Gilberto Molina
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Gilberto Molina Moreno (February 27, 1937 – February 27, 1989) was a major
Molina was born in Tudela, in the town of
Once he became rich, Molina became a celebrity in
At some point, and probably as a result of his connections with
Between 1987 and 1989, he was involved in a new Green War, an intense power struggle over the control the emerald mines. Specifically, Molina was battling a rival operation, the Coscuez mines, in the violence-ridden emerald-mining district. Molina was initially assumed to be victorious in this violent struggle, along with his business partners Morita and
Despite the widespread suspicion of involvement in cocaine trafficking, Molina was also regarded as a public benefactor, and his rich and luxurious funeral was attended by many.[2] In contrast, his death was celebrated by many in the regions controlled by his rivals, as he was accused of many of the hundreds of fatalities that occurred in the course of the many Green wars.[2] Although Colombian police officials first speculated that the slaughter could have been on the orders of Luis Murcia, aka "el Pequinés", a rival emerald kingpin,[2] the consensus is that the responsible was his former friend and partner Rodríguez Gacha, who apparently felt that Molina had betrayed him by blaming him of being the actual owner of the coca plantation that got him arrested. Furthermore, Rodríguez Gacha wanted to get hold of the emerald business and had made a failed attempt to elbow Molina and Carranza out of the emerald profession.[7][8]
In popular culture
- He is portrayed by the Colombian actor Alfonso Ortiz in the TV series Alias El Mexicano.
Notes
- ^ The New York Times, March 1, 1989
- ^ a b c d Semana (3 April 1989). "El padrino de las esmeraldas". El padrino de las esmeraldas. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
- ^ "Gunmen slay 'King of Emeralds,' 17 bodyguards". UPI. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
- ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
- ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "Emerald Magnate Slain At Home in Colombia". The New York Times. March 1989. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "Una y mil guerras de Víctor Carranza | ELESPECTADOR.COM". ELESPECTADOR.COM (in Spanish). 2009-07-06. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
- ^ Semana (11 May 1992). "LA REINSERCION DE LOS ESMERALDEROS". LA REINSERCION DE LOS ESMERALDEROS. Retrieved 2018-07-04.