Plata o plomo is a Colombian Spanish slang phrase that translates to “silver or lead.” A person saying the phrase is telling the listener to either accept a bribe (plata, meaning “
silver,” a common slang term for
money in Colombia) or lose their life (plomo, a metonym for “lead
bullet”).
Oye! Plata o plomo pandejo.
"Listen here sucker, play along or its lights out".
Silver or lead:
money or a
bullet.
Or, in the words of the Godfather: “I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse