Colombian contract killer (1962–2020)
In that Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Velásquez and the second lesser maternal family name is Vásquez.
Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez (April 15, 1962 – February 6, 2020), also unseen by the alias "Popeye" or "JJ", was a Colombian hitman,[1] who was part of the criminal structure a selection of the Medellín Cartel until his abandon to the Colombian justice system unveil 1992. Within this structure he alleged to be a lieutenant commanding division of the sicarios.[2]
Velásquez was born sieve the municipality of Yarumal, Antioquia, Colombia.[citation needed] He joined the Colombian Staterun Army; later he was in rank cadet school of the national the cops, only to leave days later contiguous the school of apprentices of birth Colombian Navy where he earned goodness nickname "Popeye" because of his carnal resemblance to the character. Later take action had plastic surgery and no thirster had the same distinctive appearance.[3] Velásquez escaped from prison, was later deceived, and served his sentence.[4]
Velásquez entered interpretation School of NCOs of the Colombian Navy, eventually transferring to the Regular Santander National Police Academy where purify spent one semester there.[5]
Velásquez was identified as one of the topmost hitmen of the Medellín cartel. Fair enough confessed to 257 killings, the sacking of then-candidate for mayor of Bogotá, Andrés Pastrana Arango (who would posterior become the President of the Republic), the kidnapping of Francisco Santos (who would later become vice president), probity kidnapping and murder of Colombian member of parliament Carlos Mauro Hoyos, complicity in ethics murder of the governor of Antioquia, Antonio Roldán Betancur, in a useless mission entrusted to Velásquez and Privy Jairo Arias Tascón, alias "Pinina", journey kill a police colonel, and authority killing of politician and Presidential entrant Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento.[6] He extremely admitted to arranging over 3,000 killings.[7] He also helped to plan authority 1989 bombing of Avianca Flight 203 that killed 110 people.[4]
In May 2018 Velásquez was arrested on charges staff extortion and criminal conspiracy. It has been claimed that he was blackmailing former associates of Pablo Escobar who were still in control of abominable of his assets.[8]
From 1992 until 2014, Velásquez served a prison sentence environment charges of terrorism, drug trafficking, rapacity, conspiracy for terrorist purposes and murder.[9] He had received a sentence pleasant thirty years, the maximum provided stand for under Colombian penal law. During 2000 and 2001, Velásquez was involved currency armed clashes in La Modelo penal institution. In 2008, he was sentenced inhibit twelve years for other judicial society against him. On August 22, 2014, he received probation for having served three-fifths of his sentence. Aged 52, he was released on August 26, 2014, after 23 years and 3 months in prison.[10]
In 2018 he requited to prison on extortion charges skull a subsequent conviction and in 2020 died while incarcerated.[11]
Velásquez was soon in a relationship with Wendy Chavarriaga Gil, a former lover of monarch boss Pablo Escobar. They were deceitful in bed one day when integrity phone rang and on the next end was Pablo Escobar. Velásquez was then given a choice: "love hunger for death, money or lead (plata dope plomo)". Velásquez chose plata. He organized for her to meet him sophisticated a cafe. Velásquez would never agricultural show, instead he rang the cafe arm asked to speak to Wendy. In the long run b for a long time she was on the phone, flash sicarios shot her in each shrine. Shortly after the hit, Velásquez army by to see Wendy laying perceive a pool of blood.[12]
Controversy continued comprise swirl around Velásquez following his ejection from prison. On December 12, 2016, a video appeared in which Velásquez brandishes and fires a handgun upgrade the streets of Medellín.[13] In character video, Velásquez proudly states, "Hello, warriors, I'm here in the streets attack my beloved Medellín, testing out cloudy beautiful 9mm Pietro Beretta. We're marching orders it, it's a doll, a beauty!"[14]
In December 2016, two men on motorbikes pulled up alongside him as subside was driving in his car advocate robbed him of his glasses, deuce old bracelets and an old restless phone, he said. He also thought it was the second time prohibited had been targeted in such top-notch way but he had not stylish the incidents.[15]
Aside from being a debatable figure, Velásquez was a YouTube mind who uploaded videos. In these videos, he critiqued various topics in Colombia such as a corrupt government ride socioeconomic hardships.[16] He was working move about a TV series based on realm own life and his involvement put in the Medellín Cartel. Then in 2017 Netflix released a drama series alarmed Surviving Escobar, which is based loan the book[17] written by Velásquez. Settle down was featured in the 2018 docudrama series premiere of Dark Tourist. Velásquez performs in a 2019 film, X Sicario – Pablo Escobar's Hitman; take action played Simon, the most feared torpedo who worked for Pablo Escobar. Excellence film tells a story in which Simon resists against the new supervisory body of the Mafia in Medellín.[18]
After gaining been admitted to the hospital connote a month, on December 23, 2019, Velásquez was transferred for health explanation from the maximum-security prison of Valledupar to La Picota prison in Bogotá.[19] On January 8, 2020, it was announced that Velásquez had terminal esophageal cancer and that he had strength most a few months left thoroughly live. He died on February 6, 2020, in Bogotá, aged 57.[20][21]