Thu, 13 Feb 2025

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 Erasing Escobar: Will Colombia ban the sale of memorabilia of the drug lord?

Politicians in the country want to prohibit the sale of such items, but they face opposition.

* A proposed law in Colombia's Congress seeks to ban the sale of merchandise celebrating former drug lord Pablo Escobar, who was linked to thousands of murders.
* The bill aims to prohibit the selling, use, and carrying of clothing and items promoting criminals, including Escobar, with fines for those who violate the rules.
* Many vendors selling Escobar merchandise claim that a law prohibiting this would harm their livelihoods, but supporters argue that it is necessary to put an end to the glorification of a notorious criminal.
* The bill has sparked debate about the commercialization of images of Escobar and the need to correct the narrative around his legacy.
* Some critics argue that the bill does not focus enough on education and instead focuses on punishing those who sell Escobar merchandise.
* A proposed online shop called narcostore.co, launched by a victim's son, aims to reshape narratives around Escobar and the drug trade by showing video testimonies from victims instead of selling Escobar-themed items.
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