Maria Victoria Henao was the wife of Pablo Escobar, one of the most infamous mob bosses worldwide. Born in 1961, she was married to him for 17 years. Initially, Maria was not aware of her partner’s criminal activities, but after gaining knowledge, she continued to be married to him until his demise in 1993.
After her husband’s death, Maria and her children had to live the life of a refugee. Despite being charged by the police with involvement in a drug cartel, which was eventually proven false, her life remained tumultuous due to her late husband’s dubious reputation. Nevertheless, Maria stood by her husband and upheld the ideals of an ideal wife until the end. Overcoming many hardships, Maria now lives in an apartment in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
She published an autobiography in 2019 titled “Mrs. Escobar: My Life with Pablo”, which recounts her life alongside Pablo and how she has coped since his death.
How did Maria Victoria Henao meet Pablo Escobar?
Maria Victoria Henao was born to Carlos Henao Vallejo and Leonor Zuleta in Colombia in 1961. She grew up in the city of Palmira Valle del Cauca and Maria was introduced to Pablo Escobar by her brother Carlos who worked for Carlos and saw it as an opportunity to advance his career. Maria was 13 years old at that time, 11 years younger than Pablo.
Maria was won over by Escobar’s charm and generosity when they first met. In her book “My Life and Prison with Pablo Escobar”, she described him as a romantic person who showered her with attention, gifts, and music – the best that Colombia had to offer. He even sang romantic ballads to woo her.
She was young and did not have much experience with relationships. In her book, she mentioned that the relationship turned s*xual when she was 14 and had to get a back alley abortion.
Despite her father’s objections due to his knowledge of Escobar’s involvement in the drug business, Maria was convinced that marrying him was the right decision. Her grandmother took the couple to the home of Bishop Jesus Antonio Castro of Palmira and they got married in the Santisima Trinidad church without the presence of her parents and Pablo’s family.
She was just 16 years old when she had their first child, Juan Pablo Escobar. But soon after the arrival of their child, Pablo’s behavior became erratic, and his drug usage increased, leaving Maria to suffer through his immoral encounters.
Married and Family Life
Their married life began with Maria Victoria Henao going to school in the morning and then coming home to do the housework. She was thrilled with her new role but soon found Pablo away for business frequently. Maria did not know what Pablo did for a living but was aware of the gossip about his affairs.
She knew cheating was a possibility and decided not to follow him, track his phone calls, or check his shirts for lipstick. Pablo groomed her to be a perfect wife and a good mother to his children. While Pablo was building his Drug Empire, all Maria claimed to know about was that they were wealthy.
Maria Victoria Henao remained loyal to Pablo throughout the course of their 17-year-long marriage, while Pablo regularly cheated on her with his many mistresses.
After constructing the notorious Hacienda Napoles, he went on to make a bachelor suite on the premises for meeting with his numerous mistresses. Although this caused Maria great distress, she admitted to being too smitten to break away from him.
Among the most prominent of his mistresses was Virginia Vallejo, a journalist who recounted her experiences in the memoir Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar, which was published in 2007.
At home, Pablo was an amazing father and husband, who was adored by their children and his wife.
Life During Pablo’s Drug Empire
Pablo’s wealth allowed Maria to finish her education, travel throughout Colombia and the world, and attend fashion design and interior design shows in France and Italy. The family even travelled to the United States when Pablo was trying to build up his image in order to join the Colombian politics, where she clicked a picture of Pablo and their son in front of the White House.
Maria eventually came to terms with her husband’s involvement in the criminal underworld of Colombia. After ten years of marriage, he had become the wealthiest criminal in history and amassed a fortune worth $30 billion by the time of his death, which would equate to $64 billion in 2021.
His drug empire was so powerful that it generated approximately $70 million in daily revenue. However, things took a dark turn in 1984 when his cartel was responsible for the assassination of Justice Minister Rodrigo Lara Bonilla. Upon learning of this, Maria realized that their lives would be challenging and that they were in significant trouble.
Final Years of their Marriage
Pablo assassinated presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán in 1989 and blew up Avianca Flight 203 flight, killing 107 people aboard the plane. This led to the Colombian government launching a full-scale war against Pablo with the support of Americans.
Maria loved Pablo and was too afraid of leaving him. She wrote, “I wasn’t able to leave him, not just because of love but also out of fear, powerlessness, and uncertainty.” She was worried that Pablo might lash out at the children if she leaves him and lived a life of fear, constantly afraid of being discovered by one of Pablo’s rivals.
Pablo struck a deal with the government to relocate his wife and children to a secure residence in 1993. In her autobiography, Maria stated, “I cried and cried. This was the most difficult thing I’d ever had to do.” Following a gun battle with Colombian law enforcement, he was killed on a Medellin rooftop in December of the same year
Life After Escobar
Maria and her children mourned the loss of Pablo Escobar, her husband, and their father, while the rest of the world celebrated. They fled to Germany or Mozambique but were denied asylum. However, they managed to move to Argentina from Colombia and she changed her name to Victoria Henao Vallejos.
However, the past did not leave them behind. Maria and her son were arrested by the Argentinian police on suspicion of money laundering but were soon released due to lack of evidence. She wrote, “She had been arrested because of who she was, not for anything she had done.”
Since then, Maria has learned about all her husband did and apologized to the people of Columbia for his actions. She continues to live a life a quiet life in private along with her mother in laws and son Juan Pablo.
Conclusion
Maria Victoria Henao lived a tumultuous life while married to Pablo Escobar. Despite his criminal activities, she stood by him, continuing to be the ideal wife even after facing numerous hardships and dangers. Even after his death, she continued to face hardships, with her reputation being forever tied to that of one of the most famous mobsters in history. Through her autobiography, she has shared her story with the world, giving an insight into the life of a woman who lived in the shadows of one of the most notorious men in history.