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A portion of Pablo Escobar's former extravagant ranch – a symbol of the drug lord's vast riches and residence to his well-known “cocaine hippos” – is being awarded to women affected by the country's armed conflict, announced Colombia's leader.

Pablo Escobar, the nation's most notorious narco-trafficker and past chief of the dominant Medellín drug cartel, emerged as one of the richest men in the planet in the 1980s, with evaluations placing his fortune at approximately $25bn.

The Opulent Estate: Escobar's Ranch

He allocated a portion of his fortune in decking out his Hacienda Nápoles in northwest Antioquia. Along with stocking it with antique vehicles and exotic animals – zebras, tall mammals, hopping marsupials and the hippopotamuses – he constructed an runway, multiple pools and a thousand-seat bull ring. On top of the entrance gate, the drug lord also mounted a replica airplane, patterned after the one he reportedly used for his maiden narcotics delivery to the US.

After Escobar's Death

Subsequent to his demise in a rooftop shootout with security forces in the city of Medellín in the year 1993, his estate was abandoned and became dilapidated. Subsequently acquired by the authorities and leased to regional leaders, who for some time converted it as a amusement park.

Now, a section of the property has been reallocated once more and given to survivors of the nation's long-standing civil strife.

“We have begun to take back the ranch for the affected people,” Petro wrote on social media.

Granting Property

The administration has announced that approximately 300 acres of the land has been given to local female farmers. The director, director of the National Land Agency, described the move “a landmark achievement for the female individuals who continued their efforts”.

“It is tremendous pleasure to at last rejoice,” said a recipient, an awardee, in a footage released by the state-run property agency. “I am overjoyed because at present there are women who have hope, who have land for life.”

Territorial Issues

Territorial disagreements have long driven turmoil in the nation, with narcotics dealers and armed groups removing aggressively farmers to increase their land holdings and grow coca plants, the plant used to produce cocaine.

A analyst, assistant head of the a peace organization, said that Escobar “bought and seized” the property and attempted to create it an “empire almost completely independent from the nation, with its own laws and even its unique environment”.

Government Initiative

Several months ago, Petro, the first progressive head of state, suggested restoring a portion to farmers. “That hacienda has countless casualties that it should be given back to the citizens,” he said, noting that the property's “legitimate holders” were the rural farmers.

Objections and Rallying

Nevertheless certain community members and commercial operators opposed the plan, stating it threatened the area's financial stability; the tourist attraction attracts in excess of 1,000,000 visitors each year. A rally subsequently involved around 1,500 people close the main highway.

Progressing Ahead

Regardless of the objections, the initiative has now been set in motion. “The move by Petro was to give back the land, and also the honor, to those who had suffered total loss,” the analyst said.

Persistent Problem

In spite of the allocation of the land, the growing population of untamed hippos continue to wander, damaging agriculture and threatening surrounding settlements – a last corner of Escobar's empire that has yet to be contained.