Escobar owner to revamp its logo after consultations with the Central Narcotics Bureau , Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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Escobar owner to revamp its logo after consultations with the Central Narcotics Bureau

This article is more than 12 months old

The owner of gastropub Escobar, named after Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, has agreed to revamp its logo and images of his likeness on the premises after consultations with the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and the police on Wednesday.

Mr Stan Sri Ganesh, 36, hopes to unveil the new logo in a month or so.

The Escobar-themed gastropub, however, will not change its name as it is a common Spanish surname, he said.

"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."

Mr Ganesh said he has also received death threats and other abusive comments on Facebook.

"It's a pity that the community that is telling us not to encourage violence and abuse is the same community that is threatening to harm our family, bomb the place and assassinate us," he said.

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

In a three-page letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated Feb 2, it expressed "serious concern" that the bar was paying tribute to the "worst criminal in the history of Colombia", AFP reported.

A CNB spokesman said in a statement that the use of Escobar's name and likeness is "highly objectionable and runs counter to Singapore's zero-tolerance approach towards drugs and to our efforts in preventive drug education".

"The glamorisation of a drug kingpin and associated drug use is irresponsible and insensitive," said the spokesman.

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