FILM CHARACTER

Jefe always says that weʼre honest people, working for a living. Working to fill the stomachs of
our family, and providing livelihoods to many. Iʼve always been one of Jefeʼs most trusted. ‘A
friendʼ, he calls me. I know, deep inside, all I am is one of his 100 henchmen. Jefe could call
our team whatever he wanted. But in the end, we were bandits, drug dealers, robbers... Like
me, most of Jefeʼs men were stuck. Stuck in an ugly middle position. You see, if we didnʼt do
exactly as ordered, Jefe would put a bullet in our heads. Neither am I a friend, nor an
accomplice. I was merely a pawn. A pawn he used for his dirty work, so he didnʼt have blood
on his hands. Jefe screams out my name and I have to come running, waiting for his next
command. And the worst part? The worst part is that I donʼt even know why Iʼm doing it.
Sometimes, I donʼt even know what Iʼm doing. Delivering a shipment somewhere? Donʼt know
who itʼs going to, donʼt know whatʼs inside. Killing a man in broad daylight? Donʼt know who
he is. Donʼt know what he did to deserve that. What Jefe wants, Jefe gets. Maybe Iʼm wrong,
maybe thatʼs the best part. At least I donʼt feel guilty. Iʼve been wanting to escape this prison.
This prison Jefe has us all locked in. But thereʼs no way out, none, other than putting a bullet
down my throat. Sometimes I think about. Sometimes I even consider it. Sometimes I go as far
as picking up my 9mm pistol and cocking it. I canʼt get myself to pull the trigger. No, Iʼd never
take my own life. Mi amor waits for me to come back home every single night. Weʼre
expecting, Iʼm so excited to become a father. I need the money to provide for my family, I canʼt
let them down. So I keep doing as Iʼm told. Day in, day out.

Jefeʼs one of the most wanted men in Columbia. The CIAʼs after him, the Drug Enforcement
Agencyʼs after him, the Military is after him. Who am I kidding? Theyʼre after all of us. To
capture Jefe, theyʼre gonna kill each and every one of us. Heck, if they donʼt, Jefe will. So I
guess Iʼm just gonna have to wait and watch, follow orders, and pray that I live to see another
day. I must say, there are some perks to working for a drug kingpin. I can get my
hands...rather, I could get my nose on all the cocaine I could ever want. It makes the job a little
easier on the mind, but when the drug wears off, Iʼm no longer Alice, and this isnʼt
Wonderland. Bombings, raids, robberies, murders- all these were just a defence for Jefe. A
gateway to scare the living daylights out of law enforcement. Well, not just law enforcement,
but anyone who would dare to disrupt his wake. Jefe made countless enemies. Of course, we
werenʼt the only drug cartel in the country. I had to stand guard in front of his house all night,
just to ensure his safety. What about mine? After all, Iʼm also a human being. Why am I being
treated like a sitting duck? Just waiting to be shot by someone who just wants to see Jefe fall
to the ground. Why is his life more important than mine? I canʼt question it, at least not out
loud. Jefe gives us work, Jefe gives us the means to an end. Iʼm grateful to him. Heʼs been a
messiah.

I havenʼt been in this boat alone. Iʼve made quite a few friends along the way. Most of them
are dead though. The only way to release oneself from Jefeʼs ironclad grip was to hand him
over to the federal authorities. If only it were that easy. Weʼre instilled with fear. Fear of the
authorities, sure. But mostly, fear of Jefe. Jefeʼs been notoriously known to kill anyone who
leaks information to outsiders. Many have tried, only to fail miserably. They either end up
dead, or in jail. Now thatʼs not something Iʼd ever want. So what can I do other than blindly
follow Jefe into this world of darkness. Over the years, Iʼve learnt to not think about it too
much. Iʼve learnt to be ignorant. Iʼve learnt to live in chaos. Iʼve learnt that being in denial is
the only escape I have from the throes of his tyranny. So what do I do? I simply do as Jefe
says. I take the blood money Jefe rewards me with, and I go back home a happy man. Things
have been rough for a week now. The government is trying to close in on Jefe. Heʼs been
stressed, heʼs been frantic. What happens when a narco kingpin is threatened? Bloodshed. In
the span of a week, Iʼve been made to kidnap the family members of police officers, Iʼve
murdered 7 innocent civilians, Iʼve held government officials at gunpoint, Iʼve bombed public
places... This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Jefe has got planned for the
future. Heʼs called me tomorrow morning for another ‘jobʼ. He says itʼs the biggest one yet, the
riskiest one yet. So what do I do about it? I simply do as Jefe says. As all the people Iʼve seen
under the cynical throes of Jefe, I too would give my life fighting. Iʼd never betray him.