‘ESCOBAR’ TO REVAMP LOGO
Move comes after backlash over photo of dead Colombian drug lord
THE owner of a bar named “Escobar” said a picture of the Colombian drug lord may have been a bad choice after complaints and a warning from the narcotics agency in a country known for its zero-tolerance policy on drugs.
The gastropub in the city state’s financial district has drawn the attention of Singapore’s drug enforcement agency, a complaint from the Colombian embassy and angry reactions from anonymous callers that included death threats.
Stan Sri Ganesh said the name and picture of Pablo Escobar, who was killed in a police operation in 1993, on the bar’s sign seemed perfect for the bar he opened in January.
That opinion changed, however, after a visit on Wednesday by the police and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) agents.
“Our intention was never to offend any individual or community.
“We never intended to condone the actions of Pablo Escobar,” Ganesh said.
CNB said it would be keeping a “close watch” and told the owner to uphold a strict anti-drug policy, local Channel News Asia reported, citing a CNB spokesman.
Ganesh said he was not happy to be changing the bar’s logo with the picture of Escobar, which had cost him S$20,000 (RM59,000).
He said he was also baffled by the reaction by the Colombian embassy, which had sent a threepage letter to Singapore’s Foreign Ministry expressing its “serious concern” that the bar “pays tribute to the worst criminal in the history of Colombia”.