La Catedral

This article is about the prison. For the musical piece, see Agustín Barrios.
La Catedral
Helipad overlooking the City of Medellín
La Catedral is located in Colombia
La Catedral
LocationMedellín
Coordinates6°7′4″N 75°35′6″W / 6.11778°N 75.58500°W / 6.11778; -75.58500
StatusClosed
Opened1991
ClosedJuly 1992
CountryColombia
Medellín Cartel

La Catedral was a personal prison overlooking the city of Medellín, in Colombia. The prison was built to specifications ordered by Medellín Cartel leader Pablo Escobar, under a 1991 agreement with the Colombian government in which Escobar would surrender to authorities and serve a maximum term of five full years and the Colombian government would not extradite him to the United States. The prison now is administered as a monastery by Catholic monks of the Benedictine Order.

Construction and occupation by Escobar

In addition to the facility being built to Escobar's specifications, Escobar was also given the right to choose who would guard him and it was believed he chose guards loyal only to him. Moreover, the prison was believed to have been designed more to keep out Escobar's enemies and protect him from assassination attempts, than to keep Escobar inside.[1]

The finished prison was often called "Hotel Escobar" or "Club Medellín" because of its amenities. La Catedral featured a football pitch, giant doll house, bar, jacuzzi and waterfall. Escobar also had a telescope installed that allowed him to look down onto the city of Medellín to his family's residence while talking on the phone with them.[1]

PBS reports that although the government was willing to turn a blind eye to Escobar continuing his drug smuggling, the arrangement fell apart when it was reported Escobar had four of his lieutenants tortured and murdered within La Catedral. The Colombian government decided it had to move Escobar to a standard prison, an order Escobar refused. July 1992, after serving one year and one month, Escobar again went on the run. With the Colombian National Army surrounding La Catedral's facility, Escobar fled through an escape route that he had built into the facility during its construction. A section of the wall had been mortared with weak concrete that could be easily kicked open, allowing Escobar to walk out.[2] The ensuing manhunt employed a 600-man unit force, specially trained by the United States Delta Force, named Search Bloc and led by Colonel Hugo Martínez.[1]

Pablo Escobar

Location advantage

Fog comes over after six o'clock in the evening and returns at dawn, making air assault difficult. The location's steep topography also prevented the military or rival cartels from attacking La Catedral easily.[3] In addition, Pablo Escobar had a large magazine stocked with arms that ensured his safety in the prison.[4]

Present day

La Catedral remained deserted for several years. In 2007, a group of Benedictine monks from the Benedictina Fraternidad Monastica Santa Gertrudis arrived at the site and transformed it. They built a chapel, a library, a cafeteria, a guest-house for religious pilgrimages, workshops and a memorial to victims of the cartel in the prison. In addition, the monks hired laid-off people to help with the daily running of La Catedral. Considering their efforts of reconstructing the prison, the city Envigado then ceded the entire prison to these monks.[3]

  • Guard house at La Catedral
    Guard house at La Catedral

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to La Catedral.

References

  1. ^ a b c Cran, William; Tepper, Stephanie (March 25, 1997). "The Godfather of Cocaine". Frontline. No. 1309. PBS.
  2. ^ Escobar, Juan Pablo (2016-09-01). Pablo Escobar: My Father. Ebury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4735-5066-7.
  3. ^ a b Campagna, Jeff (2014-06-07). "Pablo Escobar's Private Prison Is Now Run by Monks for Senior Citizens". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  4. ^ Thompson, David P. (1996). "Pablo Escobar, Drug Baron: His surrender, imprisonment, and escape". Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. 19: 55–91. doi:10.1080/10576109608435996.

Read other articles:

Hasan Din

Hasan DinLahir1905Padang, Hindia BelandaMeninggal1974 (umur 68/69)MakamTaman Pemakaman Umum Karet BivakKebangsaanIndonesiaPekerjaanPengusahaSuami/istriSiti Chadijah dan 3 lainnyaAnakFatmawati Hildawati Hasan Din (lahir di Padang, Sumatera Barat, tahun 1905 - wafat 1974) adalah seorang pengusaha dan tokoh Muhammadiyah di Bengkulu.[1] Dia merupakan ayah dari Fatmawati, ibu negara Republik Indonesia yang pertama. Kehidupan Hasan merupakan seorang pengusaha Minangkabau yang aktif melakuk...

 

 

Cities and counties in the United States offering a domestic partnership registry

Part of the LGBT rights seriesLegal status ofsame-sex unions Marriage Andorra Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Denmark Ecuador Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Luxembourg Malta Mexico Netherlands1 New Zealand2 Norway Portugal Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan United Kingdom3 United States4 Uruguay Recognized Israel5 Civil unions andregistered partnerships Bolivia Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Hungary Ital...

 

 

Kollegal

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Kollegal – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) City in Karnataka, IndiaKollegalaCityKollegalaKollegala City from Maradi GuddaNickname: Silk CityKollegalaLocation in Karnataka, Indi...

Pawhuska, Oklahoma

For the Osage Indian leader, see White Hair. For the United States Navy large harbor tug, see Pawhuska (YTB-822). City in Oklahoma, United StatesPawhuska, Oklahoma 𐓄𐓘𐓢𐓶𐓮𐓤𐓘hpahúskaCityHistoric Downtown Pawhuska (2005)Location within OklahomaCoordinates: 36°40′04″N 96°20′14″W / 36.66778°N 96.33722°W / 36.66778; -96.33722[1]CountryUnited StatesStateOklahomaCountyOsageFounded1872 (Deep Ford)Named forPaw-Hiu-SkahArea[2]...

 

 

Magnoliids

MagnoliidsRentang fosil: 113–0 jtyl[1][2] PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Albium - saat ini Magnolia × alba (Cempaka putih/kantil) Klasifikasi ilmiah Kerajaan: Plantae (tanpa takson): Tracheophyta (tanpa takson): Angiospermae (tanpa takson): MagnoliidsAPGMagnoliidaeNovák ex Takht.[3] [W.S. Judd, P.S. Soltis & D.E. Soltis][4] Ordo Canellales Laurales Magnoliales Piperales Magnoliidae (atau magnoliids menurut Sistem klasifikasi APG III) adalah sekelom...

 

 

Ойзерман, Теодор Ильич

Теодор Ильич Ойзерман Имя при рождении Teodor Ilitch Oizerman Дата рождения 1 (14) мая 1914 Место рождения Петроверовка, Тираспольский уезд, Херсонская губерния (ныне Ширяевский район, Одесская область, Украина) Дата смерти 25 марта 2017(2017-03-25)[1] (102 года) Место смерти Москва, Россия Стр...

Qazvin

Cet article est une ébauche concernant une localité iranienne. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) selon les recommandations des projets correspondants. Qazvin (fa) قزوین, Qazvīn, Caspin, Qazwin ou Ghazvin Mosquée du Vendredi, Qazvin. Administration Pays Iran Province Qazvin Indicatif téléphonique international +(98) Démographie Population 349 788 hab. (2006) Géographie Coordonnées 36° 16′ nord, 50° 00′ ...

 

 

2016年美國總統選舉

2016年美國總統選舉 ← 2012 2016年11月8日 2020 → 538個選舉人團席位獲勝需270票民意調查投票率55.7%[1][2] ▲ 0.8 %   获提名人 唐納·川普 希拉莉·克林頓 政党 共和黨 民主党 家鄉州 紐約州 紐約州 竞选搭档 迈克·彭斯 蒂姆·凱恩 选举人票 304[3][4][註 1] 227[5] 胜出州/省 30 + 緬-2 20 + DC 民選得票 62,984,828[6] 65,853,514[6]...

 

 

Henri Desgrange

French cyclist and journalist This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Henri Desgrange – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Henri DesgrangeDesgrange, c. 1925Born(1865-01-31)31 January 1865Paris, FranceDied16 August 1940(1940-08-16)...

2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres

2006 World JuniorChampionships in AthleticsTrack events100 mmenwomen200 mmenwomen400 mmenwomen800 mmenwomen1500 mmenwomen3000 mwomen5000 mmenwomen10,000 mmen100 m hurdleswomen110 m hurdlesmen400 m hurdlesmenwomen3000 msteeplechasemenwomen4 × 100 m relaymenwomen4 × 400 m relaymenwomen10,000 m walkmenwomenField eventsHigh jumpmenwomenPole vaultmenwomenLong jumpmenwomenTriple jumpmenwomenShot putmenwomenDiscus throwmenwomenHammer throwmenwomenJavelin throwmenwomenCombined eventsHeptathlonwome...

 

 

Constitution of Cyprus

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Constitution of Cyprus – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Constitution of CyprusRatifiedAugust 16, 1960SystemPresidential republicGovernment structureBranchesThree (Executive, Legislative, Ju...

 

 

Cradle of civilization

Locations where civilization emerged Part of a series onHuman historyand prehistory ↑ before Homo   (Pliocene epoch) Prehistory Stone Age Lower Paleolithic HomoHomo erectus Middle Paleolithic Early Homo sapiens Upper Paleolithic Behavioral modernity EpipalaeolithicMesolithic Neolithic Cradle of civilization Protohistory Copper Age Bronze Age EuropeNear EastSouth AsiaEast Asia Bronze Age collapse Iron Age EuropeNear EastSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaWest Africa Recorded history ...

Renato Goupil

Questa voce sull'argomento santi francesi è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. San Renato Goupil Gesuita e martire  NascitaSaint-Martin-du-Bois, 15 maggio 1608 MorteOssenon, 29 settembre 1642 Venerato daChiesa cattolica Beatificazione21 giugno 1925 Canonizzazione29 giugno 1930 Ricorrenza29 settembre Attributipalma Manuale Renato Goupil (Saint-Martin-du-Bois, 15 maggio 1608 – Ossenon, 29 settembre 1642) fu un religioso francese d...

 

 

دوري الدرجة الأولى الروماني 1915–16

هذه المقالة تحتاج للمزيد من الوصلات للمقالات الأخرى للمساعدة في ترابط مقالات الموسوعة. فضلًا ساعد في تحسين هذه المقالة بإضافة وصلات إلى المقالات المتعلقة بها الموجودة في النص الحالي. (نوفمبر 2019) دوري الدرجة الأولى الروماني 1915–16 تفاصيل الموسم دوري الدرجة الأولى الروماني...

 

 

Verano Brianza

Peta wilayah Komune Verano Brianza (merah) di Provinsi Monza dan Brianza (emas), Lombardia, Italia. Verano Brianza komune di Italia Tempat Negara berdaulatItaliaDaerah di ItaliaLombardyProvinsi di ItaliaProvinsi Monza dan Brianza NegaraItalia Ibu kotaVerano Brianza PendudukTotal9.137  (2023 )GeografiLuas wilayah3,52 km² [convert: unit tak dikenal]Ketinggian264 m Berbatasan denganBriosco Giussano Carate Brianza SejarahSanto pelindungNazarius and Celsus (en) Informasi tambahanKode po...

Unrest (band)

American indie rock band This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Unrest band – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message) UnrestBackground informationOriginWashington, D.C.GenresIndie popindie rock[1]Years active1983–1994, 2005,...

 

 

Women in Sierra Leone

Women in Sierra LeoneSierra Leonean woman in traditional dressGeneral StatisticsMaternal mortality (per 100,000)890 (2010)Women in parliament12.4% (2013)Women over 25 with secondary education9.5% (2012)Women in labour force65.7% (2012)Gender Inequality Index[1]Value0.633 (2021)Rank162nd out of 191 Global Gender Gap Index[2]Value0.672 (2022)Rank109th out of 146 Part of a series onWomen in society Society Women's history (legal rights) Woman Animal advocacy Business F...

 

 

Faith No More

Faith No More Faith No More en Portugal en 2010, durante la gira The Second Coming TourDatos generalesOrigen San Francisco, California, Estados UnidosEstado ActivoInformación artísticaOtros nombres Faith No Man (1982-1983) Sharp Young Men (hasta 1982)Género(s) Metal alternativo[1]​Indie rock[1]​Hard rock[1]​Heavy metal[1]​Funk metal[1]​[2]​[3]​Rap metal[3]​New wave Noise rockMetal progresivo Metal experimental[2]​[3]​(de...

Craig James (politician)

American politician Craig T. JamesMember of the U.S. House of Representativesfrom Florida's 4th districtIn officeJanuary 3, 1989 – January 3, 1993Preceded byBill ChappellSucceeded byTillie Fowler Personal detailsBornCraig Taylor James (1941-05-05) May 5, 1941 (age 83)Augusta, Georgia, U.S.Political partyRepublicanEducationUniversity of Florida (AA)Stetson University (BS, JD) Craig Taylor James (born May 5, 1941) is an American politician and lawyer from Florida. He...

 

 

Truesports

Automobile Racing Team Jim Trueman during practice at the 1986 Indy 500 Truesports[1] was an automobile racing team founded by Jim Trueman[2] based in Hilliard, Ohio. The team is best known for winning the 1986 Indianapolis 500 and back-to-back CART championships in 1986 and 1987. The team won 19 points-paying Indy car races. The word Truesports is a portmanteau of the surname Trueman and the word sports or perhaps the word motorsports. The primary crew chief of the team was S...