Section 3 Summary: Death and Release
On December 14, a new capitulation decree was issued, amending the one from September. However, the main hurdles to surrender remained: the unclear non-extradition terms and a cutoff date for pardonable crimes, which required that offenses be committed before September 5, 1990. Although Escobar opposed the decree, three Medellín leaders—the Ochoa brothers—had already decided to surrender in September to start the process of turning themselves in.
After this decree, several hostages—Hero Buss, Azucena Liévano, and Orlando Acevedo—were set free. However, in January, after two drug leaders were killed, Escobar began ordering the execution of the hostages. On January 23, a guard took Marina away, and her body was discovered the following day in a vacant lot. After an autopsy, her unidentified body was buried in a mass grave. Her identity was confirmed the next week after the Extraditables announced her murder.
On January 25, the police raided a house in Medellín where Diana Turbay and Richard Becerra were held, acting on a tip that Escobar was there. During the raid, Diana was forced to flee by the guards and was accidentally shot. She was taken to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. Some Colombians believed this was a rescue attempt, which the captors had previously threatened to respond to by killing the hostages. President Gaviria ordered an investigation into the incident. The findings, released in April, stated that the raid was conducted in hopes of capturing Escobar. The investigation could not determine if Diana was shot by the police or the captors.
On January 29, a third version of the capitulation decree was issued, removing the time limit for pardonable crimes and ensuring non-extradition. Although this final version was already in progress, many Colombians believed it was a reaction to Diana's death. The Extraditables announced they would halt the planned executions and release one of the hostages.
Pacho, who had access to television and newspapers, was aware of Diana and Marina's situations. However, Maruja and Beatriz were left in the dark about Marina's fate until one of their guards disclosed news of Diana's death. Toward the end of January, rumors circulated that two hostages would be released. On February 9, Beatriz was freed. Once home, she was cautious not to reveal any information that could lead to Maruja's location and a police raid. She also learned of Marina's death.
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Section 2 Summary: The Extraditables
Section 4 Summary: Negotiating with Escobar and Epilogue