When I was 7 years old and my father [Pablo Escobar] tells me "my profession is that of a bandido (a bandit) that is what I do" - these are the words he tells me after the assassination of the Minister of Justice ordered by my father himself in 1984 - it's very difficult to react to that when you are only 7 years old because you don't realize the significance of the word bandido.
Juan Pablo EscobarI can understand how people would despise my image and my father's persona. My father's image amongst the poorest of people, those forgotten by the state, still remains a respected image. Whether we like it or not, my father was an important figure who filled a vacuum left by the state amongst the lower social classes.
Juan Pablo EscobarSadly, [Pablo Escobar] ended up throwing away the one opportunity he had. I naively thought, as a son and as many other Colombians, that he would take this opportunity to make amends with the country.
Juan Pablo EscobarI think these discussions with my father even gave the label of pacifist, particularly with my father, and he mentions this when he turns himself in to prison at La Catedral when he dedicates his action to his 14-year-old pacifist son.
Juan Pablo EscobarThe pictures I have been sent that display my father in places around the world such as the metro in Barcelona or downtown Los Angeles, I cannot understand the amount of publicity that has been given to my father in addition to the message that is spread because of this.
Juan Pablo EscobarI am not saying this to serve as a justification for the things [Pablo Escobar] did, but rather to demonstrate the context of his situation and the reason for his actions, for which only he is responsible for. I think it was very difficult for him to try to bring down the very criminal organization that he had created and by the time he wanted to stop, he was unable to.
Juan Pablo Escobar