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Singapore's Escobar-themed bar draws ire from Colombia's embassy and anti-drug agency
A new Singapore bar themed on drug kingpin Pablo Escobar has drawn a protest from Colombia's embassy in Singapore; the Central Narcotics Bureau called the promotion "highly objectionable" and at odds with zero tolerance.
Why it matters
A new Singapore bar named "Escobar", themed on the late Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, has sparked diplomatic and anti-drug controversy. The Embassy of Colombia in Singapore wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest, while the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) publicly criticised using a drug kingpin's name and image to promote a bar as "highly objectionable" and at odds with Singapore's zero-tolerance drug policy.
Full report
The bar features murals dedicated to Escobar and themed menu items such as "Don Corleone" pizza and a "Stab in Your Heart" burger, styled after the Netflix series Narcos. In its letter, the embassy said idolising Escobar undermines the work of successive Colombian governments, that the Colombian community in Singapore felt "indignation", and it listed Escobar's crimes while expressing hope that the Singapore government would help ensure the bar's owner takes steps to "reverse this harmful image".
The CNB said the way the drug kingpin's name and image are being used to promote the bar is "highly objectionable", and called the glamorisation of Escobar and associated drug use "irresponsible" and "insensitive". The CNB and the Singapore Police Force will keep a close eye on the bar and its patrons to ensure there is no illegal drug activity in the area.
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