Juan Pablo Escobar, now Sebastián Marroquín, on living under the shadow of legacy

The son of the notorious drug lord opened up about how he avoided following in his father’s footsteps and chose to reconcile with his community instead

During the Tatler Gen.T Summit, which is taking place in Hong Kong from November 9-10 this year, our very own Lee Williamson, the regional head of Tatler Gen.T, moderated a chat with architect and author Juan Pablo Escobar about the pros and cons of legacy.

Juan, who is now known as Sebastián Marroquín, is the son of the notorious politician, criminal and cartel leader of the same name. He is also the author of best-selling books Pablo Escobar, Mi Padre (2014) and Pablo Escobar in Fraganti (2016), and produced the documentary series Escobar, A Cursed Legacy (2021) which set ratings records. Here are the highlights from his panel, Living Under a Long Shadow: Juan Pablo Escobar on the Power of Legacy.

On choosing his own path

“I feel ashamed and embarrassed because of my father’s violent actions against societies, and for many years, I struggled [facing] prejudice because when people approached me, it's like they felt that I knew criminals. I believe that my father showed me the path that we shouldn't take as human beings, so I decided to became a different type of person.”

On his relationship with his father

“Nobody expects that somebody who has such a violent past could be a good father. While he was brutally honest with me about the crimes he committed since I was seven years old, he never encouraged me to follow him. He always encouraged me to study, to do something else, to discover my own passions. [When I was a child] I asked him many times to stop, but he was one of the most powerful guys on earth. Not even the US Army, the CIA or the DEA could stop him. I was trying to do my best from the point of a son, and he never listened.”

Above A summary of Escobar’s moving session at the Tatler Gen.T Summit 2023(Infographics: Thoth)

On the dangers of media portrayals

“Netflix portrayed my father as the Robin Hood of Colombians. For me it’s very sad because this big company, which has produced so many good stories that can inspire young people, is glorifying my father’s life and starting to make kids to believe that being a criminal is such a good thing. I've visited so many schools and met young people that think the only way to succeed in life is to become similar to my father. My job now is to raise awareness and let them know that there’s no future if they take that path.”

On responsibility and reconciliation

“I’m not proud about my father's actions, and even though I didn't commit the crimes, I take responsibility for them and I’m choosing to ask for forgiveness from my father's victims. I have visited and spoken to at least 150 families today. One of the hardest meetings was with one of the sons of the Minister of Justice [who my father assassinated], and he told me something that I will always remember: nothing grows under a big shadow.”

On having the power to choose

“We need to follow our own instincts. We are not forced to live the lives that our fathers and mothers did, so we can find our own identities our own path in life—your inner soul must be found.”

Read more articles from the Tatler Gen.T Summit 2023 here.

The Tatler Gen.T Summit is sponsored by Standard Chartered Private Bank, Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong and MTR Lab, organised in partnership with M+, Regent, Black Sheep and Cathay Pacific and supported by Brand Hong Kong, Hong Kong Tourism Board and InvestHK.

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