The story of Maria Victoria Henao, wife of Pablo Escobar (6 photos)

The life of Maria Victoria Henao, the wife of Pablo Escobar, never ceases to excite the public. Her biography - from humble origins to marriage to one of the most famous drug lords - is full of trials and tragedies.





Meeting with Pablo Escobar



Still from the series "Narcos"

Maria was born into a middle-class Colombian family and was passionate about dancing since childhood. She met her future husband at the age of 12; Escobar was 23 years old at that time. Her older brother, Carlos, worked for a drug lord.

It was 1974, and Pablo was unlike any man she had ever met. In her memoirs, “My Life and My Prison with Pablo Escobar,” Maria wrote: “He made me feel like a fairy-tale princess, and I was sure that he was my prince charming.”

Marriage





Maria Victoria and Pablo Escobar, 1983

Their romance was filled with feelings and sincere affection. This was Maria’s first relationship, and besides, she had to adapt to the criminal life of her chosen one.

She soon became pregnant and had an abortion in an underground clinic. Just a year later, the couple got married, although Maria’s family was against her choice. Even the bishop asked a 15-year-old girl if she was really ready to become the wife of an adult man.

After the marriage, Escobar began to cheat on his wife. Even though the family was relatively prosperous, Maria was forced to follow strict rules; she was forbidden to ask questions of her husband or do anything without his consent.

Surprisingly, Escobar was known as a loving and caring father, although he was rarely at home.

The Medellin cartel becomes a criminal empire



Still from the series "Narcos"

Pablo Escobar's criminal activities are known not only in Colombia, but throughout the world. Maria Victoria witnessed first-hand the rise and fall of the Medellin cartel, which later had far-reaching consequences for the family.

Perhaps the woman did not know the full extent of her husband’s drug network, but she understood that her life would never be calm. She heard about the murders, but remained silent and did not interfere, so as not to bring trouble upon herself.

It's hard to say whether Henao would have left if she could. In her autobiography, she writes that she “could not leave not only because of love, but also because of fear, powerlessness and uncertainty.” In addition, she and the children were guarded by Escobar's people.

Death of the "King of Cocaine"



Pablo Escobar, 1976

As the noose tightened, Pablo repeatedly tried to escape. Maria and the children lived in constant fear. Once Escobar even asked her to take the children to a safe house under the protection of the authorities, fearing that their enemies would kill them.

It all ended on December 2, 1993, when Escobar died in a shootout with Colombian special forces. The place of the Medellin cartel was taken by the Cali cartel, which began to be called the largest transnational corporation in the world.

Life after



Maria Victoria Henao at the International Book Fair 2019

After Pablo's death, Maria Victoria faced the difficult task of rebuilding her life. Henao tried to obtain asylum in Germany and Mozambique, but her applications were rejected. As a result, the mother and children settled in Argentina and changed their last name.

The quiet life lasted until 1999, when Maria and her son Juan Pablo were arrested for money laundering and imprisoned. The charges were soon dropped due to insufficient evidence.

“I was imprisoned in Argentina because I am Colombian. They are trying the ghost of Pablo Escobar because they want to prove that Argentina is fighting drug trafficking,” Maria complained after her release.

Subsequently, Henao apologized to the Colombian people for the terror perpetrated by her husband's cartel, but at the same time stated that she had nothing to do with it - she was simply married to its leader.

The drug lord's life has been the subject of several films and television shows, the most popular of which is the Netflix series Narcos (2015-17), starring Wagner Moura, Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook.