(5 of 5)
Q. There are two possibilities: one, that you were a smart criminal who never got caught, and two, it is always possible to bribe the authorities.
A. ((Smiling.)) A man brought up in a family like mine could never be a good criminal. And the Colombian authorities are not as corrupt as you think. You've never seen a mayor in Colombia being acquitted after being caught buying and consuming cocaine like Washington's mayor ((Marion Barry)) was.
Q. If you respect the Colombian authorities so much, why haven't you turned yourself in?
A. I do respect the Colombian authorities, and I believe in the country's institutions as much as I believe in Colombian justice. And you can be absolutely sure that if Mr. Escobar didn't exist, I would turn myself in. I am not worried about facing justice; I'm worried about my personal security.
Q. Why do you think Americans consume so many drugs, especially cocaine?
A. Because they live in a consumer society where every day means a struggle, where they have to work very hard in order to lead a decent life, and where everyone has to take care of himself without being able to count on anyone else, a friend or the next-door neighbor.
Q. What's the future of the cocaine business?
A. Economics has a natural law: Supply is determined by the demand. When cocaine stops being consumed, when there's no demand for it . . . that will be the end of that business.
Q. Do you think the Medellin cartel is finished?
A. In my opinion the Medellin cartel is not defeated. On the contrary, it's becoming stronger because it's giving up terrorism and going back into business.
Q. Does that mean that the violence is finished?
A. I think we are going through the most crucial time of the cocaine culture. I also think this phenomenon has to be observed from a global perspective. It is true that the American people have been damaged by cocaine. It is also true that producer and refiner countries are experiencing indiscriminate terrorism, hired killings, kidnappings and government corruption, including in the U.S. What is the difference between exporting a pound of coke from a producer country and exporting an AR-15 and its ammunition from the U.S. to murder innocent people in developing countries? Why are countries such as Germany free to export materials used to refine cocaine? Why do countries like Switzerland, Panama and even the U.S. protect money whose origin is dubious?
Q. What do you think personally about cocaine use?
A. I think it is harmful to youth, as well as damaging to the U.S. economy to have so much money drained from it.
Q. Have you ever used cocaine?
A. No, I have never been curious about it.