Pablo Escobar – His young years – Part I

Pablo Escobar was born named Pablo Emilio Escobar Gabiria on the 01.12.1949 in Valle de Aburra (Rio Negro), about 40 km away from Medellin. He was the middle child out of 3 brothers; namely his older brother, Roberto Escobar Gaviria – alias “Peluche” or “El osito” and his younger brother Paulos.His father, Abel, worked as a simple farmer whereas his mother Hermilda was a teacher.

Due to constant bullying during his childhood, he learned to prove himself very early. At the age of 9 he started blackmailing his peers in school. He got caught one day though, and he and his mother were ordered to school – which was his first defining experience. As a consequence, his mother told him that this world was made for intelligent people, not for idiots – and if he plans to take criminal action, he should at least be careful to not get caught. These words should shape him for the rest of his life – even so much, that he couldn’t stop thinking about them. His mother repeated her words continuously, so that they became a law for Pablo. A few years later, he started to perform small scams with his cousin El Leon. They illegally sold cigarettes and stole tombstones to sell them again after removing the inscriptions.

At the age of 17, he robbed a bank for the first time. Although he got caught and imprisoned after another robbery, he instructed his cousin to kill the only material witness. In turn, his cousin instructed a hitman named Chili who killed the witness – whereby Pablo was hereon released due to scant evidence. Pablo and Chili became close friends after this incident, and Pablo had an affair with Chilis beautiful sister.

A close collaboration arised between Pablo, his cousin and Chili. During one of their gatherings in the mountains of Medellin, Pablo promised his friends to earn his first million in the next 2-3 years in order to buy his favourite house. This house was placed in Medellin and Pablo favoured it so much, that he saw it as his motivation for any business activities.

Pablo owned the ability to visualize his dreams and goals perfectly, and furthermore to implement those unconditionally. He realized very early, that his way to power and wealth won’t be paved through bank robbery. In a bar located in Medellin, he contacted the previous gangster boss Jorgue Luis Ochoa – who was in snooper business and was involved in the trade of cocaine with Griselda Blanco.

Ochoa hired Pablo and his cousin as his bodyguards. They did not have to wait long for their first task though to work as snoopers. They were expected to smuggle 32 trucks full of ware (electronic devices, alcohol and one piano) from Ecuador to Colombia. Soldiers at the boarder pulled the trucks up and wanted to arrest Pablo and his people.

This situation lead Pablo to surpass himself, whereby he said that they outnumbered the soldiers, and they could choose between getting killed or receiving money to let Pablo and his retinue pass. This sentence was the natal hour of the popular south-american slogan “money or lead (plata o plomo) – let bribe or die”. Pablo was known as a respected man after that, and his promotion to the league of bosses began. When during one of colombias popular cockfights his rooster combatted the one of Griselda Blanco, they encountered each other.

Pablos boss, Luis Ochoa, introduced Pablo to Griselda as his most jaded men, which made an impression on Griselda. Pablo got his first chance to work for Griselda in 1976, at the age of 27. His task was to smuggle 39 kilos of cocaine taste (Basuco) from Ecuador to Colombia. Pablo very early recognized the global meaning of this drug and visualized the possible power and wealth he could reach through cocaine. His thoughts were reason enough to take the trading business of cocaine in his own hands and to make that his proper business.

As a man who was well respected, he was able to explain his intention to his principals and founded the Medellin cartel. In a minimum of time, he was able to study everything about the manufacturing of cocaine and its effects. Even his worst enemies spoke good of him in regards of his outstanding intelligence and willpower.

In 1979, Pablo Escobar founded the “Medellin cartel” in its original form. The founding members were Pablo Escobar, himself strategic planner and commander of his own organization, expanded by contacts to several levels of the state of Colombia and contacts to numerous hitmen.

Jorgue Luis Ochoa was mainly in his role of a financier and advisor due to his experiences in the smuggler business.

Carlos Lehder, son of a german ingenieur and a columbian teacher – as Pablos mother -, was a brilliant pilot, gun fanatic, and politically ambitious man with outstanding connections to central-american politicians. He was fluent in german, english and spanisch – and furthermore cherished his passion for quad bikes.