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“In a single year, in the city of Medellin, he (Pablo Escobar) murdered more than 500 police officers”

The hit Netflix show “Narcos,” centered on the notorious Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, had already catapulted the criminal into the ranks of fictional drug lords like those in “The Godfather.” Now, the streaming platform has added a 1-hour 17-minute documentary, primarily featuring real archival footage, that focuses on the last 500 days of Escobar’s life.

Directed by Simon Hernandez, “500 Days of Escobar” (Spanish title: “500 Días de Escobar”), the documentary begins with footage of journalists reporting the terms Escobar dictated to the Colombian government in 1991 to surrender himself to the authorities. His terms included serving a shortened sentence at a prison facility built exclusively for him and his accomplices, based on his specifications. It was essentially a fortress to protect Escobar from rival drug cartels, with prison guards virtually acting as his armed bodyguards (he even got to choose them). When pressure mounted to transfer Escobar to a regular prison, the ‘Cocaine King’ easily escaped and remained elusive for months, leading to a nationwide manhunt that marked a period of turmoil in the country.

“500 Days of Escobar” strings together interviews with journalists, former police officers, lawyers, historians, former associates, and even a family member, providing first-hand accounts of the violence, bloodshed, and chaos caused by the narco-terrorism unleashed by the Colombian drug cartels. Anyone who dared to speak out against Escobar was slaughtered—cops, lawyers, judges, innocent families, no one was spared. Away from the cinematic glaze of glitz that often camouflages nefarious criminals, the real archival footage of burnt buildings and bloodied bodies will make any regular watcher’s blood boil over how crime syndicates could wield such unprecedented power.

“500 Days of Escobar” is a straightforward documentary; it doesn’t recreate scenes or use stylish graphics like many other Netflix documentaries (think “Einstein and the Bomb” or “The Billionaire, the Butler & the Boyfriend”). It relies heavily on archival photos and footage from the 90s, which add a touch of retro authenticity. However, some viewers might find it slightly dry. Nevertheless, if you haven’t seen “Narcos” and don’t know much about Pablo Escobar, this documentary is worth a watch, even though it primarily focuses on how he was finally hunted down and the immediate aftermath of his death in the volatile Colombia.

Stream “500 Days of Escobar” on Netflix.

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