As a Dual National (American & Colombian) living in Colombia, The Focus of this Colombian Production was of very Special Interest!
My Wife, Carmen and I watched and enjoyed this popular Colombian Telenovela recently, in 2016.
Loosely based on real events, and undoubtedly watched by millions here in Colombia. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that, when I first checked in 2016, absolutely no one had posted a Review on IMDb.... and ONLY 6 persons... That is RIGHT!... ONLY 6 People, had even taken 3 Seconds to VOTE on it! If that doesn´t speak volumes as to the under-utilization of this fantastic website in Colombia... What Does???
O. K.... Maybe I am biased, but this production is the perfect example of just how superior Colombian production values are, compared to those seen in programming from the rest of the Spanish (and Portugese) speaking world! It is obvious that this Colombian project compares extremely well to anything churned out by Mexico, Brazil or even Spain!
Exactly what did I find most interesting about BLOQUE? The layering and complexities involved in the pressures, originating from multiple internal and external sources, exerted on all members of the BLOQUE team, from top to bottom! The Laundry List is a long one! In their Number One priority and objective to locate and bring to justice the infamous Colombian Capo di tutti Capi, Pablo Escobar, they faced opposition from politicians of every stripe, both National and International, some touched by corruption, some not... and even from a handful of diehard nationalists, who viewed extradition as a ceding of national sovereignty.
Of course, Escobar himself and his "Compinches" (Read: Cohorts in Crime!), used every imaginable stick and carrot to protect their enterprise and interests. Interestingly, the Search Team was hounded incessantly by the press, who either vented their bloodlust or allied themselves with the Cartel as a matter of "National Sovereignty".
Since Escobar seemed to have managed to create a kind of "Robin Hood Mystique" surrounding himself, mostly with downtrodden elements of Colombian society and, amazingly, a good segment of those people seemed to put him on a pedestal!
For those of you who are not Colombian, nor have ever visited our country, BLOQUE provides an interesting window into the man behind a worldwide criminal empire and Colombia's grit and determination in tracking him down and bringing him to Justice!
8********.... ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!
