Netflix’s ‘Narcos': The Drug Trade Then And Now (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

The illegal drug news these days is all about “El Chapo” in Mexico, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. His prison break. His violent goons. His power, even on the run. In the 1980s, that kind of reporting was all about the then “King of Cocaine” Pablo Escobar, of Colombia. From his stronghold in Medellín, Escobar broke open the massive cocaine trade with the U.S. First into Miami, and then all over. It was the tidal wave that sparked the “war on drugs.” A new Netflix drama tells the story. Its Brazilian director José Padilha is with us. This hour on On Point: “Narcos,” and the drug trade then and now.
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/09/02/netflix-narcos