Sebastián Marroquín's Birth Name Posed Obstacles after His Father's Death

Sebastián Marroquín swore revenge when his father was killed in his hometown. He was only a teenager then, and it took minutes for him to break that vow. His life's trajectory and name took a drastic turn afterward.

Sebastián Marroquín drew his first breath in February 1977, bearing the name Juan Pablo Escobar. His father was the late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who died in late 1993 in a police shootout in his hometown of Medellin, Colombia.

Among the consequences of Escobar's death for Marroquín and his family was the weight of the Escobar name and the challenges it posed. Marroquín stayed with his mother and sister in Colombia for a year before legally changing his given name and living in exile for decades.

Airlines Wouldn't Allow Sebastián Marroquín and His Family to Fly

In March 2017, Marroquín appeared on the "Skavlan" talk show and spoke about his father. After Escobar died, Marroquín shared that during the year he and his family remained in Colombia, they sought help from various organizations, including the Vatican and the UN, but to no avail.

When the host inquired about his reasons for his name change, he explained that the decision was their last option if he and his family "wanted to stay alive." Additionally, they couldn't even purchase plane tickets; however, after changing their names, he said:

"The next day we [changed] our names, we could fly without any problems."

Sebastián Marroquín Swore Revenge but Chose a Different Life

Although his new name granted him and his family more mobility, Marroquín retreated into exile for 20 years; as he explained in his 2016 memoir, "Pablo Escobar: My Father," "I stayed silent for more than 20 years as I pieced my life back together in exile."

He needed time to mature and reflect before sharing his stories with the world. "After he died, I swore to avenge my father's death, but I broke that promise within ten minutes," he wrote.

Marroquín instead led a life defined by peace, co-existence, justice, and reconciliation. He made an example of these principles in the 2009 documentary, "Sins of My Father," which chronicled his visits to the sons of his father's most prominent victims.

Many other onscreen productions documenting Escobar's life have come out. Among the recent ones is the Netflix series "Narcos," which starred Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, and Pedro Pascal. Although the show was critically acclaimed, Marroquín criticized it (and others) for its inaccuracies, as he said:

"I don't like them. They are telling lies about my whole life. They don't know anything about us, and that's for sure. They don't even know who was my father's favorite soccer team."

Sebastián Marroquín Also Became a Father

In addition to writing and filmmaking, Marroquín is an architect. In a 2017 interview, he shared that he found solace in architecture, which "saved" his life. He studied the discipline at the University of Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He also found love, married, and welcomed a son, Juan Emile, in the early 2010s. Marroquín is active on social media; however, he doesn't share much about his personal life. The same can be said about his sister, Manuela Escobar, and his mother, Maria Victoria Hanao, whom he inspired to write her own story.