Robin Hood or villain: The significance of Pablo Escobar to the poor of Colombia
This extended essay will analyse Pablo Escobar as a Modern day Robin Hood and the World’s Greatest Outlaw’, Pablo Escobar, is one of the most notorious villains of all time. Escobar to this day is still a highly controversial character and is perceived differently throughout Columbia. Even those unfamiliar with the country are likely to have heard of the man that reportedly ordered the murder of over 10,000 people and was once named the 7th richest man in the world by Forbes Magazine. When Escobar died the police and government cheered throughout the streets; however hundreds of thousands of Columbians cried. It showed a division of Classes in Columbia the rich were celebrating while the poor people of Columbia were mourning. Over 20,000 people showed up to his funeral and more than half were crying. Pablo was notorious for killing thousands and importing over 80% of cocaine trafficked in America at the height of his power. However, the people of Columbia mostly in the slums praise Escobar and refer to him as a modernized Robin Hood
Pablo Escobar was born on December 1, 1949 into a lower-middle class family. Young Pablo grew up in the Medellín suburb of Envigado. As a young man, "he was driven and ambitious, telling friends and family that he wanted to be President of Colombia someday.” Escobar was born in Rionegro, a village not far from Medellín. His family were extremely poor, he and his brother Roberto once being sent home from school as they were unable to buy shoes. His criminal career began after being forced to leave university as he was unable to pay the fees required. He and his brother allegedly began by stealing gravestones and sanding them down for resale. This soon moved into street scams and other crimes, including selling contraband cigarettes, selling fake tickets for the lottery and stealing cars. Escobar was introduced to crime at a very young age. It’s clear Escobar grew up a poor child with little opportunities ahead of him in life and while rich he tried to help the poor in every way he could including building dignified housing, schools, roads and playgrounds.
Pablo was mainly referred to by his brother, Roberto, as a modern day Robin Hood. For some communities, however, the killing of Escobar was not the signal of a bright new dawn. Some in Medellín mourned his death and were reverent supporters and defenders of the man. For Escobar to have cultivated this kind of following in his home city where he was responsible for the killing of hundreds of innocent civilians, politicians and police, as well as for the city becoming known as the murder capital of the word – took more than simply being good at PR. Escobar worked hard to cultivate a ‘Robin Hood’
Escobar dedicated himself and his overflowing resources to establishing civic development programs aimed to alleviate the suffering of Medellín’s poor. His first project was Civismo en March...
