Did Pablo Escobar know about Griselda Blanco? Explained 

Griselda premiered on Netflix on January 25, 2024, impressing fans and critics with its engaging narrative. The biographical crime drama series centers on the titular character’s rise as a drug lord in the 1980s.

According to Netflix, its official synopsis reads:

“Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization shows Griselda Blanco’s journey from Medellín to becoming “the Godmother” of Miami’s drug empire.”

Blanco reportedly had ties with Pablo Escobar. The series’ makers have established a link between them through a quote attributed to Escobar. However, the show does not feature a character based on the head of the Medellin cartel.

The series is directed by Andrés Baiz, best known for his work on Narcos and The Hidden Face. He’s also a producer on it with Eric Newman, Sofía Vergara, Luis Balaguer, Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, and Inrid Escajedga.

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Griselda Blanco was once a member of Escobar’s Medellin cartel

Griselda revolves around Blanco’s journey from a petty peddler to the ‘Godmother of Cocaine.’ She started smuggling drugs in the 1970s before branching out on her own in the 1980s.

In a nutshell, Pablo was aware of Griselda Blanco, given she was once a member of the Medellin cartel. She earned the nickname ‘The Godmother of Cocaine’ because of her ties with Escobar, who was called ‘The Godfather.’ However, other reports state they were rivals in the 1970s. The Netflix series acknowledges their association with a quote attributed to Escobar, which reads:

“The only man I was ever afraid of was a woman named Griselda Blanco.”

However, the show does not feature a character based on Escobar as it deals with Blanco’s life in Miami.

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Who plays Blanco in the series? Meet the cast

The show features Sofia Vergara in the titular role. In an interaction with the media, she said the series explores different facets of Blanco’s life without trying to “glorify” her. Sofia Vergara rose to fame with her work on Modern Family. She has also appeared on shows such as Amas de Casa Desesperadas, The Knights of Prosperity, and Men in Trees. Additionally, she served as a judge on America’s Got Talent.

In the Netflix miniseries, she is joined by Alberto Guerra in the role of Darío Sepúlveda, Blanco’s third husband, and Vanessa Ferlito as Carmen, her friend.

Guerra is best known for his work on Crime Diaries: The Candidate. His television credits include Guerra de ídolos, El Señor de los Cielos, and Narcos: Mexico. Beyond his work on TV, he has also appeared in the romantic drama Tear This Heart Out and the short film Sofia.

Meanwhile, Ferlito has made a name for herself on television with her work on shows such as CSI: Miami and 24. She also impressed fans with her performances in Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof and the Cuba Gooding Jr-led Shadowboxer.

The cast also includes:

• Christian Tappan as Arturo Mesa
• Alberto Ammann as Alberto Bravo
• Karol G as Karla
• Julieth Restrepo as Marta
• Maximiliano Hernández as Papo
• Paulina Dávila as Carmen Gutiérrez
• Camilo Jiménez Varón as Rafa Salazar
• Gabriel Sloyer as Raul Diaz
• José Zúñiga as Amilcar
• Diego Trujillo as German Panesso

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Is Griselda worth watching?

The series has left its mark on critics with its realistic screenplay and impressive performances. It holds an approval rating of 88 percent based on 40 reviews. The critics' consensus, as per Gold Derby, is that its narrative is laced with "genuine grit."

"Sofía Vergara impressively disappears into the role of Griselda Blanco in this propulsive gangster saga, which plays loose with the facts but achieves genuine grit."

Similarly, it has a Metacritic score of 65 based on 18 reviews, which indicates ‘favorable’ reviews. Additionally, it has a rating of 7.8 on IMDb based on 2,194 votes.

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All six episodes of Griselda can be streamed on Netflix.