Is Sofia Vergara's 'Griselda' based on a true story?

Griselda, an upcoming Netflix limited series, has stirred quite a buzz among viewers after Netflix dropped the first look of actress Sofia Vergara as the Colombian drug godmother of real-life Griselda Blanco.

As disclosed by the streaming service, the limited series will be navigated by the showrunner of Narcos, Eric Newman. Alongside playing the lead, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara is the series' executive producer.

Sofia's epic transformation into Griselda Blanco, as revealed in the first look of the limited series launched by Netflix, is chiefly striking and impressive. The series is set to have six episodes. Without a shred of a doubt, it has raised the bar for the series relatively high.

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Netflix's 'Griselda': Is it gleaned from a true story?

Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Griselda Blanco was an infamous drug trafficker who cultivated a colossal drug empire and was a prime character in the fierce drug battles in Miami from the 1970s to the 1980s. As reported, Blanco grew up in a very poverty-stricken environment, and her criminal life started at a very early age.

Through her untimely marriage with Alberto Bravo, she was introduced into the world of cocaine trades. In 1975, she came to know about her husband stealing money, and soon after, a shoot-out between them took place, where Albero was left dead, leading to her acquired reputation as the 'Black Widow'.

In the late 1970s, she moved to Miami. There, she built her reputation as the "Godmother of Cocaine". She allegedly plunged the entire city of Miami into a brutal war zone. She reportedly ordered countless murders and caused unfathomable hazards.

She manually smuggled approximately 3 tons of cocaine into the USA, with a net worth of almost $80 million per month. Later on, in 1985, Blanco was found guilty and received 15 years of prison time. However, it did not stop her from running her drug empire even when held captive.

In 1998, Griselda finally pled guilty when offered a reduced sentence and was released six years later. As reported, she retired from her old life. However, in 2012 she was murdered ironically by a gunman on a motorcycle while leaving a butcher's shop in Medellin.

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Is Netflix's upcoming project 'Griselda' has been derived from the real-life story of Griselda Blanco?

According to the official Netflix series description, it is heavily inspired by the life of drug-queen Griselda Blanco. It stated:

“Inspired by the savvy and ambitious Colombian businesswoman Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. A devoted mother, Blanco’s lethal blend of charm and unsuspected savagery helped her expertly navigate between family and business, leading her to become widely known as the ‘Godmother.'”

Netflix has also revealed the long ensemble cast for the limited series which includes, Alberto Guerra (Narcos: Mexico) as Dario, Christian Tappan (The Great Heist) as Arturo, Alberto Ammann (Narcos) as Alberto Bravo, Diego Trujillo (Metastasis) as German Panesso, Christian Tappan (The Great Heist) as Arturo, Paulina Davila (Luis Miguel) as Carmen, Juliana Aidén Martinez as June, Gabriel Sloyer (Narcos) as Diaz, Martin Rodriguez (Detrás de la verdad) as Rivi, Maximiliano Hernández (The Avengers, The Americans) as Papo Mejia, José Zúñiga (American Crime Story, Versace) as Amilcar and Julieth Restrepo as Marta Ochoa.

The lead star of the limited series, Sofia Vergara, has shown her passion for the project by stating:

“Griselda Blanco was a larger-than-life character, whose ruthless but ingenious tactics allowed her to rule a billion-dollar empire years before many of the most notorious male kingpins we know so much about.”

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Griselda will be released on Netflix with eight 50-minute episodes.