Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasquez, one of modern history’s most dangerous men, has died. Pablo Escobar's main hitman was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 1991 for the assassination of a presidential candidate who pledged to eradicate the drug trade, Luis Carlos Galán. “I wake up daily and with the decision to show the scars that make me what I am but do not define what I will be today and tomorrow.”, Man accused of raping 5-year-old girl inside US Embassy, This story has been shared 57,588 times. 8. “I’m a professional killer, I killed for money,” he said in “Escobar’s Hit Man,” a 2017 documentary on the Russian television network RT. His death was announced by Colombia’s National Penitentiary and Prison Institute. They said people should not forget that Mr. Velásquez had been a coldblooded assassin who expressed little remorse. He also directed a movie about his life, wrote two books and hosted tours of Medellín. John Jairo Velasquez Vasquez, aka 'Popeye' Credit: Photo: AFP/Getty When John Jairo Velásquez Vásquez walked out of prison after 22 years, he … Mr. Velásquez turned himself in to the police shortly after, in October 1992. Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez, alias “Popeye,” was arrested in Medellín on May 25 on charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy. “It’s not about monetizing my life story but about telling the stories, the things that happened,” Mr. Velásquez told The New York Times in 2016, referring to his videos and his second career. Popeye was … Popeye (John Jairo Velásquez ) tells his empowering story of surviving as Pablo Escobar's top hitman by reinventing himself in order to become a better man. Mr. Velásquez sought forgiveness from his victims’ families and insisted that he had changed, yet he would turn on those who refused to forgive him, like the son of a man who was killed in the crash of a plane that had been bombed by Mr. Velásquez’s cartel in 1989. Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez, one of the most notorious hit men for Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar, is dead. John Jairo Velásquez Vásquez, also known as Popeye, reinvents himself and tells his horrifying story of surviving a life of being Pablo Escobar's top hitman. After his release on parole in 2014, he achieved celebrity by posting dozens of videos on his YouTube channel, called Popeye Arrepentido (Remorseful Popeye), which had more than 1.2 million subscribers. Privacy Notice Before beginning a sentence at a high-security prison in Valledupar, Mr. Velásquez said he could always some day go back to the mountains that ring Medellín, from which Mr. Escobar had operated. Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez was born on April 15, 1962, in Yarumal, 50 miles from Medellín, in northern Colombia. Februar 2020 in Bogotá) war ein kolumbianischer Auftragsmörder, der auch unter dem Namen Popeye bekannt war. Terms of Use Select from premium Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez of the highest quality. Velásquez, who had confessed to killing 300 people, was behind bars in the past — but was recaptured in May 2018 when he continued a life of crime and extortion through the Medellín cartel, according to the report. Free after 23-years in prison, Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasquez has shared his blood-soaked story, having killed more than three hundred people and helped to ensure the deaths of three thousand others. Jhon Jairo Velásquez, holding a book about Pablo Escobar, gives a testimony during a trial in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2006. To the relatives of victims and the authorities, his celebrity was a slap in the face. From Escobar Hitman to YouTube Star: Meet Jhon Jairo ‘Popeye’ Velasquez Convicted of terrorism and murder, Velasquez was released from prison after 23 years and has big plans. Jhon Jairo Velasquez estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. A Netflix series, “Surviving Escobar,” was adapted from one of his books. Living in luxury, Mr. Escobar ran his drug business from the jail but escaped months later. Within this structure he was a lieutenant commanding half of the sicarios. by Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez | 2 Aug 2015. Velásquez had an immense criminal record under the orders of multibillionaire drug lord Escobar — dubbed “The King of Cocaine” — who was the founder and leader of the Medellín cartel. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a Page. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! It was in the navy that he acquired the nickname Popeye, for his wide jaw and strength. Pablo Escobar’s top hitman, Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez — nicknamed “Popeye” — died Thursday after a battle with esophageal cancer, according to new reports. Roberto Escobar, his brother, denied the claim that Mr. Velásquez had been Pablo’s right-hand man. He said he also organized the kidnapping in 1988 of Andrés Pastrana Arango, who later became president, and the murder of the presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan in 1990. Jhon Jairo Velásquez, Self: Wildlands. 30,664, This story has been shared 15,478 times. The full statement released by Colombia’s Prison Service INPEC said: “INPEC can confirm Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasquez, alias Popeye, died in the early hours of this morning. We've received your submission. He started working for Mr. Escobar when he was around 17. Escobar was shot dead by Colombian security forces in 1993. Imprisoned on charges of extortion in 2018, he had been hospitalized since Dec. 31 with late-stage stomach cancer. The cause of death was said to be cancer. 13,139, © 2021 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved “I am repentant and determined to help build the truth for those who lived the reality of the Medellin of the ’80s and ’90s firsthand,” he wrote. Surviving Escobar tells the story of Pablo Escobar’s favorite hitman and right-hand man, John Jairo Velásquez. “I also killed out of love and respect for Pablo Escobar.”. Today, the infamous hitman known as 'Popeye' is a free man and surprisingly popular individual in Colombia, staring in films and hosting his own YouTube channel. Known as "Popeye", he was released from prison in 2014 after more than 20 … Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez (* 15.April 1962 in Yarumal, Departamento de Antioquia; † 6. Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez, también conocido con el alias Popeye ​ (Yarumal, 15 de abril de 1962-Bogotá, 6 de febrero de 2020), fue un sicario colombiano que formó parte de la estructura criminal del Cartel de Medellínhasta su entrega en 1992 a la justicia de su país. 14,934, This story has been shared 13,139 times. Find the perfect Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Pablo Escobar’s top hitman, Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez — nicknamed “Popeye” — died Thursday after a battle with esophageal cancer, according to new reports. “Taking up arms is always an option,” he said. “For me, Escobar was a terrorist, a drug dealer, a kidnapper — but he was also my friend,” Mr. Velásquez said. Mr. Velásquez said he had murdered more than 300 people and been involved in the killings of 3,000 others, an account that has never been confirmed. 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Once authorities learned of the seriousness of Velásquez’s illness, he was transferred to Bogotá for palliative care, El Colombiano reported. He was hospitalized on New Year’s Eve for esophageal cancer, which metastasized to his stomach, the outlet reported. He said Mr. Escobar was “a genius — an evil genius, but a genius anyway.”. Jhon Jairo Velásquez, a former member of the Medellín drug cartel who boasted of committing hundreds of murders on behalf of the drug lord Pablo Escobar, and who parlayed his criminal past into a popular YouTube channel, books and a movie, died on Feb. 6 in Bogotá, Colombia. “I only wanted to shoot, kill and get adrenaline kicks,” he said. Thanks for contacting us. Mayor Federico Gutiérrez confirmed the arrest in a tweet . Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez was a former hitman who was part of the criminal structure of the Medellin Cartel until his surrender to the Colombian justice system in 1992. Under Mr. Escobar’s orders, Mr. Velásquez said, he kidnapped, tortured or murdered journalists, judges, politicians and rivals. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Your California Privacy Rights He turned his notoriety into a form of celebrity. Under drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, John Jairo Velasquez killed over 250 people and masterminded the deaths of 3,000 more. Before his latest sentence, he had spent 22 years in prison for plotting the killing of a Colombian presidential candidate in 1989. Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez. Scroll below and check more details information about Current Net worth as well as Monthly/Year Salary, Expense, Income Reports! Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez Biography – Wiki. Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez "Popeye" died on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, from stomach cancer. Compré este libro porque la personalidad del señor Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasquez me impresiona mucho: inteligente, sincero, mucha fluidez al expresarse, y magnifica memoria, El libro lo he disfrutado de principio a fin, el final es sumamente conmovedor y feliz y yo deseaba intensamente que asi le ocurriera a … Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasquez, nicknamed Popeye, passed away in the early hours of this morning morning in the state hospital of Colombian capital Bogota - where he had been battling cancer Mr. Escobar was killed 16 months later in a rooftop shooting in Medellín, his hometown, surrounded by 500 police officers and soldiers. He wanted to be a police officer and … He was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder. He resigned, he told RT in 2017, because the navy “only had old wooden boats and no warships.”. John Jairo Velásquez – Net Worth, Wife, Book, TV Show December 13, 2020 December 13, 2020 by Famous People Today's Staff John Jairo Velásquez (birth name – Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez), nicknamed – Popeye, was a former Columbian assassin who confessed to more than 300 killings as part of the criminal structure of the Medellin Cartel. María Iguarán contributed reporting from Medellín, Colombia, and Jenny Carolina González from Bogotá. Your California Privacy Rights “He treated me with kindness and respect.”. February 6, 2020 | 9:05am | Updated February 6, 2020 | 10:00am. 15,478, This story has been shared 14,934 times. “This is the biggest lie ever,” Roberto said. Photograph: William Fernando Martinez/AP A … Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez-- widely known by his alias, Popeye -- died early Thursday at the National Cancer Institute in Bogota where he'd been receiving care. 57,588, This story has been shared 30,664 times. 41 likes. Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez falleció en las primeras horas del día en el Instituto Nacional Cancerológico, en Bogotá, donde se encontraba … Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasquez, a top hitman for Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, has died at the age of 57. Your Ad Choices He wanted to be a police officer and joined the Colombian Navy because, he said, he had loved firearms since he was a child. Jhon Jairo Velásquez, also known as 'Popeye', died on February 6 in Bogotá, Colombia. Mr. Velásquez, who boasted of murdering hundreds of people for Pablo Escobar, in recent years had built a business around the memories of his criminal activities. On his website, he described himself as “another person,” who learned from his life of crime. Jhon Jairo Velásquez, a former associate of the drug lord Pablo Escobar, after being captured in Medellín, Colombia, in 2018. He called the son a “bad man with an evil heart.”. Jhon Jairo Velásquez, 57, Dies; Escobar Henchman Turned YouTube Star. Some of those close to Mr. Escobar have challenged Mr. Velásquez’s self-promotion. Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez was born on April 15, 1962, in Yarumal, 50 miles from Medellín, in northern Colombia. Sitemap The incredible story of 'Popeye', the right-hand man of the infamous Pablo Escobar. Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez also known by the alias “Popeye”, was a hitman who was part of the criminal structure of the Medellín Cartel until his surrender to the Colombian justice system in 1992. Frecuentemente señalado por los medios de comunicación Colombianos como "Jefe de Sicarios" o "Mano Derecha" de Pablo Escobar, se ha podido constatar, después de décadas de reconstrucción histórica, que era un mando medio o jefe d… Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez (Born April 15, 1962) also known by the alias "Popeye", is a former hitman (sicario) that was part of the criminal structure of the Medellin Cartel until his surrender to the Colombian justice system in 1992. Industrial Company. Velásquez also had a book, “Surviving Pablo Escobar: ‘Popeye’ The Hitman 23 Years and 3 Months in Prison,” published in 2005, and a YouTube channel, POPEYE_Arrepentido, with more than 1.2 million subscribers. Mr. Velásquez joined Mr. Escobar when the drug lord agreed in 1991 to be held in a resortlike prison, La Catedral, which he had his own engineers design. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Velásquez, 54, died in the early morning hours at the National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombian outlet La FM reported, citing a statement from the country’s National Penitentiary and Prison Institute. Jhon Jairo Velásquez, who boasted of killing 300 people for Escobar, was 57. Within this structure he claimed to be a lieutenant commanding half of the sicarios. He was better known as “Popeye”, had been hospitalized since December 31, 2019. Mr. Velásquez’s notoriety illustrated the ambivalent relationship that Medellín had with Mr. Escobar and the crimes committed by his cartel, even decades after his death. Velasquez, known as “Popeye,” was Pablo Escobar’s top assassin who confessed that he personally killed about 300 people and ordered hits on 3,000 more in the 1980s. 4.4 out of 5 stars 315. While the city seems determined to overcome its grim past, many residents have a tolerant attitude toward the tourism it attracts.