Cali Cartel Kingpin’s final Words & posthumous Memoir Surface, Revealing Untold Stories of Colombia’s Drug War
Newly revealed fragments from teh posthumous book and a final letter penned by the late Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, co-founder of the notorious Cali Cartel, are offering a rare, personal account of the organization’s rise and fall, its entanglement with Colombian politics, and the kingpin’s reflections on a life of crime and duality.Rodríguez Orejuela, who died in prison in 2022, detailed his experiences in the manuscript, titled gilberto, according to Rodríguez Orejuela: secret memories of the former boss of the Cali Cartel, published in colombia earlier this year.
The revelations come as colombia continues to grapple with the legacy of its decades-long drug war and the enduring influence of cartels on its political landscape. The book, described by his daughter Alexandra Rodríguez Mondragón as an exercise in “introspection and family legacy,” aims to present her father’s “truth, not what appeared in the newspapers.” It promises to reignite debate surrounding the cartel’s alleged financing of political campaigns and its complex relationships with former presidents Ernesto samper and Andrés Pastrana.
Rodríguez Orejuela’s book delves into his personal confrontations with Pablo Escobar, the leader of the Medellín Cartel, and the challenges of maintaining a “double family life” while leading one of the world’s most powerful criminal enterprises.Alexandra rodríguez Mondragón revealed fragments of the book in January 2025.
The memoir also addresses “Process 8000,” a controversial examination into alleged cartel funding of political campaigns,including that of former President Ernesto Samper,who has consistently denied knowledge of the funds’ origins. Alleged approaches to Andrés Pastrana, also detailed in the book, have sparked public reaction and debate on social media.
In 2005, philosopher Uela published a book about Rodríguez Orejuela. A documentary detailing the fall of the Cali Cartel, including the capture of Rodríguez Orejuela 30 years ago, was released by El País Cali in June 2025, featuring interviews with journalist Hugo Mario Cárdenas and footage from Mario Andrés Lozada.
