Pablo Escobar

John Jairo Velásquez — commonly known as "Popeye" — gives his testimony against fellow Colombian drug cartel members in 2006.

The release of ‘Popeye,’ a trusted assassin for Pablo Escobar, enrages many Colombians

Justice

Cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar was killed more than two decades ago, but one of the last surviving members of Escobar’s ultra-violent Medellin cartel just became a free man. The release of John Jairo Velásquez, who left prison on August 19, has sparked controversy in Colombia.

Is the US secretly training Syria’s rebels?

Global Scan

Pablo Escobar may be long gone, but his hippos are still a big problem for Colombia

Environment
The World

Music heard on the air for May 27, 2014

Music Heard on Air
Colombian newspapers and magazines from December 1993 on the death of druglord Pablo Escobar. Yolanda Perdomo saved them from that time.

In the land of Capone, Colombian immigrants struggle to imagine kingpin Pablo Escobar as a tourist draw

The Escobar-Henao company image.

Would you buy the shirt of an infamous Colombian drug lord?

Pablo Escobar’s new line of clothing is selling well, but not in Colombia

Amidst Colombian violence, arts forge an alternative path

Global Politics

Colombia was wracked with violence during the era of the Escobar drug cartel. And while the cartel has been curtailed, regular street violence persists. Now, arts groups are trying to give youth an alternative path to the future.

Colombians reclaim their land

Millions of Colombians have been forced off their land in the country’s long civil war. Now some of those people are getting their land back.

Medellín’s Makeover

In the past few years, Medellin, Colombia has seemingly been transformed from a blighted haven for drug trafficking to an award-winning place of smart urban design. The man who gets a lot of the credit for that is the former mayor, Sergio Fajardo.

The World

Art & Music as Alternatives to Violence in Medellín, Colombia

Arts, Culture & Media

Colombia’s second largest city was once dominated by the drug cartel of Pablo Escobar. Crime remains high. Which is why several groups in the city are determined to provide peaceful alternatives for young people through art and music.