John Jairo Velásquez, commonly referred to as "Popeye", was Pablo Escobar's favorite hit man, who ordered the murder of 3,000 people, including politicians, journalists, rival narco-traffickers and civilians. His killings took a variety of forms, including car bombs and shootings, and he is notorious for his many kidnappings. After serving twenty-two years in prison, he was released in 2015. On his friend, Velásquez says, "Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a murderer, a drug trafficker, a terrorist, but he was my friend."
Gleb Pavlovsky, one of the most enigmatic political players in Moscow, was an adviser to the Presidential Administration of Russia until April 2011. Notably he was Valdimir Putin?s former chief aide on media questions and at one time, was ?the Kremlin?s favorite PR consultant.? Beginning in 1996, for both Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, he became a highly influential and skillful political P.R. man. Putin finally severed his relations with Pavlovsky in April 2011, but not before Pavlovsky acquired an insider?s view of a Kremlin dominated by Putin and the siloviki, members of the security forces. On the murder of Russian opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, Pavlovsky says, "It is extremely unlikely he gave such an order. However, he created a system in which it can happen without him."
In the mid-1980s, Steve Murphy joined the DEA and was assigned to Miami, Florida, home to an exploding cocaine trade. In 1991, he was transferred to Bogotá, Colombia, where he partnered with Javier Peña and worked on the successful manhunt for Pablo Escobar. His story formed part of the backbone for the Netflix series, Narcos. On Escobar, Murphy says, "Honestly, that's one man I could have shot and never lost a minutes sleep about it."
John Simpson is a BBC English Foreign Correspondent and World Affairs Editor. On what Russians look for in a leader, Simpson says, "They want people that don't do any apologizing. They want a tough guy who's perfectly prepared to punch you in the face when he meets you."
Timothy Ross is a noted BBC journalist who was reportedly the first foreign journalist to interview Pablo Escobar. On Escobar's use of spirituality, Ross says,"Pablo Escobar used natural spirituality, mysticism, Catholicism, as part of his own hold on power. So people would go and pray to the virgin who would have their weapons blessed by a statue of a virgin before they went on a killing. So blood and Christianity became mixed."
MOSCOW, RUSSIA- Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on during a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian in Novo-Ogaryovo presidential residence outside Moscow.
Vladimir Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He rose from the ranks of the KGB to become the President of the Russian Federation. Since officially taking over as Acting President of the Russian Federation on December 31, 1999, and then being elected in March 2000, he has become one of the world's most notorious leaders. Putin has been linked to political assassinations of opposition, bombings, and corruption, and is seen as having absolute authority in Russia.
Vladimir Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He rose from the ranks of the KGB to become the President of the Russian Federation. Since officially taking over as Acting President of the Russian Federation on December 31, 1999, and then being elected in March 2000, he has become one of the world's most notorious leaders. Putin has been linked to political assassinations of opposition, bombings, and corruption, and is seen as having absolute authority in Russia.
Pablo EscobarBild: © 2016 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.
"Born Famous": ProSieben begleitet Diego Pooth und weitere Promi-Kinder
