The hunt is over

Joey Dalicandro

Killing Pablo
By: Mark Bowden


         It's finally over.. they got him. Pablo is dead. Gone forever.

  Many years and millions of tax dollars later they finally got their man. It took nearly sixteen hard, frustrating, bloody months to find him. The hunt involved both a military and diplomatic effort along with various law enforcement agencies both foreign and domestic. It even lasted through two presidential administrations! The hunt was indeed an ugly one, hundreds of people have been killed, police, cartel members, and innocent bystanders. But the only thing that mattered now that he was dead.
          The feeling going around Colombia was an indifferent one. Some celebrated his death while many were outraged. To most of the people in Colombia Escobar was indeed a hero. A man of the people. A philanthropist. But to the governments of the United States and even that of Colombia he was a criminal and a fugitive. Colombian newspapers headlines that read Finalmente Si Gayo ( Finally, he's down). A member of the then President of Colombia's team was credited to telling a reporter that the president was "all smiles" with news of the death of Escobar. "Pablo Escobar was a runner, not a fighter" one of the members of search bloc ( the team searching for Pablo ) said as he was giving his statement to the press, "For Pablo going out with guns blazing like a bad guy in the western movies, would have been strongly out of character".
     Autopsy reports showed that Escobar had been shot three times. One entered and exited through the back of his leg another one struck him in the back, just below his shoulder while the third entered his ear and exited through the other. Special Agent Steve murphy even admitted that some members of search bloc offered selling him his shirt for as much as 200 dollars because some of Pablo's blood had sprayed on them. Killing Pablo not capturing him was always the main incentive of the mission. Everyone knew that if he was caught he would just escape again, so his death was the only way it could end. Colonel Oscar Naranjo who was chief of intelligence for Colombia at the time said that Escobar was executed at close range. "Escobar was like a trophy at the end of a long hunt" he said. No one wanted him alive. Be that as it may the DEA stations chiefs pride was mixed with regret " he felt that in order to get Pablo they had sold their souls".
      The Story of the hunt for the "worlds greatest outlaw" was both very interesting and entertaining in many different ways. It was filled with important history as well as eye opening facts about our own government. If you're a personal who craves knowledge then this is a book for you. My curiosity to learn is what drew me to this story, also a love for history had a role in it also. This story is a great example of how fact can indeed be stranger than fiction, the events that occurred through out Pablo's life were almost like that of a movie. His life was full of lies, deceit, drugs, sex and violence.  Which are reasons we as Americans are so drawn to the lives of people like Escobar. There's something about men who live as if they're above the law that intrigues us, deep down inside we all want to live lives as action packed and intense as his was. Also the story of Pablo Escobar is somewhat of an underdog story. He grew up in the slums of the poor Colombian city of Medellin, then worked his way up to eventually become a billionaire on the Forbes list. Well enough of me telling you how much of a great read it is, how about you find out for yourself?