Escobar argued that while he and his close associates were in jail and needed money for their expensive war with the Cali Cartel, Galeano and Moncada preferred to store money until it became moldy rather than use it to help their friends. Escobar convinced cartel members who genuinely liked Moncada and Galeano that if the two men were not killed, the Medellin Cartel would be in a war with itself, and they would all perish.
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Word got out about the murders of Galeano and Moncada, which made the president appear weak for not taking any action. Two of Pablo's biggest enemies — George HW Bush and the Cali Cartel — were putting relentless pressure on the government to eliminate Pablo once and for all by moving him to another prison, where he could be assassinated, or by extraditing him to the US, where he would never get out of prison.
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Roberto told Pablo that he felt something bad was imminent. He asked Pablo to look into it. Government and army people on Pablo's payroll confirmed that he needed to abandon the Cathedral. He was told that George HW Bush was threatening to invade Colombia on the grounds that the government was incapable of extraditing Pablo.
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Military trucks were spotted heading for the Cathedral. Pablo received a message that officials were coming to speak to him.
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Aiming to transfer Pablo to Bogotá, the president told the deputy justice minister, Eduardo Mendoza — a thin young man with a boyish face —to go to the Cathedral and liaise with an army general, whose troops were already raiding the Cathedral.
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"Shall I bring Pablo back to Bogotá?" Mendoza said.
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"Yes," the defence minister said. "We're moving him to a military base in Bogotá. Now run!"
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On the way to the airplane, Mendoza picked up Colonel Navas, the military director of prisons.
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"This is totally crazy," Navas said. "YOu cannot do this to Escobar and get away with it." Navas viewed the action as a violation of the government's agreement with Pablo and a resumption of war. "Lots of people will die."
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"Colonel, this isn't my decision," Mendoza said. "We've been ordered to go and we're going to put him on a plane and bring him back."
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At the airport, they were told that their military plane had no fuel.
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Waiting around, Mendoza decided to seek further clarification from the justice minister.
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"I don't understand what's going on. Tell me again, what am I supposed to do?"
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"Look, if the prisoners give you any trouble, tell them it's because of the construction. Tell them we're having problems because they've been bullying the workers, so we have to move them temporarily out of the way."
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The sun was setting over snowy mountain crests when they landed. It was getting cold. Ascending a dirt road, Mendoza was expecting to hear gunfire from the raid in progress. He translated the silence to mean that the raid was over and Pablo had been captured. Bringing Pablo back would be easy now.
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When the jeep pulled up at the prison, a general in green battle garb approached Mendoza. "What are your orders?"
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"General, my orders are to take Escobar back to Bogotá."
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"I have different orders."
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Mendoza was dismayed to learn that the general hadn't raided the prison. The troops were still outside.
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"If they want Escobar," the general said, "I'll go in there myself and get that bandit and tie him up and bring him out! But until my orders change…"
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Mendoza explained that he'd been told that the raid was underway. A press release had been issued stating that Pablo was at another prison.
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"This is very confusing," the general said.
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"Do you think we should do this tonight or shall we wait until tomorrow morning?"
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"General, I have no idea. I was sent to do this immediately. I thought it was done. I don't have the authority to tell you to wait until tomorrow. If it would be easier for you to do it in daylight, maybe we should wait, but I'm not a military officer. I don't know. Let's call Bogotá."
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The general got on a radio phone. "I'm here with the vice minister. He wants me to do this thing tomorrow." The general hung up and invited the dumbfounded Mendoza to dinner.
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A presidential military aide called Mendoza and chewed him out for interfering with a military operation by postponing it until tomorrow — which hadn't been Mendoza's idea. Troops gathering around the Cathedral was a hot media story. Pablo might be escaping.
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Attempting to get things back on track, Mendoza turned towards the general. "YOu must do it tonight. Immediately."
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After getting off the phone, the general said that the new plan was to send Colonel Navas into the prison to assess the situation.
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"I should be the one to go in, not you," Mendoza told the colonel.
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"No, Doctor, don't worry about it." The colonel marched to the prison gate. "Open up!" Almost an hour later, he returned. "Well, the situation is under control, but these people are very scared. They told me that they'll start blowing the place up if the army tries to come in and take Escobar, which is what they hear on the radio is about to happen. Doctor, if you were to go in there and explain what is going on and calm them down, we may be able to save lots of lives."
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Exasperated and cold, Mendoza opted to go in. The gate opened. The guards lined up in formation.
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"Señor Vice Minister, welcome to the Cathedral!" After declaring the numbers of prisoners and guards, the captain said, "All is quiet."
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In jeans, a dark jacket and sneakers — with the laces untied - Pablo emerged with Roberto to discuss the situation. "Good evening, Doctor," he said to Mendoza.
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Despite being protected by fifteen armed prison guards, Mendoza trembled as he said that the army had been ordered to search the roOmS.
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"I'm sorry, but I've made a deal with the government," Pablo said. "The police and the army are not permitted inside. If you want, you can bring the regular prison officials to do this search, but I will not allow the army and even less the police. Please remember, gentlemen, I fought a war with the police and this policy is the result." Watching Mendoza turn pale and agitated, Pablo said, "I'll allow some soldiers inside, but without their weapons."
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Mendoza made a call. Refusing to accept Pablo's offer, the president demanded that the army enter with weapons.
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"They can't come inside with weapons," Pablo said. "No one's coming here armed to kill us. We don't know what their intentions are. I don't trust them with my life."
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An army general called Pablo, and stated that the president intended to kill, capture or extradite him. Pablo told Roberto that he was going to keep Mendoza and the colonel hostage. Wearing jackets with concealed weapons, a dozen bodyguards arrived and formed a semicircle around Pablo.
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"You've betrayed me, Señor Vice Minister," Pablo said. "The president has betrayed me. You're going to pay for this and this country is going to pay for this because I have an agreement and you're breaking it."
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"You have nothing to fear for your life. You're only being transferred."
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"You're doing this to deliver me to the Americans."
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"No, we—"
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"Kill them!" Popeye yelled with a cruel expression on his round face. "Sons of bitches."
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