Thread: From The Movie Blow (is This History True?)

Hello all

I just watch a movie based on the true story called "Blow"

A story about a guy selling drugs in Colombia and making millions. In the story the main character lost all his money when he went to Panama to get his money out of the bank there, and they told him sorry sir, all the banks have been nationalized in Panama, and all your funds have been appropriated....

Meaning the banks took everyone's money as there own. And he was wiped out and now broke.

This must have happened in the early or late 70's According the movie..

Now I spent hours searching for this on the internet but could never find info on this..

The only info I ever could find about banks going broke and taking peoples money, or people losing money in Panamanian banks was this.

http://www1.worldbank.org/finance/World_Bank_Database_of_Banking_Crises_October_6_20 03.xls


And also this..

http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2008/wp08224.pdf

But these events was much to late for the movie blow by about 8 years I think. Plus the Panamanian government never appropriated people's money in these events, but rather 15 banks went broke, and people lost money this way, not the government nationalizing the banks there and appropriating peoples funds.

My one friend told me that under Noriega, he ordered all foreigners bank accounts seized in Panama and their money was then the Panama's government, and the foreigners lost there money, but again I could find no info of this so called event of the internet either. Did this event ever happen?

So my question is this, did people really lose all there money as the movie said by the government nationalizing the banks there and appropriating peoples funds, or is this just a non-fiction part added to the movie?

Thank to all that can help me, find out more info about this amazing part of Panama history.

Originally Posted by BEL-AIR

Hello all

I just watch a movie based on the true story called "Blow"...

The key word in that sentence is "based" - which only means that the premise of the film was inspired by true events. It doesn't imply an accurate accounting of all events. Other than the premise, "Blow" is - in essence - a work of fiction. All movies that claim to be based on a true story should be taken with a grain of salt.

If you want the real story of George Jung, buy his autobiography. They changed a lot in the movie for dramatic effect.

Originally Posted by AlbyM

If you want the real story of George Jung, buy his autobiography. They changed a lot in the movie for dramatic effect.

In Hollywood, they like to call that prerogative "Creative License."

It's ONLY a movie, don't take things so serious! ;-)