small white flowers and round, red fruits which are around 1 cm in diameter. The cocaine itself becomes a potential drug through certain procedures, as the chlorhidrato.
The very known austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud belittled cocaine and used it as a mind-expanding substance not only for himself, but for his patients as well. Simultaneously, he opened the way of cocaine as a drug of the high-society. Subsequently, the german chemnist Albrecht Erlenmeyer came up with several studies on cocaine and concluded that Freud created the third plague of humanity.
1970, the export of cocaine as a party drug was initiated by Griselda Blanco. Since there were no security checks at the airports as there are in today’s time, it was quite easy for Blanco to import the drug into the US. Her first deliveries to Miami were easily accomplished while carrying it as a traveling tourist in her suitcase. Her first delivery was extended with lactose.
Griselda Blanco is referred to as the pioneer and queen of cocaine, since she also provided London’s and New York’s party scene with this drug. Griselda Blanco, who was born on the 15th of February 1943 in Santa Marta Colombia – but grew up in Medellin -, was an analphabet and never learned how to drive a car. She grew up in poor conditions, whereas her mother was a prostitute and her father remaines unknown.
In order to survive, she started early as a pickpocket; at the age of 11 she was an expert at stealing. When she was called “fat” by a peer, she didn’t hesitate and stabbed him to death.
Her first husband, Carlos Trujillo, was a well-known specialist in copying US entrance visa. They had three children, whereas her fondness of the italian mafia brought her to call the youngest son Michael Corleone – known from the movie “The Godfather”.
She seemed to be obsessed with the brutal manners shown by Italo Mafia, which led her to introduce them to Colombia. Her preferences included ears which were cut-off and sent in envelopes, or fragmentation of humans which were then dropped on the street – in suitcases. She also invented a very efficient way to shoot someone while riding a motorcycle.
One other thing she was fanatic about was her drive to dominate men. One wrong word out of her lovers mouth – and she would kill them. As one would expect her first marriage went wrong. To keep custody of her children, she killed her husband without further ado.
The Medellin of today:
The book Pablo Escobar is available in early 2018!
