Rational Choice

PABLO ESCOBAR – RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY
Pablo Escobar was a Rational Choice Theory. Rational Choice Theory is a theory that
emphasizes that the need to do a crime is self motivated and deliberately undertaken by an
individual after weighing the gains from such activities alongside their consequences. The theory
emphasizes that criminals make conscious decisions with the aim of gaining maximum benefits.
Before committing crimes, criminals evaluate the risks of apprehension, seriousness of expected
punishments, potential value of criminal enterprise and their ability to succeed. Rational Choice
Theory makes us understand a criminal event better. In this case, Pablo Escobar decided to
venture into criminal activities deliberately with the need to better his life and for personal gains
fore looking the consequences of his actions.
Pablo Emilio Escobar was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist and self proclaimed politician
who founded the Medellin Cartel. Throughout his whole life, we see how the Rational Choice
Theory applies to his involvement in criminal activities. He was born in Rionegro but raised in
Medellin. His father was a farmer while the mother was a schoolteacher. Clearly, he was from a
humble abode. At an early age, he packed a unique ambition of becoming a a great person.
However, on the contrary, Escobar began his life of crime at an early age. The hard life on the
streets of Medellin polished him into a hardened gangster. He dropped out of school after a year
due to consistent involvement in crimes. He forged a high school diploma and briefly studied in
college with the aim of becoming a criminal lawyer, a politician and eventually a president. In
this case, we see how his need to prosper in life makes him be involved in forgery of documents
so as to continue with his studies. Later on, due to financial constraints, he eventually gave up
and dropped out.
He started his criminal career with his gang by stealing and reselling things of value. He began
by stealing cars and soon become a hardcore criminal kidnapping people and demanding
ransoms. He caught up attention when he kidnapped a prominent business man Diego Echovarria
who he kidnapped and demanded a ransom of half a million dollars from his family. After being
paid, Escobar still went ahead a killed the business man. He was involved in organized crime for
a decade when the cocaine trade began to spread in Colombia. He murdered a local drug lord,
Fabio Restreno, and siezed his operations. With the help of his gang, he expanded his territories
and formed the infamous Medellin cartel. His rapid rise brought to him the attention of the DAS
who later on arrested him and was charged in May 1976. However, Pablo escaped all the charges
against him by bribing the judge and the two agents responsible for his arrest later on killed.
(Mark Bowden, Killing Pablo). He was willing to protect his empire and interests at all costs.
(Mark Bowden book Killing Pablo) Clearly, his rise to drug cartel stardom was a calculated
move with continued acts of rational thoughts (Shon and Barton Bellossa(2015).He made well
calculated rational risks for his own self gains. The fact that he moved to Medellin, a larger city
where there would definitely be greater opportunities. He also shifted from dealing with
marijuana to cocaine which was a more profitable narcotic. Escobar went to great lengths to
continue the flow of wealth and the cost of murders and assassinations were minimal to his rise
in power as the leader of the Medellin cartel. In a move to be more acceptable by the society,
Pablo Escobar began to help the poor by building stadiums, schools and hospitals. However, this
was all a clever move to launder the money from the proceeds of drug trafficking. We see that
indeed Pablo Escobar was apt in making profound yet wise decisions in order to make his wealth
legitimate. Still with his ambition of being a leader, Escobar ventured into politics and declared
his support in formation of the liberal party of Colombia. He was later elected as an alternate
member of Colombia’s Congress. However, after subsequent questioning and investigations of
his means of wealth acquirement by the minister of justice he resigned. Unsurprisingly, the
minister was soon murdered( Kings of cocaine by Guy Gugliotta and Jeff Leen) Throughout, we
see how the actions of Escobar are all deliberate with the intents to be more wealthy and for
personal gains. He is a clear example of the rational choice theory. He carefully looks into the
rewards of his criminal actions and indeed sees them as great. By taking out the local drug lord,
he knows he will assume leadership and gain control over an already established network. He
knows that by eliminating his enemies, it is easier for him to maneuver and face no competition
at all. All these are rational decisions that to him outweigh the otherwise benefits he would
receive had he abided by the law.
Escobar faced threats from the Colombian police, the U.S. government and his rival, the Cali
Cartel. On 2 December 1993, Escobar was found in a house in a middle-class residential area of
Medellín by Colombian special forces using technology provided by the United States. Police
tried to arrest Escobar, but the situation quickly escalated to an exchange of gunfire. Escobar was
shot and killed while trying to escape from the roof. He was hit by bullets in the torso and feet,
and a bullet which struck him in the head, killing him.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Escobar

Rational Choice

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rational Choice

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rational Choice

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

PABLO ESCOBAR – RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY

You might also like