Juan Pablo Escobar, 48, of Medellin, has perhaps one of the most difficult legacies to manage. The legacy of his father, Pablo Escobar, is marked by violence and a horrific death toll of 5,500 people during the rise of the Medellin cartel between 1989 and 1993. It is inscribed with his name and surname, in movies, series and books. In his quest to confront his past and tell his side of the story, he is now turning to the comic book form. escobar, criminal educationThis work by Catalan editor Norma tells about her childhood in an atmosphere of fear and secrecy. “I am dedicated to demystifying people, especially young people, who think of their fathers as successful people,” he explained this Wednesday at the presentation of the book with Pablo Martín Farina and Alberto Madrigal, who wrote and illustrated it.
Escobar, an architect, industrial designer and pacifist, said he chose the comic book format as another way to tell his past and reach young people. “I’m a writer, but I’ve never said so much about myself. I had to learn to write comics, but I didn’t know that each scene had its own script,” said the writer, who also composed several works under the pen name Juan Sebastian Marroquín. He said the idea was born during the pandemic in a moment of personal reflection on how to tell his story “with the utmost respect” to the victims and “without apology” to the world of drugs and violence. “I raise awareness and Netflix glorifies it,” he criticized.
This book focuses on childhood. It was a time when he was surrounded by hitmen who also served as babysitters, surrounded by various bodyguards, and was constantly insecure as he was exposed to countless threats. “There was no possibility of dreaming. Life was forever in danger. I developed very deep, very intense relationships with my caregivers,” he recalled.
He explained that for the purpose of the story, they decided to reduce the number of characters while always maintaining the authenticity of the story. He confessed that one of those caregivers is still alive and reading this book. “It was interesting to see his reaction. In relation to the world, he’s dead, but he’s still alive,” he noted.
Everyday life characterized by violence, despite its constant omnipresence, is described without a clear personality of Pablo Escobar. Only the cover depicts the two embracing, and on the last 15 pages he claims, “I didn’t want my father to be the hero of this story. This is my story.” But behind the thousands of victims, orphans, and widows, there was always the shadow of a mastermind, trying to keep the Colombian state’s war in check to avoid extradition to the United States.
The author recognizes the paradox of growing up between the privilege and fear that comes with the untold wealth generated by drug trafficking. “It didn’t make me happy to be content with the good fortune of a bad life. It didn’t make me proud. It left a mark on me,” he confessed. In recent years, Mr. Escobar has publicly apologized to families who were victims of his father’s violence and defended the need to approach drug trafficking from a different perspective. “Colombia has never been able to overcome this problem. It’s a very sad story. It’s a war that no one can win, no one can win. This is a public health issue, not a security issue. Prohibition is not the solution,” he declared.
In his book, Escobar’s son attempts to detail the ramifications and contradictions of his sonship. Despite recognizing the complexity of this character, he still perceives him as a father who is present in his absence. He remembered the weekly letters he received from his boss and the messages from his father asking him not to be afraid of explosions and gunfire. “He wrote me: ‘You’re going to hear a lot of explosions this week, but I’m fine,'” he explained. Ironically, it was through one of these communication attempts that police traced his whereabouts on December 2, 1993, eventually finding him at a home in western Medellin, where he was shot several times while fleeing.
He also remembers the lesson his father first told him about his cocaine addiction when he was 12 years old. “It’s a paradox. He didn’t set me the best example, but he passed on his values to me,” he reflected. According to him, the intention of writing this comic is not to reconcile with myths, but to destroy them. “I would rather die than repeat my father’s story,” he concluded.
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