I was watching one of the latest ESPN documentaries for 30 for 30 called The Two Escobars. It's quite well done and does a very good job of explaining the parallels between Pablo Escobar and the Mendellin drug cartel, Andres Escobar as captain of the Colombian national team, and the rise of narco-soccer.
If anything, seeing the stories of Pablo Escobar's popularity among the Colombian poor reminded me a lot of Hugo Chavez...