Colombia faces a paradox as its leadership wrestles with a path to peace that includes negotiations with guerrilla groups and dissident factions, alongside a stubborn drug-trafficking landscape. The administration led by President Gustavo Petro aims to advance a broad form of reconciliation, while the country still prosecutes criminals and confronts the legacy of notorious figures. In Medellín, the Pablo Escobar story remains a magnetic, controversial symbol that tourists encounter in various ways, including a building linked to the cartel’s history. Official authorities ordered the structure’s demolition, yet a wave of events in the 1990s reference a dramatic echo of past state confrontations, as the brother of the cartel leader, who died in 1993, contested the action and played a decisive role in bringing down the site. Monday
The Las Palmas neighborhood, roughly 500 kilometers from Bogotá, became a focal point for many visitors drawn to what some call the “model of evil.” The site was once known as the museum of a former Medellín cartel head, and the destruction came not from the desire to celebrate a criminal life but from the lack of proper authorization. Reflecting the infamous history, a public demolition was announced: the state would not permit the area to be used for drug-tourism promotion. A crowd of about 50 officers and city workers arrived to find the building already collapsed, signaling an abrupt end to that chapter.
The property belonged to Robert Escobar, the elder brother of Pablo, who is now 76. He has described the legal accusations against him as unfounded and asserted he was never extradited to the United States. Those familiar with the Escobar saga see him as a key figure in the cartel’s accounting. The brother’s denial did not stop his son, Nicholas, from keeping a form of the family’s legacy alive through a public-facing enterprise. The younger generation viewed these family stories through the lens of the father’s actions, and the memory of the cartel continued to stir debate. A troubled past was paired with ongoing personal risk, and even a letter-bomb incident that blinded a relative did not silence the family’s role in the broader narrative.
theme park
In 2018 a transformation took shape around the Escobar legacy, turning the site into a themed experience that invited visitors to explore not only the house but the cemetery where he was buried. Tickets to tour the site could cost around thirty euros, yet the crumbling building in a privileged part of the city became the focal point for a controversial form of memory. Promotional materials urged immersion into the world of Pablo Escobar with claims of “inside information” and first-hand accounts, letting guests trace the life of a controversial figure from a local perspective.
Inside portions of the house, visitors could glimpse elements associated with the era: a car, a gun storage setup, and photographs capturing Escobar at different moments. Iconic items, including a fur hat and a jet ski used in famous media moments, were part of the display, alongside a large denomination bill that symbolized a notorious obsession with wealth. The presentation often included an accompanying atmosphere that sought to simulate the feel of the era for those seeking a more tangible connection to the history.
The experience frequently included staff dressed in period attire to strengthen the sense of realism, inviting visitors to engage with the story in a more immersive way. The aim, for many, was to provide a vivid look at how a single figure could shape a city’s image and a nation’s dialogue on crime and punishment.
Past, present and future
Officials view the move to destroy or reframe the museum as a meaningful step in addressing the Escobar myth and controlling the narrative around Colombia’s drug past. The Petro administration faces the broader challenge of managing both historical memory and the contemporary realities of drug trafficking, including the influence of active groups that continue to operate in the region. Escobar’s legacy now sits alongside ongoing concerns about other criminal networks and their capacity to destabilize communities across the country.
From the Gulf Clan to the ongoing activities of other organized crime groups, state leadership has continued to confront a landscape where violence and crime intersect with politics and social issues. The struggle to curb violence has driven the government to fund social programs aimed at keeping young people away from violence and away from romanticized notions of crime. The aim is to offer education, opportunity, and a path out of cycles of violence, ensuring that the next generation does not repeat the mistakes of the past.