A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
THE FOLLOWING IS A FICTIONAL STORY
INSPIRED BY SURVIVING ESCOBAR BY JOHN JAIRO VELÁSQUEZ VÁSQUEZ.
CHARACTERS AND SITUATIONS HAVE BEEN ALTERED FOR THIS PROGRAM.
MULTINATIONAL SEEKS PERSONNEL
Hello, Flor.
How are you doing? Flor, I need to ask you a favor.
I'll be arriving with a colleague who'll be staying in the house for a few days.
I want you to get the guest room ready, change the sheets,
make it nice and pretty with flowers.
I'll let you know when I get there, okay?
When I'm nearby, I'll call you.
Thank you.
We continue with our special on John Jairo Velásquez Vásquez, also known as "Popeye,"
one of the men responsible for some of our country's worst terror.
I've known Pope since '88. We were just little kids,
we were just starting our careers as hitmen.
HITMAN FOR MEDELLIN CARTEL
The boss asked us to take care of a difficult, sensitive task.
We had to take out someone over by the stadium,
some guy that the boss was out to get in a big way.
I'm not going to say that the job was easy.
It got very complicated,
but we pulled it off and we did what the boss asked. That was most important.
Of course, Pope and I became really good friends,
because we realized we were both quick and effective, you see?
He would guess my gunshots and I would guess his thoughts.
We were good gunmen.
And Pope, he would shoot anyone,
without one drop of remorse.
And that's what made us pals. That's what made us good friends... yes.
The idea of the special is to pressure Popeye,
to make him see that, with him or without him, we can move forward.
- Do you think that will make him talk? - He has to.
Look, he has two options...
Either he meets with us and tells his story,
or he resigns himself to having us tell it for him. It's that simple.
Hello.
- Hello, Tito. - Ana María?
Hi, Tito. I'm sorry, how are you?
I'm fine. Actually, a little worried, because I've been calling you
and I'm just now hearing from you. How are you?
I need to ask you a favor.
Yes, of course. What is it?
I'd like to see the material that you're broadcasting right now.
From the special?
Yes, from the special.
I'd like to review it, I don't know, take a more thorough look at everything...
Can I?
I don't understand. I thought you wanted nothing to do with that guy.
And I don't.
- Ana, are you all right? - No, Tito, I'm not all right.
Look, I'm going to wait to see if they release Janeth
and I'll take her to my house and then see you at the station, okay?
All right, I'll wait for you here. Bye.
Ana María.
I want you to know, dogs,
that I'm going to sic all the best lawyers in the country on you!
And I hope you have good neighbors,
because I'm going to kill all your families, you bastards!
Well, back from the dead.
Now, faggot, you're going to tell me everything.
The routes, the contacts and all the shit you've been doing for the last five years.
You like to negotiate, right?
Let's negotiate, boy.
Everything that I am and everything that I have, all this...
I owe to my uncle.
And since the day that my uncle died, I've felt that he is here with me.
That he's talking to me, giving me advice, supporting me,
doing what my father never did.
And that's why I'm going to ask you a favor.
Let's make a toast to my uncle,
don Iván Urrego.
Cheers.
So tell me, what's going to happen with your Uncle Iván?
Jail... extradition. But that's not our problem anymore.
What?
Why not?
Because my uncle, Iván Urrego, is already dead.
And we're going to toss his ashes into the wind.
I was hoping to be a mule, but I ended up as a hitman.
And well,
that's as far as I got.
Since Popeye didn't want to talk again,
we had to use what we had to keep broadcasting the special.
And where did you get this material?
It's part of a documentary the CCB did about the start of the drug trafficking.
Rubén got them to give us the clips they didn't use.
There was a lot of garbage.
Edgar, can you do me a favor?
Can you rewind to the part where he starts talking about Popeye?
Yes, Ma'am.
What for?
I've known Pope since '88. We were just little kids,
we were just starting our careers as hitmen.
The boss asks us to take care of a difficult, sensitive task.
We had to take out someone over by the stadium,
some guy that the boss was out to get, in a big way.
I'm not going to say that the job was easy,
it got very complicated, but we pulled it off and we did what the boss asked...
Edgar, can you pause it?
Is that all there is on Popeye?
No, what he's saying about Popeye was already shown on the special.
There isn't any more.
Ana María, what's wrong?
He's talking about the first job he did with Popeye in 1988.
- And? - March 3, 1988.
I'm an idiot. Your father... of course.
Edgar, can you play all of it until the end, please?
Of course.
We pulled it off and we did what the boss asked. That was most important.
Pope and I became really good friends
because we realized we were both quick and effective, you see?
My father died in 1988.
He was a district attorney who was bringing charges against Pablo Escobar
and the Medellín cartel, and that, in that moment, guaranteed his death.
Like the majority of the victims of the crimes that struck Medellín,
we knew that no one was going to pay,
that nothing would happen to obtain justice for those we lost.
That's why the discovery of that date reminded me
that the only path to justice was to follow the truth.
Yes, it made me feel helpless,
and I was so upset to see how people
are dying while waiting for an appointment,
an operation, or simply for their medicines to be approved.
BEAUTY PAGEANT RUNNER-UP
It broke my heart to see how the families are suffering for their loved ones.
This abandonment by the government is inexcusable,
because oversights like these cost lives.
That's why I want the duties of the queen to change.
At a minimum, I will focus my responsibilities to work on issues
that are truly worthwhile.
I want to fight for the rights of people who don't have a voice,
the disadvantaged.
That is precisely why I want to make a visit to another group of people
who have been abandoned by the government.
I'm going to make an official visit to the Capital Prison next...
These sons of bitches.
One moment.
Torres!
- What's wrong? - What's wrong? Calm down.
- You're treating us like dirt. - Well, what do you want?
What do I want? Don't abuse your power.
You're trampling on our rights.
Are you forgetting who fucked up?
- You. - No one fucked up here.
If you're looking for someone to blame for that dead guy, they aren't here.
Stop fucking around! Turn on the lights!
- Don't yell at me! - You don't yell at me!
- How do you want it? The hard way? - Don't be so stupid.
Protect the Commander.
Attention guards, I need reinforcements in the guerrillas' cellblock, now!
Sir, aren't we making a mistake?
We made a mistake when we let these people live like they're in a five-star hotel.
This is a jail. They're here to serve their sentences, sir,
not to have a good time.
- Sir, you have a call. - Who is it?
I don't know. They said they were from the news.
And here was are with Bernardo Solozábal,
one of the best district attorneys in the country,
who is going to tell us one of his deepest, darkest secrets.
Mr. Solozábal, how old are you?
Forty-nine, Miss Ana María. May I call you that?
- You can call me Miss Journalist. - All right. Miss Journalist.
I have a scoop for you.
I want to tell you that I am madly in love with your mother.
We were married for many years, and then along came you,
and I'm even more in love with you.
Mom, the camera. The camera.
Here you are, my love.
- All right, are you coming home for lunch? - Yes, I think so.
- But I'll let you know. Bye. - All right. Bye. See you soon.
What do you want me to bring you today?
Apples!
All right. Green or red?
- Green. - Green?
- Yes, Dad. - All right. I promise to bring you
an entire supermarket of green apples.
- Bye, my love. - Bye, Daddy.
Ana María, don't move!
Daddy!
Ana María! No, wait!
Don't worry, it's all right.
- Hello? - I spoke with Clemente.
- What did he say? - You have the authorization.
- For when? - Tomorrow.
- Perfect. - Ana María, wait.
Are you sure about what you're going to do?
Completely sure.
Things are very complicated. Look what happened to Janeth. Please...
Think this over. I think the best thing is...
Tito, thank you so much for
everything you're doing, but I'll be fine.
I'll talk to you later about how it went, all right?
CAPITAL PRISON
DRUG TRAFFICKERS CELLBLOCK
They really had a hard time subduing the guerrillas.
And now things are going to get worse.
Everyone's going to come complaining
because they took away the little that we had, those faggots.
Television, food, visits whenever we want, that seems little to you?
- Don't be ridiculous, idiot. - A real slacker, yes.
It's obvious you have no idea what will happen to us
if they end up sending us to a gringo jail.
Pope, so what's going to happen with what Galeno asked you?
Are you going to kill Abel?
You think I'm an idiot, or what?
Well, I thought that you cared about the reporter.
Yes, I care about her,
but I won't screw myself by killing a paramilitary boss.
That's no small matter. We're not killing the corner butcher.
And especially not for a woman who hasn't even let me sniff her.
- No, I know that. But what, then? - Then...
we'll have her protected in whatever way possible.
I can't do any more.
Lights.
The psychologist was starting to ask me the usual questions...
if I hated them, if I had forgotten them,
what would happen if I saw them again.
I really don't know, Ana.
I don't know what will happen if I see them again or if I see them on the news.
Maybe I'll cry, scream, go crazy... I don't know.
But I'll only find that out if I get out of here.
Don't you agree?
Ana.
I'm sure, just like you said.
Yes, I don't want to be here anymore with sedatives, therapies...
I need to get out.
I need to get my life back, if I can, right?
- Okay. I'm ready. - I'll help you.
- All right? - Yes.
I'll take this for you.
All right, what's going on with you? You've been really quiet.
Well, I'm happy, I'm...
I don't know, so moved by this.
I didn't expect to see you like this so quickly
and I'm happy you're finally strong again, the way you should be.
- Shall we go? - Yes.
Let's go.
If feels kind of strange to be under guard all the time.
Yes, but we have to, and they're going to be guarding us day and night,
so we have to get used to it.
- I'm going to sign you out. - I'll get the elevator.
Ready to go? You almost...
- Are you okay? - Yes, I'm fine.
- Are you sure? - I'm sure.
- You're freezing. - No.
- What are you looking for? - Nothing.
I was thinking that finally we're getting out of this place. Let's go.
Are you all right, really?
- Yes. - All right, they're going to be with us,
- guarding us. - All good.
Let's go.
Yes, sir. They've released her.
- When? - She just got out.
Look, Commander. Just give me the word, and I'll finish this little job.
And what's more,
I'll give you two for one.
Because her friend, the reporter that she's living with,
- is also hot... super hot. - No, Sir.
You're not going to make a move. Don't touch those two women.
If anything happens to them,
I will personally come and rip your balls off.
- Understood? - So what do I do, then?
I already told you, your only mission right now
is to keep an eye on them.
- Is that clear? - Yes, Sir.
- All right. And after this, what? - No, that's all.
- How long do I have to wait? - I'm going to take this to the judge.
As soon as he signs it, I'll come get you.
Yes, but how long?
- One day, two days? How long? - I don't know. I'm telling you again,
I'm going to take this to the judge and wait to see what he does.
It's already out of my hands.
All right, do what you have to,
but get me out of this pigsty as soon as possible.
Is something wrong? Is there anything I should know?
Counselor, things are getting complicated, so hurry up with this.
Look, what you have to do is stay far away from any problems,
keep a low profile, don't do anything, and everything will work out fine.
All right. Hurry, Counselor.
Yes, I know. I'm going.
It's just that life is a war.
You're fighting every day to stay alive. You get up, you go to the bathroom,
you slip and you break your ass. Here we're just surviving, my friend.
- Do you understand? - That's the way it is, Pope.
- Oh, pal. - Look at him,
- that dog is scared shitless. - I would be, too, Pope.
You have to think that getting out of here after so long,
that has to make you scared.
Out there with all those problems... no way, man.
- Because in here, he's safe, no? - Yes, but he's scared,
because his freedom depends on things he can't control.
Oh, well, that's another thing.
Botero.
Tell me you have good news.
- Hello, doll. - How are you, John Jairo?
Now that I'm seeing you, much better.
Shall we begin?
I hope they didn't fire your friend, the journalist, because of me.
- No, he's fine. - Oh, good. Why so serious?
- Do I seem that way? - Yes, you do.
- Shall we start the interview? - No, wait. First things first.
Why did you disappear?
Why did you just drop all of this?
Because I have other investigations and work that I need to do.
Really?
You know what really pisses me off? People who lie.
And from your face, it's obvious that you're lying to me.
Let's forget about this, all right?
John Jairo, wait. Wait.
Wait, John Jairo, wait.
- Can we talk? - No, listen to me. I already told you.
I can't fucking stand people who lie and are fake.
I have enough of them to deal with in here, got it?
No, wait. Listen to me.
I'm afraid.
What are you afraid of?
I'm afraid of...
I don't know exactly when I let the professional start mixing...
with the personal, understand? I'm afraid that...
of the fact that you pulled me in. You confused me.
I don't even know what I'm feeling for you.
Stop lying.
Just to get an interview... You should be ashamed.
No, you should be ashamed. You pulled me in.
Now, let's see how you get out of this.
I'll wait for you inside,
so we can continue the interview.
All right, are we ready?
Yes, Ma'am. We can start.
We don't have a lot of time, all right?
- Ready, my friend? - Ready, let's go.
Whenever you want, doll.
How about we start by talking about some of the people
who started out with you in this business?
Sure.
J.J. hasn't moved a finger, Commander.
Like someone who says he doesn't give a shit about the reporters.
That's because he's sure those women aren't in any danger.
Did you find out anything about the guy who was following them?
Nothing new. Abel's man is still there. He doesn't want to move a millimeter.
And we're sure that the guy works for Abel Mahecha?
That's what our informants are telling us, Commander.
- Keep me informed, Rodríguez. - Yes, Commander.
Hello.
I hope I'm not disturbing you. Were you sleeping?
No, don't worry.
Oh, good. How are you?
- Getting better. - I'm glad.
Janeth, I need you to dedicate all your energy
and all your time to getting better, all right?
That's exactly what I have too much of, Tito... time.
You know that the doors of this newscast are always open and that you can come back
whenever you want.
The truth is, I still don't feel ready, Tito.
I think it could be good for you.
But I won't take up any more of your time.
Like I told you,
this is your home and we're your family. You know that.
I miss you all so much as well. Thank you for calling.
Of course. Bye.
- Yes, Sir, what is it? - What are you doing?
I have a meeting with the Minister of the Interior in one hour.
I need you to cancel it so you can do something very important for me.
- You want me to cancel with the Minister? - Yes. This takes priority.
PARAMILITARY CELLBLOCK
What is it? What's wrong?
No, nothing, Commander.
The call doesn't even go through. It looks like he turned off his phone.
My life really is miserable.
I need you to find him as soon as possible.
- But how? - However you can.
I'm not going to let a subordinate mess up my release, understood?
- I mean now. Find him now. - Yes, Commander.
The thing is, it's not easy to kill someone that you like,
and he was my friend. But the boss's orders are orders,
and they had to be followed. That's it.
You know, this is the most painful part of being in the mafia...
having to kill a friend.
But when you fucked up
and betrayed the organization, you didn't think about me...
that I'd have to kill you.
We're not friends anymore.
He used to say that he was like God,
because he would decide who lived and who died,
understand?
Are you all right?
Bernardo, can you give me some water, please?
- Yes, Ma'am. - Thank you.
All right, let's continue. Thank you.
- Ready? - What more do you want to talk about?
There's someone very close to you who...
- Ready? - Okay.
Who we haven't spoken about yet.
- El Loco. - El Loco?
Do you remember El Loco?
Man, how could I forget that faggot? Yes.
You have to hold it really tight, bro. This little toy isn't for just anyone.
- You need to be strong to load it. - I am strong.
All right. Watch how you load this shit.
HITMAN FOR MEDELLIN CARTEL
- You have to pull this back... - And then aim it like this.
Are you an idiot, or what? Do you want to kill me?
What do you have in your head, cement, or what?
Chill out. Worst case, somebody out there got hit.
What an idiot.
Relax. Shall we load it again?
Pay attention to how you load this. Then you do this and aim that way, bro.
I said that way, idiot. That's it, like that.
And we were really lucky.
Not because we weren't hit by a single bullet,
but because of how the boss reacted.
We got the crap beat out of us,
but he didn't have us killed.
All right. But you kept working together.
Yes, we did a couple of contracts, yes.
And could we talk about those contracts you did with El Loco?
The usual.
What's the usual?
No, it was just...
killing someone here, someone else there,
getting orders from the boss.
And do you remember the most important thing?
What was the first hit you did with El Loco? Do you remember?
Ana María, don't move!
No, I don't remember.
I didn't do very big contracts with him.
They weren't so...
Don't you want to ask something more important?
Well, more important, I don't know. You tell me what's more important for you.
What people always ask me, I don't know. What else?
- Well, you... - What else...
- Let's stop for a minute. - People always ask me if it's true
that the boss ordered me to kill one of my girlfriends and things like that.
You want to talk about that?
No, let's talk about what you want to talk about.
Then let's continue with what we were talking about, all right?
Okay, now...
Velásquez.
You're needed. It's urgent.
Wait a minute.
We'll wait.
What happened?
Pope, it appears that an old friend is here.
- What is this bullshit? - That dog wasn't dead?
Evidently not.
Come here, Roró.
We finally got the old man off our backs.
- Oh, no. - Yes.
- The world is ours. - Ours.
Sir, Urrego gave us the information that we need.
NATIONAL PROSECUTOR
This document contains all the routes, the contacts, everything you need.
And how did you get this?
We negotiated with him.
In exchange for what?
In exchange for possibly not extraditing him.
But that's not up to you.
- Of course not. - He knows that.
- So then? - Well, the idea is that,
with this information, we can catch a much bigger fish.
His nephew is the one who's in charge of the entire business now.
Ana María, for God's sake... Ana María, you weren't thinking.
- What other option did I have? - I don't know,
but telling him you liked him? Nobody would believe that.
Well, he believed it.
Are you sure?
Yes, otherwise he wouldn't have continued the interview.
And what if he did it to find out what you're trying to do?
Are you aware of the danger you put yourself in?
- That guy is a killer. - Well, Tito, it's the only option I have.
I need him to confess. I want justice. I want him to pay, now.
John Jairo Velásquez Vásquez was sentenced for the crimes he confessed to.
And that allowed him to have certain allowances to reduce his sentence.
Nevertheless, if I managed to get sufficient evidence
to incriminate him in my father's death,
since that was a crime he hadn't confessed to,
they'd increase his sentence by some 20, 25 years...
and that's what I wanted.
I had to take the risk, and I couldn't lose this opportunity.
If you keep pushing on that topic, you're going to give yourself away.
Will you help me, then? What do I do?
You can check the files again. Maybe you forgot a testimony,
a date, an interview.
Tito, I know them all by heart, from top to bottom. I searched them all.
There's not a single word, not a single sentence,
nothing that ties Popeye to the attack that killed my father.
There's another option.
What? Tell me.
- But it's crazy. - Oh, Tito. Worse than what I just...
- Come on. - Almost.
Tell me, please.
There's the other guy.
- The one from the interview, El Loco. - Yes.
You came to the conclusion you did because he talked about the attack,
- right? - Yes.
- Then maybe we interview him. - All right, we could do that.
Yes. Let me ask the people at CCD how they contacted him
- and I'll let you know. - No, let's not involve them.
- Let's just do it ourselves. - Ana María.
If that guy tells Popeye that we're trying to interview him,
that could generate a lot of questions and a lot of suspicion.
Please, this time, let me do it my way.
I beg you.
What a delicious little angel, my love.
She's hot, right? Hands on the wheel, nice and slow.
Nice and slow, punk. There, that's how I like it. Be sensible.
Nice and sensible, there.
Now you're going to get out.
All right. Hands on your head.
On the hood. Put your hands there.
Here. Very good. Nice and sensible.
Let's go, you little rat.
Well? Shall we go? I promise you it won't be for long.
- Oh, Rubén, no. I don't want to. - Janeth, at some point,
you're going to have to leave the house.
It's just that everyone will look at me with pity.
They're going to make comments and give condolences,
and honestly, I really can't take that right now.
That's not going to happen.
We'll go in through the parking garage
and we'll go directly to the editing room. That's it.
Look, why don't you bring the material, we'll look at it here, and that's it?
Ana María has done that with lots of projects.
Yes, but Ana María is allowed to take raw material from the news station.
You know how things are.
It'll just be for a few hours, okay?
You review the material, you give me your opinion, and that's that.
Oh, Rubén, you know that right now,
I'm the worst person to be dealing with about work.
I don't feel well.
Yes, but you never lose your good judgment.
- That's what Tito says, no? - Well, my judgment, no,
but my desire, yes. And Tito has to know that.
But that's not true in your case. I'm certain of that.
- Would you like some coffee? - All right.
- Police. - Freeze! Don't move!
Víctor Urrego.
- What's wrong? - You're under arrest for drug trafficking.
No.
You have the right to remain silent or anything you say can be used against you.
Calm down, bro. You're confusing me with someone else.
Confusing you? Aren't you Iván Urrego's nephew?
- Yes, I am. - Perfect.
Then there's no confusion.
- Let me put my shoes on. - Hey, bro.
- Don't move, bro. Don't move. - Don't worry, I'll help you.
Víctor.
DRUG TRAFFICKERS CELLBLOCK
Are you sure Víctor is the one who snitched on you?
I'm sure, boy.
That faggot... Like everyone who gets into this business,
ambition always gets the best of them.
So much so that he'd sell out his own family?
Learn this, boy.
Learn it...
When money is involved, there's no such thing as loyalty.
Did you get me the boys for the job we need done?
Because, when that faggot gets here,
I want us to give him the welcome he deserves.
- Yes, boss. I've got a couple of guys. - Perfect.
- Do you think they'll send him here? - Of course.
I'm absolutely sure.
That was the deal we made with the guys who caught me.
That I would...
give them...
the guy who fucked me over.
But they would need to put him right here, in front of me.
I hope they keep their word.
Why wouldn't they?
If not, I'm firing the lawyers.
You know, in this country, some lawyers are worse scoundrels than any criminal.
And with the bullet they shot into me, I can grab them by the balls.
That's true.
What's happened since I left?
Popeye took control of our cellblock.
Since you left, he's become the boss of this shithole.
Any problem that the paramilitary or the guerrillas have,
they have to talk to him directly.
You're kidding.
The little dwarf grew up.
He'd better shrink again, because we're going to put him in his place.
With all due respect, boss, you just got here.
And then there's the problem you have with your nephew.
I know how to take care of things like that.
Listen to me, boy.
Not everything is achieved by force.
What are you thinking?
Get me a telephone.
Sir, we have a visitor.
- Let him in. - Be careful.
- All good. - What's up, cocksucker?
Urrego sent you, right?
Tell him to avoid problems. He can't come up against me.
Relax, big guy. He sent me to give you a message.
He wants you to know that he's not going to bow down to anybody.
Answer.
Hello.
- But she didn't give you any clue? - No, she didn't say anything.
All I'm telling you is that it's someone really tough,
because he's giving her a much cheaper price than what we're giving her.
And not only that, brother,
he's also contacted all our people here in the United States.
Son of a bitch.
The boss hopes that with that, it's enough
for you to understand who is who.
See you later, gentlemen. Have a nice day.
Yes, man, calm down. Calm down, you'll have it tomorrow.
You have my word that it'll be there tomorrow.
- What's up? What? - You have a call, Sir.
- On your phone? - It's J.
Wait.
I'll keep you informed. Relax. All right, talk to you soon.
Johncito, brother. Why are you calling me on this number?
Didn't you understand when I told you to change the line and the telephone
every time that we spoke?
Then why don't you do it, you idiot son of a bitch?
John Jairo Velásquez Vásquez, Mr. Popeye...
We're going to send him three blocks below the shit...
In other words, eliminated.
All right. It's time to take this business back...
the business that my faggot nephew tried to take from me.
So I need you to get a telephone.
I want to know who's staying and who's jumping ship.
- So they learn, boy. - Right away, boss.
That's it, bro.
Hurry, boy.