Not a whole lot is known about Gus Fring’s (Giancarlo Esposito) backstory inBreaking BadandBetter Call Saul. We do know he hails from Chile, but who exactly Gustavo Fring was in Chile is a whole other question. One of thegreatest villains to come out ofBreaking BadandBetter Call Saul, Gustavo Fring has been charmingly menacing since his first appearance inBreaking Badseason 2, episode 11, “Mandala”, innocently cleaning up the dining area in his Los Pollos Hermaos restaurant.It’s this juxtaposition of overly politeness and quiet malevolence that would define Fringgoing forward.
Fring’s arc inBreaking Badis possibly the third-best in the series, behind only Walt’s (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse’s (Aaron Paul). That would have been enough, but thenFring turns up inBetter Call Sauland the TV show almost becomes an origin tale about the kingpin meth dealer almost as much as it is about the sleazy lawyer. While we have a few flashbacks inBreaking Bad,Better Call Saulexplores Fring on a more personal level, and though nothing is confirmed,the tidbits about his life over the two shows make this Chile theory pretty believable.
Gustavo Fring Was Likely Involved In Pinochet’s Regime In Chile
There Are Several Hints That Fring Was High Up In The Government
We can piece together Gustavo Fring’s life from nods and hints throughout bothBetter Call SaulandBreaking Bad, but it has to be said that this information can occasionally come from unreliable sources, including Fring himself. What is certain is that Fring is from Chile. He’s often referred to as “The Chilean”, and he’s talked about growing up poor there. However,little else is known about Fring’s time in Chile, as any records of his life before his arrival in Mexico in 1986 have completely vanished. Fring waves this off by saying Augusto Pinochet’s fascist government destroyed many records.
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Pinochet ruled Chile with an iron fist from 1974 to 1990, and it’s possible that Fring was a member of his authoritarian regime.Don Eladio calls Fring “Big Generallissmo”, which could be a reference to his rank in the regimebut is more likely a taunt about his participation in the authoritarian government there. Eladio also spares Fring, saying he’s only alive because Eladio knows who Fring is, suggesting he has powerful contacts in the Chilean government. Fring’s relationship with the German businessman, Peter Schuler (Norbert Weisser), also hints at his Pinochet ties.
Colonia Dinidad was a German colony within Pinochet’s Chile, founded by former Nazi soldier Paul Schäfer in 1961 (viaBBC). It served as a clandestine detention and torture center for opponents of Pinochet’s regime. Fring mentions that he and Schuler barely escaped Chile after their backs were to the wall. It’s possible both men were involved in terrible crimes during the period.
Why Fring Went To Mexico After His Time In Chile
Fring Needed An Alibi To Get To The United States
Fring eventually left Chile in 1986, which, coincidentally, is the same year members of the Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front attempted to assassinate Pinochet (viaNYTimes).He likely stopped in Mexcio to put some space between his life in Chile and the new one he hoped to makein the United States. It was there in Mexico that Fring learned the finer points of running a drug empire from the Juárez Cartel.
Fring’s Final Better Call Saul Scene May Explain Why He Left Chile
There could be another reason Fring left Chile.It’s all but confirmed that Fring is gay, considering his relationship with Max Arciniega (James Martinez), and later with David (Reed Diamond) at the end ofBetter Call Saul. Consensual same-sex relations were illegal under Pinochet, so it’s possible Fring was forced to flee after his secret was discovered (viaWashingtonBlade). So the question of who Gustavo Fring was in Chile has a few answers.
Better Call Saul
Cast
Better Call Saul follows small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill as he navigates the legal world to make ends meet. The series, set six years before his encounter with Walter White, chronicles Jimmy’s evolution into Saul Goodman, with notable interactions alongside fixer Mike Ehrmantraut.
