News of a Kidnapping in Colombia

Submitted: 20th July 2025

News of a Kidnapping – Gabriel García Márquez

This is a remarkable read by one of the world’s most famous authors. This is non fiction however and concerns the kidnapping of 10 men and women, all journalists bar one. The Medellin drug cartel, and its boss Pablo Escobar was behind it.

Map of locations in News of a Kidnapping

News of a Kidnapping Gabriel Garcia Marquez

BOARDING PASS INFORMATION

Destination : Medellin

Author guide: Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Genre: non fiction

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A novel to transport you to Medellin

Map of locations in News of a Kidnapping

One of the first books I read in Spanish and I remember buying it in Spain the day it came out. That’s a key memory right there. A book about a subject I knew nothing about, by an author I loved so much, I had decided to learn Spanish for.

This is non fiction of course but you can still tell the magic of Marquez is on each and every page. It tells the story of ten people, but also shows how Colombia was very much under the control of one man. Pablo Escobar was the man everyone feared – he was the drugs baron who controlled the country. The country at the time was violent beyond belief – four presidential candidates were assassinated, twenty judges, a thousand journalists and government officials. Add to this police brutality and corruption in all its forms, and you can see how Escobar and the drugs trade were allowed to flourish.

Pablo and his drug barons had been terrorising the country for many years before all this happened – he is estimated to have been responsible for around 80% of the cocaine that entered the USA. The US wanted him extradited. In order to avoid this, Escobar decided to commit a series of kidnappings and use the people as bargaining chips.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was encouraged to write this book by his good friend Alberto Villimizar, husband of one of the abducted. The book is raw and visceral to read – you get to actually be with the hostages and see what they went through. Hours pass, minutes pass and you feel each one, the danger and the fear. Oh this book is raw. There were some moments of surprise too however such as when the guards who were keeping the hostages trapped, started to show signs of kindness to them such as buying them luxury treats.

It’s a strange dynamic to read about but you can’t take your eyes of it. The extent of corruption in Colombia at the time, the level of fear, the sheer volume of drugs being produced. Fascinating but oh, so grim.

You wonder how much was learned from this book and others like it. Some of it is still relevant today sadly,