Pop Culture Confidential

By 1982, cocaine made up 30% of all Colombian export, surpassing coffee, with much help by cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar. The new hit Netflix series “Narcos” traces his rise as one of the leaders of the Meddellín Cartel, the flow of cocaine from Colombia into the United States and the DEA’s attempts to bring down Escobar and the cartel. Brazilian actor Wagner Moura has received high praise for his portrayal of Escobar, who is a complex character – to say the least. He is one of the worlds most notorious criminals, reportedly responsible for over 4,000 murders and terrorizing many more, but to some he is also a hero, a Robin Hood like character who gave money to poor comminutes in Colombia, built soccer stadiums and even ran for office. At the time of his death, he was reportedly worth an estimated $25 billion dollars – making him also the wealthiest criminal in history. “Narcos” is filmed on location in Colombia with some real archival footage mixed in, and many of the real-life protagonists are consultants