Meet Maria Victoria Henao
Maria Victoria Henao was married to Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar. Her husband was known as as “The King of Cocaine” before his death in 1993 at age 44.
She was born Maria Victoria Henao Vallejo. When Maria Victoria first met Escobar, she was 13-years-old and he was 24, there were 11-years-apart.
They began a romance which was not approved by her family. They were married two years later, in 1976.
Maria Victoria is said to have endured the many affairs Escobar was known for.
She gave birth to the couple’s son, Juan Pablo Escobar in 1977. She’s also the mother of daughter, Manuela Escobar Heano, born in 1984.
It is believed Maria Victoria, was lured to Escobar’s arms by his life of luxury.
Following the death of Escobar in 1993, Maria Victoria Henao feared for her life and the life of her children. The family had no money, after it was handed over to Colombian authorities. Maria Victoria Henao’s husband was once rated as the seventh-richest man in 1989, with a fortune of US $25 billion.
She fled Colombia in 1994 and stayed in several countries for short periods, because the majority of governments refused to accept them. The mother of two, along with her children, finally settled in Argentina.
Being in a new country wasn’t enough, Maria Victoria Henao knew her husband’s last name bore her and her children the consequences of Escobar’s actions. She changed her name to María Isabel Santos Caballero, while her son and daughter also chose different names.
Her son, now 39, is an architect designer, lecturer and author, who changed his name to Sebastian Marroquin. He is the author of ‘Pablo Escobar: My Father’ and has made a life traveling Latin America giving anti-violence talks and pushing for drug policy reform.
Daughter Manuela, changed her name to Juana.
According to XpatNation, Maria Victoria Henao/ Maria Isabel Santos Caballero and her children, lived a quiet life in an apartment in Argentina until word of their identity go out in 1999.
The following year Maria Isabel Santos Caballero, was held in jail for over a year under money laundry charges. She and her son were set free based on insufficient evidence.
She then told media outlets:
“I am a prisoner in Argentina for being Colombian. They want to try the ghost of Pablo Escobar because they want to prove that Argentina is combatting drug trafficking”.
According to the NY Post, the Miami mansion owned by Escobar in the 1980’s is being demolished. It is unclear if Escobar or any of his family members ever spent time in the Miami Beach home.
