Posted on 12/25/2006 8:57:30 AM PST by Rodney King
PUERTO TRIUNFO, Colombia -- Hacienda Napoles was Pablo Escobar's pleasure palace, a 5,500-acre estate where the notorious drug lord held court over million-dollar cocaine deals, parties with underage girls and visits by shadowy men of power.
Escobar lived large here in his lush fiefdom 100 miles east of Medellin, far from the teeming slums where he began his life of crime. He built a bullring, an airstrip, an ersatz Jurassic Park with half a dozen immense concrete dinosaurs. He stocked a private wild animal park with hundreds of elephants, camels, giraffes, ostriches, zebras and other animals. He installed four hippos in one of the estate's 12 man-made lakes.
Today, Hacienda Napoles is in ruins, taken over by jungle foliage and bats. The sprawling Spanish-style mansion has been gutted, scavenged by treasure hunters looking for stashes of gold and cash buried under the floors. Escobar is long gone, cut down in a hail of police gunfire.
But the hippos are still here.
More than 15 years after the government took control of Hacienda Napoles, the elephants, giraffes and zebras have long since disappeared, given away to Colombian zoos or left to die.
But the hippos were never claimed because they were too large and ornery to move. Now the original four have multiplied to 16 and, far from starving to death, as some expected, they have learned to forage like cows. Local authorities say they represent a safety hazard -- and are standing in the way of plans to redevelop the late drug lord's estate.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
What does Rosie O'Donnell have to do with this story?
Rosie meet Oprah.
For some reason I find this very funny.
Let the hippos be. Unlike the elephant they are not destructive to the environment.
Judging by the temperament, and intelect of Grossie, it's not hard to fathom.
Go ahead and develop it, just include the hippo farm as an added bonus attraction
George Soros was there?
That would be rosie on the left and donny on the right?
Escobar was able to accumulate such wealth due to the "War on Drugs". Should give all you prohibitionists a warm fuzzy feeling.
I watched the History Chanel episode about Escobar. It was never stated on the show that Delta killed Pablo. The Author of Black Hawk Down and Killing Pablo, Mark Bowden insinuated on the History Channel that Delta had something to do with Los PePes, a vigilante group that systematically assassinated Escobar associates. Apparently there was at least one Navy SEAL that took direct action in a shoot out that took place in an apartment being rented by some of Pablos associates. Escobar, at least according to the HC was killed by Colombian Security Forces.
Partying with minors? A private zoo? Sounds like someone we know.
"Should give all you prohibitionists a warm fuzzy feeling."
As far as I'm concerned, you can do all the drugs you want as long as you sign away your "rights" to any public support paid for by my tax dollars.
Sure, I'll sign. Right after the smokers and drinkers.
Don't need any of your dollars. I've always maintained my own health insurance, either through an employer, or bought it direct when self employed. I will collect my first dollar from the govt. when I start Social Security in a couple of years. More likely I've subsidized you if you smoke, drink, eat jelly donuts or engaged in any other self destructive behaviour. All I want from you and your buddies at the DEA is to leave me the hell alone, thank you.
So it's okay to take money from me at gunpoint to subsidize *your* vice.
The humanitarian thing would be to move them to the Rio Grande, where we could insure their safety...
Hmmmm now there is an idea! They would make good boarder guards and they work cheap too.
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