The Godfather In Real Life

"If Miguel and the other Cali cartel bosses ever suspected that he had dialed the CIA, he was dead. No trial, no defense- just a few bullets to the brain… if he was lucky. There were worse ways to die." (15)

Most of the population has seen The Godfather. It is a spectacular film of a 1940's New York mafia family and their attempt to protect their empire and families from their rivals. It's hard to believe that the gruesome acts committed in this movie have actually happened in real life.  Can you imagine having to live that type of life? Anyone who is part of a mafia is constantly surrounded by violence, terror, and horrid crimes (to say the least). It's almost like the terrorist group in Colombia, the FARC.  Not precisely in their heinous awful acts, but by their people's decisions.  Most of the people who go into this type of business usually want out.  The only problem is that once a person is in, it's almost impossible to get out alive.

This is exactly the case for Jorge Salcedo.  He joined the Cali Cartel business and six years later he wanted to get out.  For those who have seen The Godfather, it's obvious why this was almost impossible.  For now, the reason he involved himself in such a business is unknown.  Those facts will be revealed later on in the novel, At the Devil's Table. All that is clear is that his friend, Mario del Basto, somehow got him into the mess.

Jorge Salcedo is the son of General Jorge Salcedo Senior, an important figure in the Colombian army.  Salcedo Senior fought against the FARC and was completely against the idea of cartels.  Salcedo makes this clear on pages 24-25.  On page 28 Mario introduces the idea of meeting with "some Cali guys".  Later on does Salcedo realize that he is speaking of the "Cali cartel guys" (29).

At first he is against the idea.  He thought of his father and of everything he fought for in order to improve the country.  However, Mario succeeded in convincing him to meet with them.  He said that they were just an ordinary family who kept "a low profile" (30).  According to Mario, they were referred to as "the Gentlemen of Cali" and were "less violent" (30).  These "gentlemen" were only concerned on hiring more security details for their family and were NOT going to involve him in "the cartel drug business" (32).

How did Mario ever convince Salcedo? Yes, the form in which he expressed the idea made it seem better, but Salcedo had always thought negatively of all cartels.  How can one simply change their mind and not consider their morals?! Of course I have never had to make such a decision, but I would never want to meet those type of people.  Their reputation scares the hell out of me! It's beyond me how a man with good morals that came from a military family every agreed to enter such a business.  At first it may have seen all butterflies and rainbows, but how could he really trust those men?