Imagine if the former Mafia boss John Gotti, who went to prison for murder and cultivated the public’s fascination with his flamboyant New York lifestyle and menacing charm, had a YouTube channel.
Imagine if he used that channel to become a video star by portraying himself as a penitent hit man and regaling viewers with tales of violence while seeking forgiveness for homicides past. For Colombians, the real-life equivalent of such an unlikely YouTube sensation can be found in John Jairo Velásquez.
He is a former enforcer for the Medellín drug cartel who has boasted of committing hundreds of murders on behalf of his boss, Pablo Escobar. Mr. Velásquez spent more than 20 years in prison for plotting the killing of a Colombian presidential candidate in 1989 and goes by the nickname Popeye.
Now, Mr. Velásquez, 54, is trying to rebrand himself as a sort of truth-telling evangelist in a series of Spanish-language videos he began posting on YouTube last year. The underlying message (there were 81 videos as of Sunday) is one of forgiveness.
Now, he is known as Popeye Arrepentido, or Remorseful Popeye.
“It’s not about monetizing my life story but about telling the stories, the things that happened,” he said in an interview on Sunday. “I’ve been famous for 30 years. I only want to have an opinion because I am an activist. I am against the Venezuelan and Colombian government. I am against Donald Trump because of his hatred of Latinos. I just want my opinion heard.”
His audience cannot seem to stop watching. The videos have gained more than 117,000 subscribers and 9.5 million views. The comments are filled with praise and admiration. One person signed off with “Hugs.”
But not all people are enthralled by Mr. Velásquez’s budding stardom — least of all the victims touched by the cartel’s acts of mayhem.
The son of one victim — a man who was among 107 people killed by a bomb planted by the cartel on a plane that exploded over Bogotá, Colombia, in 1989 — said Mr. Velásquez’s popularity overshadowed the harm he had unleashed, The Guardian reported. The son, Gonzálo Rojas, said that the former hit man had shown no real remorse and that he was trafficking in a perverse sort of celebrity because of his crimes.
Most hit men do not turn up on YouTube seeking a second act by spilling secrets about past misdeeds. (Mr. Gotti died in 2002 while serving a life sentence.) But one expert described Mr. Velásquez as “an astute self-promoter” who had capitalized on his infamy by claiming to have been reformed while glorifying narco-culture.
Mr. Velásquez, however, said he felt reborn after being released on parole in 2014, according to a description of his YouTube account. “I created this channel with the intention to be able to talk day to day about my process reintegrating into society as well as my process with true remorse,” he wrote.
“Being an assassin is not normal,” he said in the interview. Now, he said, he “respects life and society.”
“I was resocialized: When I changed my way of thinking, I changed my way of being,” he added.
In one video, he seeks forgiveness from a relative of one of his victims. When a viewer asked, “When can the victims of the drug war of the Medellín cartel meet you — the ones who lost brothers or fathers in the police force?” Mr. Velásquez said he found the question painful.
But he asserted: “It was the war that killed your brother, but I am not going to justify that. I am going to assume responsibility because your brother was defending a country, an institution, and we were murderers paid by the cartels.”
If Mr. Velásquez, who uploads videos out of his apartment in Medellín, is troubled that his stated contriteness is at odds with the opening graphics of gunfire and bullet holes in his videos, he is not showing it. And he revels in the limelight.
Some viewers have responded by welcoming him back to society. “Hello, Popeye,” one wrote. “I love all of your statements because they are full of honesty and courage. Hugs.”
Others celebrate his flair and ability to talk directly to the people: “You have the personality to be able to tell the truth to the Colombian society.”
Vincent T. Gawronski, a professor of political science at Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Ala., said in an email: “In a twisted way, we celebrate ‘successful’ criminals, even stone-cold killers in Hollywood movies, cable television shows and soap operas: ‘Scarface,’ ‘Blow,’ ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘The Sopranos,’ Netflix’s ‘Narcos.’”
Dr. Gawronski noted that nearly a dozen “narconovelas” had aired on Spanish-language television and that there were many “narcocorridos,” or ballads, celebrating drug traffickers. “We mythologize those that challenge authority and do whatever they want and get away with it,” he said.
He added: “Of course, Velásquez’s fame is directly tied to his relationship with Pablo Escobar. The stories he can tell will keep him popular, but they might also get him killed.”
In an interview published in The Telegraph in 2014, Mr. Velásquez, who said he had a wife and son living in the United States, declared that he could take care of himself if anyone came after him.
In a video, Mr. Velásquez recalled where he was in 1993 when the authorities killed Mr. Escobar, the ruthless cocaine trafficker who ran the Medellín cartel. When one viewer wanted to know what Mr. Escobar had written in his notepads, Mr. Velásquez said: “Those notepads were simply to write the names of the people who he wanted to kill. If he wrote your name in those notepads, you were a dead man.”
If the mobsters from Mr. Gotti’s day had a strict code of silence about criminal activity, Mr. Velásquez seems unconcerned about revealing the inner workings of the cartel.
In a video posted in October, he said he would always be an assassin. He boasted about his reputation on the streets, calling himself the living memory of the cartel. He said he would never speak ill of Mr. Escobar.
“For me, Escobar was a terrorist, a drug dealer, a kidnapper — but he was also my friend; he treated me with kindness and respect,” he said. “He was the kind of man that would look you in the eyes and do what he says. Everyone knows what he was, but with me he was good.”
“I loved Pablo,” he said. “He never owed me money for any of my hits.”
New York Times |By CHRISTOPHER MELE and SANDRA E. GARCIA
He is a former enforcer for the Medellín drug cartel who has boasted of committing hundreds of murders on behalf of his boss, Pablo Escobar.
Published in
Identity / Culture
Latest from
3329 comments
-
Comment Link
Jueves, 09 Marzo 2023 05:54
posted by
pabrik rak baja
Hi there very nice website!! Man .. Beautiful .. Wonderful ..
I'll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also?
I'm glad to find numerous helpful information right here within the publish,
we'd like work out more strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing.
. . . . . -
Comment Link
Martes, 21 Febrero 2023 17:28
posted by
Website Traffic Opportunity
I think the admin of this site is really working hard for his web page,
because here every material is quality based material. -
Comment Link
Martes, 06 Septiembre 2022 23:48
posted by
web page
I like the helpful ijfo you provide inn our articles. I'll bookmark your
blog and cneck agaain here frequently. I am quite certain I'll learn lots of new
stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!
web page -
Comment Link
Viernes, 20 Mayo 2022 13:03
posted by
osevin
GWASpi includes utilities to normalize, copy, genotype call and annotate data according to HapMap release 27, European population.
In GWASpi, quality control tools are available to evaluate the effect of genetic ancestry in GWAS studies. Data imputation can be carried out in a number of populations simultaneously.
A redesigned interface and an extensive list of useful options have been implemented.
One of the big challenges in genomics research is to identify disease-causing mutations https://fieprotineg.weebly.com
6add127376 osevin -
Comment Link
Viernes, 20 Mayo 2022 13:03
posted by
osevin
In fact, the interface is simple enough to make everything look a lot simpler and, possibly, even easier, notwithstanding the complex nature of the actual settings and configuration.
Only a handful of tools are better than what Android Transfer for PC is able to do
Admittedly, only those who are used to such things will be able to appreciate the fact that it is far better than other apps that manage the simple task of directly copying data from the computer to the Android device.
For starters, it. The current implementation includes "Show this window when chatting to someone", and the "Restore selection of chat window after exit".
If you like to add more preferences, or if you believe other functions should be included, click the "Add Function" button and select which preferences to add.
You can also edit / modify any preferences in this plugin / program, but you can do much more.
Features:
This program adds "Show this window when chatting to 6add127376 osevin
https://erinthymi.weebly.com
https://pionimace.weebly.com
https://adsalymdesc.weebly.com
https://molificsi.weebly.com
https://appoloru.weebly.com
https://netbacktina.weebly.com
https://exokilrip.weebly.com
https://rehydpula.weebly.com
https://liperjawin.weebly.com
https://ceiresfire.weebly.com
Thank you very much.
Whether you're a professional or a hobbyist photographer, you need to know a great application to control your Nikon camera.
This is your help.Nikon Camera Control (NCC) is a simple and good application that is designed to control your Nikon DSLR easily. You just need to set the mode in advance by pressing the corresponding keys on the camera when you are in the shooting mode, and your Nikon camera will follow up.You can reduce your. The software is not free but as the program is well designed there should be no problem to locate the compatible version.You wouldn’t be able to tell that President Obama’s approval rating has plummeted to a record low of just over 40 percent if you tuned in to The Fox News Channel.
In the last few months, the cable news network has been carrying Obama Live! on Saturday and Sunday nights. Fox’s coverage featured the president speaking via satellite from a Times -
Comment Link
Viernes, 20 Mayo 2022 12:53
posted by
glendar
Otherwise, it is possible for the application to merely reset the settings and key system files used by Malwarebytes without any effect on the operating system.
Conclusion
Malwarebytes Support Tool is a useful tool to quickly troubleshoot the Malwarebytes application when it fails to work properly. Not just that, it offers a great set of features, that make it a must-have tool for any Malwarebytes user. A fact that makes it a great way to easily communicate with the https://serphacogolf.weebly.com
6add127376 glendar -
Comment Link
Viernes, 20 Mayo 2022 12:53
posted by
glendar
The Rapidshare.com News is a portal that informs about news (press releases) from Rapidshare.com and other similar services. Regarding to the copyright infringement, or any other topic that shouldn't be covered by press releases, contact us and we will remove the infringing material as soon as possible. AcceptRejectRead More
The News of The Day and other great headlines from a variety of top web sites.
Rapidshare Top 5 Free Downloads
Each day we 6add127376 glendar
https://omicloche.weebly.com
https://tranafsubgui.weebly.com
https://onalonsmem.weebly.com
https://osjulutap.weebly.com
https://respslobterreans.weebly.com
https://newspynotla.weebly.com
https://throbmocomla.weebly.com
https://laylminenven.weebly.com
https://naseccape.weebly.com
https://haudivhandren.weebly.com
Listing image by Lee Bibb/Photodisc/Getty ImagesI'd say Ron Söderman isn't bad compared to some of the other Swedish bums that have raced here, although he is definitely not worthy of your efforts. Racing anything less than a good 40-60 yard back could be very similar to a mud bog ;D
I'd say Ron Söderman isn't bad compared to some of the other Swedish bums that have raced here, although. It's an intuitive and easy to use program that also includes an internal hard drive backup function.
This software is the best software I have ever downloaded on my computer. I use it to clean my laptop and android, connect it to the computer when I did not have it and everything I do is perfectly easy. The price is good and the price can benefit a lot of people who need this software.
Este software provee un servicio excelente. Me empaquetó. Free GPC Builder is a free, no-strings-attached software toolkit to help you build command line tools, batch files, filters and scripts using Windows.NET Framework. You can use Free GPC Builder to create utilities to perform formatting, de-cluttering or removing tasks in your data files. Free GPC Builder was designed to be simple to use and it is. Once you've installed Free GPC Builder you can quickly build your tools using drag & drop mechanism. -
Comment Link
Viernes, 20 Mayo 2022 12:03
posted by
walnat
Simply 3rd party program as the name implies..
A:
you might also try abook-check (or abook)
it has the advantage to perform all functions, automatic also for plain text files.
it also has a destination for all folders and a suitable buffer
A:
Open the attachment in a text editor, look for two \r
newlines, replace both with a single one. Save and reattach.
Or use https://rosatom-asia.com/bitrix/redirect.php?goto=https://flavincomre.weebly.com
6add127376 walnat -
Comment Link
Viernes, 20 Mayo 2022 12:02
posted by
walnat
It does not require you to restart the computer.
Zero Defect Version: 3.0.5-RC1
Size: 3.1 Mb
Rating:
Free Download
Funduc Software Hex Editor - Version, Key Features
Funduc Software Hex Editor comes with Unicode support. It automatically detects the Unicode format and allows you to save the output to/from clipboard in this coding.
Saves Unicode files
It comes equipped with its own. Key Features:
- Supports PNG, MNG and JNG files;
- Edit PNG physical pixel size, ICC profile, physical gamma, IDAT options, time of last modification, file modification date, file modification time;
- Edit IDAT chunk (here you can also find file properties);
- Create new IDAT chunks (here you can access the resulting file properties);
- Edit IDAT (here you can access IDAT properties);
- Integrate into the context 6add127376 walnat
https://procunarma.weebly.com
https://flumirilep.weebly.com
https://loaplatternpo.weebly.com
https://voirivirnoe.weebly.com
https://ledtononla.weebly.com
https://hardlectmatua.weebly.com
https://amenlebi.weebly.com
https://tiodolsoni.weebly.com
https://gluctacnaugran.weebly.com
https://jaharoso.weebly.com
Overall, we are not sure that this application really is worthy of its price tag, so it will be hard to justify its weekly subscription costs.
The final web browser speed test to be analysed was closed source, so we can’t say much more on it than that (links to the results below).
Full details on the users and their computers, as well as the chronology, can be found in this table.
Your computer specs (including the browser) -
Comment Link
Viernes, 20 Mayo 2022 11:52
posted by
keylhal
Basically, it extracts all the data from each webpage and places them in a file. This document will contain all the information only one webpage, but will be made of many files.
Why do people need such a thing?
I understand that many people have been looking for a way to archive and save their favorite web pages. Sometimes, you can't change your mind. An alternative would be to establish a bookmark. It really is your choice, but going for a bookmark is certainly not https://bankmasmensle.weebly.com
6add127376 keylhal
Leave a comment
Make sure you enter the (*) required information where indicated. HTML code is not allowed.
E-Learning
