Drug references: Police to ensure gastropub Escobar keeps word

Outlet had agreed to revamp logo and remove images of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar

The owner of Escobar, Mr Stan Sri Ganesh, 36, said a new logo will be unveiled in a month or so. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

Police and narcotics officers will keep a close eye on gastropub Escobar in Chinatown to ensure it keeps its word to remove all drug references and images of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar on its premises.

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and the police also said in a joint statement yesterday that they "take a serious view of individuals and establishments that put up displays or references which glamorise drug use or criminal activities".

Marketing strategies should also be done in a manner that is "consistent with Singapore's policies to keep our country safe and secure", they added.

The police also clarified in the statement that the theme, logo and interior design of food and beverage establishments are not governed by the police's licensing conditions for public entertainment outlets.

The CNB, meanwhile, reiterated that the use of Escobar's name and likeness is highly objectionable and runs counter to Singapore's zero tolerance for drugs.

It added that glamorising "a drug kingpin and associated drug use is irresponsible and insensitive".

The owner of the three-week-old bar, Mr Stan Sri Ganesh, 36, said a new logo will be unveiled in a month or so.

The bar posted on its Facebook page on Wednesday an apology to people who were offended by the images and logo.

But it will not change its name Escobar as it is a common Spanish surname, said Mr Ganesh.

"We now recognise that this could be a sensitive issue to some members of the community. We were just using his image as a pop culture reference, but in no way wanted to condone or glorify the actions of Pablo Escobar."

Located in China Square Central, the bar came under the spotlight after the Embassy of Colombia took issue with its branding last week.

The embassy wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Feb 2, saying the bar was paying tribute to the "worst criminal in the history of Colombia", Agence France-Presse reported.

"If the idea of the owner was to make his business look profitable and trendy, it is inducing... confusion, because Colombia is not what 'Narcos-Netflix' portrays any more," it said, referring to the drama series on Colombian drug cartels shown on the American video-streaming service.

Escobar was a drug kingpin in the 1980s and his Medellin cartel supplied up to 80 per cent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States. Thousands of people lost their lives because he often kidnapped and killed those who stood in his way. He died in 1993.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 10, 2018, with the headline Drug references: Police to ensure gastropub Escobar keeps word. Subscribe