Pablo Escobar the Universidad Autónoma Latinoamericana of Medellín. Escobar studied at the University for a short period, but left without obtaining a degree. Escobar eventually became involved in many criminal activities with Oscar Benel Aguirre, with the duo running petty street scams, selling contraband cigarettes, fake lottery tickets, and stealing cars. In the early 1970s, prior to entering the drug trade, Escobar acted as a thief and bodyguard, allegedly earning US $100,000 by kidnapping and holding a Medellín executive for ransom. Escobar began working for Alvaro Prieto, a contraband smuggler who operated around Medellín, aiming to fulfill a childhood ambition to have
Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar translated to sixteen languages, and inspired the movie "Loving Pablo" (2017). Vallejo's memoir is also her personal intimate biography of Pablo Escobar; a moving and terrible love story with many facets, but also a historical document about Colombian tragedies and political corruption in the second part of the 20th century. The book is divided in an introduction and three parts: The Days of Innocence and Dreams; The Days of Splendor and Terror; and The Days of Absence and Silence. In the Introduction, Virginia Vallejo describes her departure from Colombia on 18 July 2006 in a special flight of the US