Gustavo Gaviria

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Lore & Background

Gustavo Gaviria operated as Pablo Escobar's cousin and right-hand man, controlling the Medellín cartel's finances and trade routes. He and Escobar had collaborated in their criminal careers since the early 1970s. Though he owned a fortune comparable to Escobar's and had a military apparatus at his service, Gaviria kept a low profile, making him less known than his cousin. He was killed on August 11, 1990, by Search Bloc in the Laureles neighborhood of Medellín, and the incident was covered up to prevent retaliation. Gustavo's death deeply affected Escobar, given their deep personal and professional relationship. Escobar did not attend his cousin's funeral but instead listened to the funeral mass via a radio his assistant had attached to the officiating priest. After Gustavo's death, Escobar decided to turn himself in but to stay at La Catedral, a jail of his own making, guarded by his own guards. Since Gustavo died four days after President César Gaviria took office, at the time, the media and the country in general thought the president had begun his term with an offensive against the narcoterrorists. Gustavo's death triggered a counter-offensive by Escobar that initially destabilized the new president's administration.

In Their Own Story

The rain battered the windows of the Madrid safe house as Gustavo counted the stacks of dollars. The phone rang once, a signal from Bogotá that the city was burning again. He locked the briefcase, knowing he would never see his cousin alive again. In this quiet European room, the war for Colombia ended not with a bullet, but with silence.

Reader's Guide

In the Netflix series Narcos, Gustavo Gaviria was played by actor Juan Pablo Raba in the first season. The series attributes his death to former members of the Search Bloc as well as relatives of Escobar's victims, but depicts it happening some time into the Gaviria administration. Actor Christian Tappan plays 'Gonzalo Gaviria', a character inspired by Gustavo Gaviria, in the 2012 television series Pablo Escobar, The Drug Lord. In the TV series Tres Caínes, he is portrayed by Colombian actor Julio Pachón. In the TV series En la boca del lobo, he is portrayed by Simón Rivera as the character of Pariente Gavirno.

Did You Know?

• Gustavo Gaviria was killed on August 11, 1990, by Search Bloc in the Laureles neighborhood of Medellín.
• His death was covered up to prevent retaliation.
• Escobar did not attend Gustavo's funeral but listened to the funeral mass via a radio attached to the officiating priest.
• Gustavo died four days after President César Gaviria took office, leading the media to think the president had begun his term with an offensive against narcoterrorists.
• Gustavo's death triggered a counter-offensive by Escobar that initially destabilized the new president's administration.