NEWSLETTER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EDGAR “EL CHINO” JIMENEZ

El Chino was given permission to shoot pretty much whatever he wanted, such as this costume party on Halloween in 1989.

Edgar Jimenez, aka El Chino, was a puny classmate of Pablo Escobar’s at Antioqueño junior high school in Colombia back in the 60s. While Escobar used the ensuing years to become his generation’s greatest murderous narco superstar, El Chino slunk off to a dull life as a local wedding photographer.

But after a chance reunion in the early 80s, Escobar recruited El Chino to become his personal picture taker, documenting his political campaigns, his private parties, and the various goings-on at Escobar’s outlandish 4,500-acre estate, Hacienda Nápoles. El Chino spent the next decade in Escobar’s employ, enjoying total access and fussing over which of the drug lord’s associates was open to having his picture taken. This continued until the CIA, Los Pepes, Delta Force, Search Bloc, and a bunch of other people who wanted Escobar’s head on a platter converged to dismantle the Medellín Cartel.

Recently Jimenez invited Vice out to his home in the Aranjuez neighborhood of Medellín, where he let us rifle through his archives. These are our favorites.

Do not miss our not-to-be-missed interview with El Chino this month on VBS.TV.

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Comments

Anonymous, on Sep 8, 2009 wrote: "He had two hippos, but now there are a total of 28 , the last hippo born was Vanessa it is a such cute girl. Also Pablo was a criminal he killed thousand of people including my brother." Seriously? Dude killed your brother but you commend him on his hippo breeding skills?
Anonymous, on Sep 6, 2009 wrote: He had two hippos, but now there are a total of 28 , the last hippo born was Vanessa it is a such cute girl. Also Pablo was a criminal he killed thousand of people including my brother.
Anonymous, on Sep 4, 2009 wrote: i love his wife’s mink in Medellin’s constant 80 degrees
Anonymous, on Sep 2, 2009 wrote: all i can think when i see pablo escobar is entourage and adrian grenier in a fat suit... just me??
Anonymous, on Aug 31, 2009 wrote: He’d fly you in, fly you out, and keep you well-lit and fed the entire time of your stay.
Anonymous, on Aug 28, 2009 wrote: definitely the best photo out of the bunch! Did Diane Arbus do her time in coke city? K. Macabre
Anonymous, on Aug 28, 2009 wrote: the picture with his daughter is cute. such a family man!
Anonymous, on Aug 28, 2009 wrote: cool spread. how about one with murder scene shots of the people he killed?
Anonymous, on Aug 28, 2009 wrote: that’s it. i officially hate weeds now. everything they write is ripped off and how many times can that bitch fuck her way out of a problem?
Anonymous, on Aug 27, 2009 wrote: fuck everybody
Anonymous, on Aug 26, 2009 wrote: i bet his wife was a pretty tough lady. I mean, she had to be
Anonymous, on Aug 26, 2009 wrote: south americans are just so colorful
	halzer, on Aug 26, 2009 wrote: was minnie mouse a midget?
Anonymous, on Aug 26, 2009 wrote: haha crack head
Anonymous, on Aug 26, 2009 wrote: The Halloween party: That’s not Escobar (bad job Vice), that’s Pablo Escobar’s brother in law. He is married to one of Escobar’s wife sisters. This pictures are mediocre. Not hidden gems here. Out of 12 photos, Escobar is only in 4. All previously published. Perhaps because Escobar’s photographer was actually not your guy but a man called Gerardo.
Anonymous, on Aug 25, 2009 wrote: pablo had hippos. i though a parakeet was a weird pet but this guy has amphibious mammals in his backyard.
	dingo dick, on Aug 25, 2009 wrote: lots of memories and many more deviated septums. they needed a plastic surgeon on staff fulltime to take care of them all.
Anonymous, on Aug 24, 2009 wrote: Too bad he wasn’t a particularly well-behaved animal himself.
	hi fructose, on Aug 24, 2009 wrote: "Sick popped collar in #3" that’s to protect his mullet locks. the ends get sensitive in the heat.
Anonymous, on Aug 24, 2009 wrote: all of his animals are so well behaved!
Anonymous, on Aug 22, 2009 wrote: No. I’m not. Thanks for your input, but-- Fuck you too. tallywacker, on Aug 21, 2009 wrote: are you one of those assholes that thinks everything they don’t like should be scratched from the history books, because you’re coming off like one. if you are, i hate you and everyone like you.
Anonymous, on Aug 21, 2009 wrote: You are right, his political ambitions were his main downfall. Prior to him running for public office the DEA had never even heard of Pablo. He was making millions under virtual anynomity of the Colombian government. It wasn’t until his bid for governer failed that he started taking out judges, police chiefs, and presidential candidates... trying to prove that he could do as he please. Well, Bush Sr. and Clinton proved otherwise.
Anonymous, on Aug 21, 2009 wrote: Well Im not in favor of some1 selling drugs but from what i have heard from colombian friends is that Pablo Escobar helped alot of poor neighborhoods in Medellin by building them new houses and stuff. I do think he was a pretty smart men n if he was alive and i had him in fornt of me i would def/ would like 2 ask him alot of questions about that type of business. N now regarding to the crooked polititians, well every1 has a price. N $ makes d world go ’round..
Anonymous, on Aug 21, 2009 wrote: Sick popped collar in #3
Anonymous, on Aug 21, 2009 wrote: Looks like the men are wearing Piper shirts so I think you’re correct.
	tallywacker, on Aug 21, 2009 wrote: "Fuck Pablo, fuck the corrupt politicians in North & South America that let this bullshit go on for so long- fuck the Medellin, Cali, Sinoala, TJ, and all the other cartels & good4nothing shitbrains that push that fucking worthless powder. Fuck you for thinking Pablo should be remembered at all." are you one of those assholes that thinks everything they don’t like should be scratched from the history books, because you’re coming off like one. if you are, i hate you and everyone like you.
	Lcypher, on Aug 21, 2009 wrote: I think pic 7 is a Piper Cub but I’m damm sure its payload aint 5000 kilos !
Anonymous, on Aug 21, 2009 wrote: I shit on his grave.
Anonymous, on Aug 20, 2009 wrote: oh yeh, fuck all the crooked cops, DEA, judges & all the rest of the scumbags that are accomplices- I wish they’d all die of cocaine enema overdoses...
Anonymous, on Aug 20, 2009 wrote: Fuck Pablo, fuck the corrupt politicians in North & South America that let this bullshit go on for so long- fuck the Medellin, Cali, Sinoala, TJ, and all the other cartels & good4nothing shitbrains that push that fucking worthless powder. Fuck you for thinking Pablo should be remembered at all.
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