I have to admit that when I heard Pablo Escobar's son, Sebastián Marroquín, was creating a clothing line that features images of his notorious drug-lord father, I was kind of weirded out. No, forget weirded out–I was grossed out! I mean who in their right mind would want to wear a T-shirt with the former Colombian drug cartel's face stamped on it? But believe it or not the collection, called Escobar-Henao, has already gained a ton of popularity in countries like Mexico, Spain, and Austria.
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Not everyone is feeling Marroquín's latest project though, especially not those in Medellin, Colombia, the country that Escobar ruled and terrorized for almost two decades until he was finally killed by police in 1993. Marroquín has been living in Argentina for the past 30 years and legally changed his name from Juan Manuel Escobar Henao, to protect himself and avoid being associated with Colombian drug trafficking after he fled the country back in 1994. But as ironic as it might seem, he actually managed to have the T-shirts manufactured in Medellín, in efforts to support the country's economy, generate jobs, and reduce the violence in Colombia that his father originally generated.
While many believe that his line is exploitative, Marroquín claims that this mission hasn't been to profit from his father's delinquent past, but to send a message of peace to all those who had been affected by his violent acts. The T-shirts, which sell between $65 and $95, are specifically not being sold in Colombia out of respect to Escobar's victims. "We don't wish to make money off of the grief of any Colombian," Marroquín told the Associated Press.
Like many others, I originally believed Marroquín was simply trying to take advantage of his father's criminal legacy in order to profit. But now I'm convinced that this clothing line has just been a way for him to turn his dark family history into an opportunity to make peace. In fact, a percentage of the profits are actually being set aside to help families in Medellín. Because, really, with a father as evil as Pablo Escobar, who wouldn't want to make peace? What I see is a son trying to heal from his father's mistakes by transforming something very bad into something good.
Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMe_J_3w3fA
Image via YouTube
