The launch of a new documentary series Netflix Juan Gabriel: I must, I can and I want puts the Divo of Juárez back in the center of the public conversation and remembers the day that the Cali Cartel He hired him to entertain a party where he almost died, but How much did they pay you and how many songs did you sing?
The data was revealed by the son himself of one of the leaders of the criminal group that emerged in the 70s. And the organization did not skimp on setting the scene for its private meetings.
Given the arrival of the new series that arrives on the streaming platform this Thursday October 30 With four chapters, and delves into the life, doubts arise whether the fact of when the famous person was hired by the criminal organization and under what circumstances it happened will be addressed, since the documentary will use unpublished material, testimonies and archives that reveal lights and shadows of his career.
In parallel, the Mexico City prepares a massive tribute with the screening of his iconic concert in Fine artsproof of the unbreakable validity of the popular idol.
That is why his name has brought to the collective memory other anecdotes that surround his legend. Among these stories is the one in which the singer was in danger when attending a private party organized by Colombian drug traffickers.
Son of a drug trafficker narrates the episode
The story, told firsthand by Fernando Rodríguez Mondragón in his book “The chess player’s son” and in an interview he gave to the journalist Silvia Otero, published by The Universal he October 5, 2007crudely reveals the atmosphere that existed at the private parties of the Cali Cartel.
According to his testimony, the big bosses used to surround themselves with celebrities to celebrate family moments and reinforce their image of power.
That night, Juan Gabriel was hired—without knowing who was really paying for his show—to sing before a select group of drug trafficking leaders and their families.
Everything was going on normally until, towards the end of his show, José “Chepe” Santacruz suggested to the singer playing a prank on Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuelathe host of the party.
The private party with a boss where Juan Gabriel almost died
Juan Gabriel, accustomed to interacting with diverse audiences, chose to demonstrate closeness and, at the end of his most emotional performance, he addressed the capo, put a hand on his shoulder and He kissed her on the cheek.
The gesture, which in usual scenarios was pleasant and brought smiles, this time unleashed the fury of the drug leader.
Rodríguez Orejuela reacted immediately, causing a rough atmosphere in the living room of parties.
The story indicates that only the quick intervention of other bosses, including Chepe Santacruz himself, prevented the situation from getting worse.
“In 20 minutes he was already traveling back,” wrote Fernando Rodríguez Mondragón about the urgent evacuation of Juan Gabriel, taken to the airport to leave Colombia that same night.
According to the testimony, the incident was resolved quickly and the capo did not hold any resentment towards the Mexican singer, understanding that The kiss was not a premeditated act. nor addressed to him personally, especially considering that the artist did not know who he was really dealing with.
Another meeting of Juan Gabriel at drug parties
There is a version of another similar meeting, but with another criminal group where he was present. Pablo Escobarwhich was narrated by the journalist Anabel Hernandez in his book Emma and the other drug traffickers.
That would have happened at a private party organized by the Mexican drug trafficker Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, alias “Don Neto”leader of the Guadalajara Cartel and the celebration would have included betting on a challenge for Juan Gabriel to kiss the leader of the Medellín Cartel.
However, the episode experienced by Juan Gabriel at the festival of Cali Cartel is directly documented in testimonies of Fernando Rodríguez Mondragón, son of Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, “The Chess Player”, then leader of the criminal group.
The scion of the boss also expressed that he found it strange that some artists today deny that they performed for the members of the clan, since There are souvenir photographs and videos, to prove it.
How much did they pay you?
Fernando Rodríguez Mondragón revealed in the interview with The Universal what Juan Gabriel received 500 thousand dollars for his performance in which he would sing 12 songsa sum that at that time was equivalent to about 461 million old Mexican pesos (approximately 5 million current pesos).
Likewise, he said that, in contrast, they also hired the cast of El Chavo del 8, but they received 220 thousand dollars as total payment for that event.
In the case of the children’s show, it was in 1986 when María Antonieta de las Nieves, Rubén Aguirre and Edgar Vivar were summoned for the first communion of the daughter of José “Chepe” Santa Cruz, one of the bosses of the Cali Cartel.
The negotiation was managed by Horacio Gómez Bolaños, brother of Roberto Gómez Bolaños, who served as representative of the group.
The logistics of taking Mexican celebrities to these events, according to the son of the Colombian boss, were in charge of intermediaries such as Larry Landa, a businessman who represented several singers in that country and facilitated agreements with local promoters.
It is assumed that everything happened through these indirect deals that so many artists participated in celebrations organized by criminal structures, being left out of full knowledge about the origin of the money and the identity of the hosts.
“They hired us through third parties, and the hiring was done by our representative,” De las Nieves said in an interview years later, noting that the cast did not know who was behind it.
Related
The post How much the Cali Cartel paid Juan Gabriel to entertain a party where he almost died appeared first on Veritas News.
