Many people have heard of Manuela Escobar, but beyond her famous surname, they don’t know much about her. She has led a life of extreme affluence and risk as the daughter of the renowned drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Unlike most children, Escobar had to learn to run because of her father’s risky career rather than walk. She could have escaped as quickly as she wanted, but she would have never been able to escape the shadow of her father’s heritage.
This article tells you everything you need to know about Manuela Escobar, including her background and how she managed to make it through the tragic loss of her father.
Manuela Escobar Early Life
On May 25, 1984, in Colombia, Manuela Escobar was born to Pablo Escobar and his wife, Maria Victoria Henao. At the time, her father was well on his way to becoming a major player in the international drug trade. Juan Pablo, born in 1977, has a younger sister named Manuela.
Manuela had no idea what her father did before he became known as the “King of Cocaine,” but she knew he would do anything to make her happy.
Pablo Escobar may have terrorized the city, but he had a sweet spot for his daughter. According to Ati, Pablo made as much as $70 million daily at the height of his power. This means he can get his daughter whatever she wants.
At one point, Manuela Escobar asked her dad for a unicorn. Even though he knew that unicorns don’t exist, the drug lord allegedly had his henchmen buy a white horse and give it a horn and wings. The infection ultimately proved fatal for the animal.
When it came to protecting his daughter, Pablo Escobar spared no effort. In the early 1990s, he allegedly saved his wife from hypothermia by burning roughly $2 million in banknotes while they hid in the Colombian foothills to evade capture.
Being Daddy’s Little Girl
As a young child, Manuela had no notion that her father had become the “King of Cocaine,” but she also knew that no matter how small, her father would go out of his way to grant it.
The wealthiest criminal in the world, Pablo Escobar, will do anything to make his daughter happy. Manuela Escobar once asked her father for a unicorn. The drug lord reportedly ordered his subordinates to buy a white horse and add a “horn” to its head and “wings” to its back rather than tell the girl that unicorns didn’t exist. Unfortunately, the adorable animal passed away due to a severe ailment.
He allegedly burnt $2 million to warm his daughter while they hid from the authorities in the Colombian mountains in the early 1990s. Manuela, who at the time was considered a pampered brat thanks to her father, held the world’s wealth in her tiny little hands.
The drug lord rapidly realized that he could no longer keep his family secure by keeping them at his mansion. He, therefore, advised Maria Victoria Henao, his wife, that they should relocate their children to a secure facility run by the government. In December 1993, Pablo Escobar passed away with the same brutality with which he had lived.
The Murder of Pablo Escobar
Pablo quickly realized that he and his family would be in danger if they remained together, so he told his wife, Maria Victoria Henao, to seek refuge in a government-protected safe house.
Almost every citizen of Colombia had heard the news of Pablo Escobar’s untimely death. His passing marked a new beginning for his wife and children.
After her father’s death, Manuela Escobar, Juan Pablo, and their mother, Maria Victoria Henao, fled Colombia. No country would give them refugee status. They went as far as asking the Vatican for assistance.
Asylum
After Pablo passed away, Maria and the kids’ lives were challenging. Maria and her family were mourning the death of Pablo Escobar in silence and trepidation while the rest of Colombia and the globe celebrated his death. She had hoped to find a new home in a new place, but the stigma of Pablo’s past kept following her.
Arrest
Her mother and brother, however, were suddenly arrested in 1999 on charges of document fraud, money laundering, and unlawful association.
A lack of proof led to their eventual release from jail. Since Manuela Escobar never served any time behind bars, many people were curious about where she was.
Where is Manuela Escobar Now?
Due to her reclusive lifestyle, Manuela Escobar’s current whereabouts and history are largely unknown. In general, she has avoided the spotlight.
El Tiempo, a Colombian news website, finally ran an article about her after many years of silence. According to the report, Manuela Escobar used the alias Juana Manuela Marroquin Santos in Buenos Aires.
She lived in a complex called Jaramillo. The rumour mill says that she and her brother live large after inheriting millions of cash from a criminal. But the contrary was true here.
Manuela felt such a deep connection to her father that she occasionally slept in the shirt he was wearing when he passed away. She also used to sleep with a lock of her father’s beard tucked under her pillow.
In Argentina, she and her brother began attending classes under their new names. Her mum started early in the workforce and eventually built a thriving real estate business. Manuela went to school for PR.
The imprisonment of her mother and brother altered the course of her life. she was tensed that someone would know her true identity and take revenge on her family for her father’s crime.
The Current Location of Manuela Escobar
After silence, her mother and brother returned to the spotlight when they began writing books and spoke openly to the media about their experiences with Pablo Escobar. Manuela, though, has declined to accompany them.
Since her family’s incarceration in 1999, Manuela has reportedly been depressed. Even her brother admitted that she had made a suicide attempt. According to her brother, her anxiety about being recognized persists.
Although she did not commit any crime, she now lives in solitary. Manuela is rumored to be currently staying with her brother and his family.
Conclusion
She has severed all ties to her homeland and refuses to engage with the press. She also doesn’t participate in any online communities. We’ll have to see if Manuela Escobar, now 38 years old and said to live a secluded life, decides to speak out about her mysterious past.
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