I'm watching Netflix's series Narcos on the drug war in Colombia in the 1980s and they make it seem that the big problems started after Escobar ran for office and brought too much attention to the problem of the drug cartels, pretty much starting a civil war in the country over him having to step down when is drug activity was publicized. So what if he didn't run for office, content to run his drug empire, not touching off the government crack down? Would it have made a difference in the end?