Gustavo Fring is one of the most intriguing and enigmatic characters in both Breaking Bad and (spoiler alert) Better Call Saul. But one aspect of his character that always keeps me guessing is his mysterious past in Chile.
So, what was Gustavo Fring’s past before the events of Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul?
What We Know About Gustavo’s Past
The writers of Breaking Bad were intentionally vague about Gustavo’s history in Chile, but there are two things we do know — he was high-ranking member of Pinochet’s fascist government (including hints of him being a general) and he took steps of concealing his past after emigrating to Mexico in 1986.
We also know that Max Arciniega and Gustavo were partners — both in the business and romantic sense. This is alluded to by Hector Salamanca and also demonstrated by Gus in the amount of pain he felt when Max was murdered.
Here’s the scene so you can see yourself.
Speculations
He was a General in Pinochet’s Army
Hector Salamanca mocks Gus by calling him the big “Generalissimo,” before making fun of him for being the big fry cook. While this doesn’t confirm anything, it does provide evidence that Gustavo was a high-ranking military official during Pincohet’s regime.
His year of birth was around 1958 — which would put at 15 years of age whenever Pinochet first came to power in 1973.
That’s a bit on the young side, but it’s not out of the question that he would have joined the military to escape his destitute family situation (as detailed in Better Call Saul) and rose through the ranks before leaving Chile in 1986 at the age of 28.
And there are two things to note about the Pinochet regime — it was fraught with a massive amount of human rights abuses and it was largely supported by the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
It’s not a stretch to imagine that Gustavo himself took part in some of those human rights abuses. Nor is it out of the question that he might have been trained by the Central Intelligence Agency — which brings us to our next speculation.
He had previous drug experience
Many think that his connections to Pinochet’s intelligence agencies (and by extension, the CIA’s) is more likely than having a combat role.
This does makes sense — while Gustavo’s demeanor and level of polish certainly matches that of a military man, he doesn’t give the impression that he has seen combat.
If that’s the case, it’s possible that Gustavo was involved in the Chilean government’s smuggling of cocaine into the United States in the 80’s — here’s an article from The Guardian on that exact operation written in the year 2000, 8 years before Breaking Bad premiered.
It’s certainly thought provoking!
While these theories add layers to our understanding of Gustavo Fring, they also serve to highlight just how effectively Breaking Bad has created an enigmatic character whose past remains a tantalizing mystery.
Conclusion
As we wrap up our exploration into Gustavo Fring’s past in Chile, it’s clear that the mystery surrounding his past is an integral part of his character’s charm.
Despite our efforts to piece together his backstory, much of it remains elusive, hidden behind a veil of ambiguity that only adds to the allure of his character. Whether he was a military figure, a drug lord, or a member of an influential family back in Chile, we may never know for sure.
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