Surviving Pablo Escobar: "Popeye" The Hitman 23 years and 3 months in prison

by Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez

I've begged God for forgiveness, but I won't know till the day I die if He has truly forgiven me … I've paid my dues to society by serving my long sentence, but perhaps I haven't earned His indulgence … Oh my God, I've lived so many different lives! I survived Pablo Escobar Gaviria, El Patrón (The Boss), and it was the strength of his indomitable spirit that kept me going all these years; I don't quite know how or why. I still feel his presence every day of my existence. The Medellin cartel's crimes weigh as heavily on my shoulders today as they did yesterday. My youth, wasted in crime, became the sword that now hangs over my graying head. To the world, I'll always be known by my alias, Popeye, the fearsome hitman of the Medellin cartel, Pablo Escobar Gaviria's right-hand man … How can I make you understand I'm a new man … that twenty-three years behind bars in that hellhole have transformed the person I once was. Now the freedom I yearned for is vanishing in the murderous hands of my enemies. Perhaps fate has extended my life only to toy with me by preparing my own dying moments. I survived in captivity but I don't know if I'll be able to live in freedom … A prisoner of my own mind, I'll try to fight to find some peace … It's very cold … now it's August 2014. I'm one step from freedom and I'm still breathing … still here in this dimly lit cell in the maximum security prison in Cómbita, Boyacá.

512 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 3, 2017

Reviews

[Alfredo Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surviving Pablo Escobar: "Popeye" The Hitman 23 Years and 3 Months in Prison

This book is based on the life of Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasquez, nicknamed as "Popeye". He was Pablo Escobar's right hand man hitman. Admitting to killing more than 3,000 thousand people, he hands himself to the police. Giving a first point of view regarding his life in prison, and gruesomely interesting stories about him working with Pablo Escobar.

[Lynn Lynn Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, very interesting

Learning from Popeye's perspective of life after he is imprisoned. It's just wow. Woohoo much corruption and insane things happen from such high up cartel prisoners. It's very shocking. I enjoyed it very much. I looked for this book immediately after watching the Netflix series. Good read

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

A very good book about his experience in prison. I’ve never come across a book like this before and I loved it!

[kate antrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed

Enjoyed the book. Interesting read from someone who lived on after Pablo Escobar. Would recommend. Need more words to submit

[Emeka Uwam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. I read this book immediately I finished the one from Juan Pablo. And I think the man did a good job

[Rio · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a medium quality read, not what one expects from the title and the hype.

[Neil J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this

Very interesting. Wort reading. Eye opening about what is going on in the strange world of Colombia. I recommend this book

[ian r wobschall · Rating 5 out of 5]

El patrons hitman

Enjoyed reading this book more than watching the mini series on Netflix it shows you what really happened to a hitman and was it really worth a life of crime