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Sebastián Marroquín works tense and almost never smiles. The son of the greatest narcobaron of all time lived until the death of his father in 1993 between shots and bombs - first he was drowned in the millions of dollars that Escobar had drugged, later hiding to escape the bullets of enemies spread across Colombia. Marroquin changed his name to avoid the hell he had to endure until he had his father's surname in the ID card. She is the author of Pablo Escobar's biographical book, My Father, which came out in 2014 and has received good criticism.
Recently he has seen Narcos series from Netflix, with many reservations. He raises serious accusations against director José Padilla and criticizes actor Wagner Moura, who portrayed his father's figure: "It is an insult to Colombian history and thousands of families who have been victims of drug trafficking."
I'd rather see a guy buying a Bayer ISO 9000 cocaine at a pharmacy than seeing him buy a sort of white product with a grinded glass that cuts his lungs on the corner.
At this moment Narcos 2 is being shot, yet without the date of release. Director Padilha responded to some of Marroquin's allegations by e-mail: "We contacted the DEA, where the transcripts of all captured Pablo recordings are in the works. We do not believe his descendants would be fully aware of what was happening to their father. In addition, the information from each of the relatives did not fit each other. "Marroquin replied:" The only one who is not aware of history here is Padilha himself. Is he perhaps a relative of Pablis to know him better than his children? "
Narcos, then, distorts history or alters some things within the so-called poetic freedom of narrative, as the directors call it?
It's nothing poetic but political. When I learned that Netflix would make a series about my father, I offered to make them open to the whole story, but they did not want to.
And what damage do you think the serial might cause?
A project like this is provoked by the young desire to become drug traffickers. My father's begging is embroidered here. It seems great to be an Narcobaron when he has so much power, money, arms, women and property. My father never suffers, he's still fine. We never see him weeping.
What was Wagner Moura seeing your father doing?
I do not recognize my father in it. The accent or the stylization did not help him. How could they also faithfully portray Pablo Escobar when they refused to cooperate with his son?
Do you intend to sit down with Netflix?
I wonder what's better: fight or live? Probably the other one. However, if I have time and money for that, I intend to discuss the lies they are publishing before the law. They have cast an actor who hears my name without asking for permission. My father died, but I and my family are still alive. If they think they can dig into a dead dog, they will have to kill three more: me, my mother and my sister.
One sentence in your book mentions Frank Sinatra as if it were your father's contact with Miami ...
He was one of my father's associates in Miami.
Partner Pablo Escobar? Frank Sinatra?
I can tell you that Sinatra was a much better dealer than a singer.
How can you say this?
Drug cartels do not operate just south of Mexico and the United States. Where's the Miami cartel? Cartel from New York? Who are the cartel bosses in Chicago or Los Angeles? Every kilo of cocaine arriving in the United States will become eight kilos of poison-diluted drugs. Speaking of drugs is a great hypocrisy. However, they did not mention cartels in their series that would not be directed by Mexicans or Colombians.
And Frank Sinatra?
Under the patronage of drug dealers, a lot more singers have started their career than you think.
Sinatro's involvement with the Italian mafia is known, but how can he confirm his ties with the Colombians?
There are no confirmations or receipts. Just a few words. I know because I was close to my father and he kept talking to his companions.
You are talking about legalizing drugs on your travels around the world. Do you believe this is the starting point?
Have you ever heard people say there was a lack of cocaine in the street? How many killers have we learned in the meantime? Is it the second day after the death of a drug dealer somewhere missing drugs? So kill all in one day, and you will see that the drug will be enough. Today, 244 million consumers are willing to buy a drug. The violence of my father's era, who died 22 years ago, has not yet ended. When my father taught me about drugs, there were ten of them. Today over 460 substances are available.
And would not legalization be a risk if cocaine would also be available where it is not yet available?
But cocaine is available anywhere. So young people think that what they consume is cocaine. It would be terrible, but in fact the substance is barely 20 or 30 percent of the cocaine mixed with poison. When you order a pizza and a drug tonight, the drug will arrive sooner. C