Pablo Escobar As You Have Never Known Him

5. La Catedral: A Prison Built for a King
By 1991, exhausted by relentless violence, the Colombian government negotiated a deal with Pablo. In exchange for the suspension of extradition and a light sentence, Pablo agreed to surrender and build his own luxury prison, La Catedral, overlooking the city of Medellín.La Catedral was not a penitentiary; it was a fortress of indulgence. Pablo lived like an emperor, hosting wild parties, inviting international soccer stars to play matches, and continuing to manage his multi-billion-dollar drug network via high-tech satellite communications.
The illusion shattered in 1992. When Pablo suspected two of his lieutenants, Fernando Galeano and Gerardo Moncada, of stealing from him, he had them tortured and murdered inside La Catedral. Realizing the state could no longer ignore such brazen violence, President César Gaviria ordered the military to transfer Pablo to a real federal prison. Informed of the plan, Pablo calmly walked out of La Catedral’s back gates into the foggy night, surrounded by his loyal enforcers.