Who is Pablo Escobar?

Real-life Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is a looming, dangerous presence throughout much of the narrative. He never actually appears in the way that real-world politician Luis Carlos Galan does, but his activities are reported on in the news reports watched almost obsessively by Chula. Her thoughts about, and reactions to, various aspects of Escobar's story (including his relationship with his daughter and family) color her reactions to the violence that invades, and almost destroys, her life.