Colombia Is More Than Pablo Escobar And Drugs

There are many stories that have been written and filmed about Colombia, but most people are fascinated with the life of the city Medellín‘s narcos. The proof of this unhealthy fascination derives from the myriad of series and films that revolve around the paisa drug dealers. Many Colombians, including myself, are fed up of with the multiple semi-fictional displays of our country’s painful past.

Most Colombians don’t like being associated with Pablo Escobar; he became famous for being one of the most violent, brutal, ambitious and powerful drug dealers of modern history. Escobar was responsible for at least 4,000 murders and this is only one of the reasons we dislike associating Colombia with him. We understand that Escobar is a popular character around the world thanks to the Netflix series Narcos and other documentaries, international movies and Hispanic telenovelas.

This is why every time someone asks me where I am from, I hope they won’t associate me with drugs, Pablo Escobar or narcos. I will never forget my first day of college when every professor wanted us to introduce ourselves to our classmates. It was the worst experience I’ve ever had because every single one of them wanted me to talk about “Columbia” (yes, with a “u”), cocaine and all the negative stereotypes the “Narcos” portray. I understand that perspective, but, on the other hand, the show tells a story that happened more than 30 years. It is not depicting present day Colombia.

Colombia is much more than narcos and Escobar. If Colombia should be known globally for one thing it should definitely not be cocaine. It should be our biodiversity.

Back home, my room had the most beautiful view of a snowy mountain called Nevado del Ruiz, even during the sweltering summers. This is what makes Colombia one of the most touristic countries— Oh, and don’t forget our well-known coffee.

As a Colombian, I am proud of the many characters who make our country feel proud, and Escobar is definitely not one of them. Colombia is Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Shakira, Carlos Vives…and the list goes on.

I really hope that when people meet a Colombian they ask about other things besides narcos. If some people were more cultured, they would identify us with something completely different because the name “Columbia” is as fake as narcos in our modern society.