Editor's Letter

Belly Up to the Escobar

A reader is a reader, but it was with decidedly mixed and complicated feelings that I heard about Pablo Escobar's devotion to this magazine. The V.F. tent must be very big indeed if we've got something to offer such a character.

In any event, Escobar—Colombian drug lord and V.F. aficionado—remains in hiding following his escape from prison, yet continues to wield chilling power and inspire profound fear. No one wants to talk about him. No one wants to mention his name. When contributing editors Andrew and Leslie Cockburn were reporting their story (page 92), people were reluctant even to give them the phone number of Escobar's attorney; there was no question, everyone seemed to feel, that if Escobar happened to be curious, he could have anything anyone said traced to its source. It's a marvel that the Cockburns' investigation has any proper names in it at all. But it does—that's part of what makes them such a remarkable reportorial team. The gathering of information for their story, which takes the reader deep into Escobar's world, was further complicated by the fact that in Medellín-cartel country black hats and white hats are pretty meaningless. Every government-agency employee the Cockburns talked to was certain the place has been infiltrated by Escobar's men. Many said they didn't really know whom they were working for, the government or Escobar. And most of the people interviewed for the story knew the two reporters were in town before the Cockburns had even contacted them.

As they have done in the past, the Cockburns have taken us inside a world better read about than visited in person. Now, if we only knew where to send Mr. Escobar his copy of the magazine. Perhaps his turning himself in will provide a solution for our subscription-fulfillment office.

Editor in chief