El cartel (TV series)

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El cartel
El Cartel de los Sapos
GenreAction, drama, Narconovela
Written byJuan Camilo Ferrand
Andrés Lopez (original novel)
Directed byLuis Alberto Restrepo
StarringManolo Cardona
Karen Martínez
Diego Cadavid
Robinson Díaz
Country of originColombia
Original languageSpanish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodesSeason 1: 57
Season 2: 50
Production
Production locationsColombia
United States
Mexico
Venezuela
Ecuador
Running time45 minutes
Original release
ReleaseJune 4, 2008 (2008-06-04) –
May 21, 2010 (2010-05-21)

El Cartel de los Sapos (English title: The Cartel of Snitches) or El Cartel is a Colombian television series that first aired on June 4, 2008 on the Colombian network Caracol TV. El Cartel stars Manolo Cardona, Karen Martínez, Diego Cadavid, and Robinson Díaz and is based on the 2008 novel by the same name by Andrés López López, alias Florecita ("Little Flower"), a former drug dealer who, while in prison, wrote the fictionalized account of his experiences in the Cali Cartel and of what happened within the Norte del Valle Cartel. In the TV series, which Lopez also wrote, the characters and locations from the book were changed.[1][2]

Synopsis[edit]

Two friends enter the illegal drugs business, thinking it is the fastest way to become rich. The illegal drug trafficking world seems attractive to all these middle-class people, who overlook the associated dangers and legal problems.

This choice begins a turbulent and troubled lifestyle that will change their fates forever. Martín, alias "Fresita", gets a job in a drugs lab sponsored by the big boss Óscar Cadena (Fernando Solorzano). Martín learns the business quickly and starts to send illegal drugs to the United States, while his boss makes an alliance with the Villegas Brothers, from the West Cartel, to take down the biggest drug dealer ever: Pablo Escobar.

With Escobar down, a new cartel is up: The Pacific Cartel in Colombia, led by Óscar Cadena, so Óscar (the teacher) and Martín (the student) make a pact of friendship and business.

Martín becomes a rich man and he falls for Sofía (Karen Martinez), a beautiful woman, but he wins her heart by lying to her. But Sofía discovers the origin of Martín's wealth, and he has to choose: Sofía or the business.

Óscar helps the police finish the West Cartel. The snitches (sapos) make war between these criminal machines to the point of breaking.

Oscar has been killed and decided to make Martin as the owner of the cartel. Martín refuses to take part in this war and decides to go to Miami with Sofía and his children, unaware that Miami is no longer a safe place. He continues his illegal activities, meanwhile watching enemies kill his old friends.

As increasing numbers of his business partners and brothers die or get caught, Martin is forced to run to Mexico, looking for protection. He realizes too late that, in this business, you can never win. So he becomes a sapo and tells his tale to the DEA.

In the second season, Pepe, after being captured by the FBI, and now released to be a snitch, tells the rest of the story, which leads to the arrests and deaths of several drug traffickers.

Characters[edit]

Caracol decided to change the characters' real names, their aliases, and some locations from the book, although the filmmakers maintained some physical resemblance between the real-life characters and their portrayers. The following tables detail the names of the characters, their portrayers, and the real life people they represent in the series. The first table also highlights the first season characters who also appear in the second season.[citation needed]

First Season
Character Name – Aka Actor Real name – Alias
Martín González – El fresita Manolo Cardona Andrés López López – el Florecita (The Flower)
Sofía (Martín's wife) Karen Martínez María del Socorro Patiño
Milton Jiménez – El cabo Róbinson Diaz Wílber Alirio Varela – Jabón
Pepe Cadena Diego Cadavid Fernando Henao Montoya - El Grillo
Oscar Cadena Fernando Solórzano José Orlando Henao Montoya- el Hombre del Overol
Álvaro José Pérez – Guadaña Julian Arango Luis Alfonso Ocampo Fómeque – Tocayo
Amparo Cadena (esposa de Julio) Sandra Reyes Lorena Henao Montoya
John Mario Martínez – Pirulito Juan Pablo Raba (1.ª season)
Camilo Saenz (second season)
Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadía – Chupeta
Julio Trujillo Fernando Arévalo Iván Urdinola Grajales – el Enano (The Dwarf)
Conrado Cadena – El mocho Álvaro Rodríguez Arcángel Henao – el Mocho
Alfonso Rendón – Anestesia Andrés Parra Carlos Zapata – el Médico
Humberto Paredes – Humber Juan Ángel Efraín Hernández – Don Efra
Samuel Morales Luis Alfredo Velasco Miguel Solano – Miguelito
Mario Lopera – Don Mario Santiago Moure Diego Montoya – Don Diego
Gonzalo Tovar – Buñuelo Juan Carlos Arango Hernando Gómez Bustamante – Rasguño
Apolinar S. Santilla – el Negro Santilla Elkin Córdoba Jorge E. Aspirilla – El negro Aspirilla
Eliana Saldarriaga (esposa de Pepe) Juliana Galvis Cristina Santana
Juanita Marín Nataly Umaña Natalia Paris Gaviria
Juliana Morales o Estupiñán Natalia Betancurt Rosario Molano o Santibañez
Agente Sam Mathews John Gertz Agente Romedio Viola (DEA)
El Ovejo Harold Córdoba Óscar Varela García – Capachivo
Fermín Urrego – el Tigre Waldo Urrego Victor Patiño Fómeque – la Fiera
Cdte Ramiro Gutiérrez Alberto Palacio Colonel Danilo González Gil
David Paz Armando Gutiérrez Baruch Vega – el Fotógrafo
Hugo de la Cruz Pedro Mogollón Hélmer Herrera – Pacho Herrera
Gral. Javier Ibarra (Policía Nacional) Germán Quintero Gral. Rosso José Serrano
Leonardo Villegas Victor Cifuentes Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela
Enmanuel Villegas Hermes Camelo Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela
Ignacio Nacho Sotomayor Néstor Alfonso Rojas José Santacruz Londoño
Novio de Hugo de la Cruz Andrés Toro Novio de Hélmer Herrera
Tulio de la Cruz – Doble Rueda Alberto Barrero José Manuel Herrera – el Inválido
Pedro Tejada – Revolver Jimmy Vásquez Julio Correa – Julio Fierro
Susana de Cadena (esposa de Conrado) Carolina Cuervo
Francisco José Trujillo (hermano de Julio) Mauricio Vélez
Silvio Méndez (chofer y amante de Amparo) Giovanny Álvarez
Caremico Christian Tappan Orlando Sánchez Cristancho – Trompa de Marrano
Kevin – Kevin Izquierdo Juan Calderón Richard Martínez
Guillermo Polo – Guillo Dorian Keller
Ita (abuela de Martín) Consuelo Luzardo
Perla (hermana de Martín) Carolina Lizarazo
Esposa de Samuel Morales Tania Falquez
Rene Zamudio (amigo de Samuel) Federico Rivera José 'Chepe' Puello
Giselle (esposa de Anestesia) Angeline Moncayo
El Contador Mauricio Navas – el Secre.
Omar Godoy – Navaja Rodolfo Silva Juan Carlos Ortiz – Cuchilla
Adolfo Aguilar (jefe de Las AUC) – El Halcón Mauricio Mejía Carlos Castaño
Belinda (amiga de Juanita) Linda Lucia Callejas
Soledad (esposa de Óscar) Majida Issa
Myriam de Saldarriaga (madre de Eliana) Rita Bendeck
Gargajo Rafael Uribe Ochoa Rafael Ángel Uribe Serna
Señuelo (Trabajador de Eliana) John Alex Toro
Cristián Julio Ocampo -
Jhonatan de la Cruz Roberto Marín
Israel de la cruz Héctor García
William Torres Nelson Tallaferro
Gral. Jorge Contreras/Capitán Harvey Racines Julio Correal (1.ª season)
Tommy Vásquez (second season)
Jaime Hernán Pineda 'Pedro Pineda' or 'Pispis'
Agente Katherine (DEA) Paulina Gálvez
Steven Douglas Brandon Fokken
Becky Clarkson Vivian Ruiz
Alias "Lagartija" Johnny Acero
Second Season
Character – Alias Actor Real name – Alias
Andrea Negrete – La Mera Mera o la Reina Patricia Manterola Sandra Ávila Beltrán

– la Reina del Pacífico

Victoria "Vicky" Puerta Carolina Guerra Yovanna Guzmán
– Antenas John Alex Toro Ramón Oliveros 'Parabólica'
John – el Gordo John Luis Eduardo Arango William Tamayo Hernández – Mazinger
Mayor Luis Madero – el Caza Narcos (Unidad Antinarcóticos) Alejandro Martínez Mayor Elkin Leonardo Molina Aldana
Rodolfo Villate 'Rockie' Juan Sebastián Aragón
Holger Prado 'el Puma' Víctor Mallarino Juan Diego Espinoza – el Tigre
Diego Casas – Caliche Carlos Mario Echavarría Luis Fernando Lopera – Casadiego
– El primo Luis Fernando Montoya (actor)|Luis Fernando Montoya Carlos Alberto Renteria – Beto
Aracely - Tía de Johanna Marcela Agudelo
Johanna Lesmes Angélica Blandón
El mariachi de "El piloto" Gustavo Ángel
María Luisa Higuera (amante de "Caliche") Margarita Muñoz
Lina María Acevedo (amor de "Don Mario") Andrea Noceti Paula Andrea Betancourt
Blanca (Esposa de Racines) Paola Dulce
Larissa Márquez de Casas (esposa de "Caliche") Paula Barreto Gloria Patricia Gomez Osorio
Zully Carmona Diana Hoyos Nancy Cadavid
Olga (esposa de "Pirulito") Patricia Castañeda Yessica Paola Rojas Morales
Agente Katherine (DEA) Paulina Gálvez
Agente Peter McAllister (DEA) Anthony Guzmán Agente Terry Cole (DEA)
Agente Lilian Young (DEA) Michelle Manterola
Oliver Carmona o García (esposo de Zully) Ramiro Sandoval Albeiro Monsalve
Patricia Carmona (hermana de Zully) Sandra Guzmán Libia Cadavid
XL Ramón Medina José Luis Ledezma – el JL
Wilson Gamboa – Paredón Joltzman Núñez Carlos Arturo Patiño – Patemuro
Pedro – el Manteco Ulíses González Weimar Pérez – Grasoso
Teniente Calero Julián Álvarez
Juan B. Guillén – el Piloto Esteban Franco Amado Carrillo Fuentes – el Señor de los Cielos
– el Golfo Guillermo Quintanilla Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo – el Padrino
Sebastián Bonera Carlos Humberto Camacho
Farid Duarte Ismael Barrios
Jaime Vélez – el Pajarraco Bernardo García Carlos Robayo – Guacamayo
Weimar Castro – Caremotor Carlos Sánchez Wenceslao Caicedo – el Señor de la Motosierra
– Mogollo Giovanni Galindo Gilmer H. Quintero – el Cabezón
Milton de Jesús Jiménez – Jimenito Juan Hugo Cárdenas Wilber Felipe Varela Camacho – Varelita
Luisinho Bárbaro Marín Fernandinho Beira-Mar
Lucía (esposa de Buñuelo) Mónica Franco
Abogado Eddy Doménico (defensor de Bonera) Gilberto Reyes
– la India (esposa del Rockie) Yesenia Valencia
Joyce (esposa de Luisinho) Viña Machado Jacqueline Alcântara Morais
Antonio Villegas Jhonny Rivera Sigifredo Rodriguez Orejuela
Alias "El Pariente" Carlos Mario Jiménez - Macaco Manuel Gómez Gutiérrez
Doctor Rayo Carlos Serrato Doctor Wilfrido Barrios Chávez
Agente Navarro D'Michael Haas
Agente DEA Ilja Rosendahl
Julián Levy Guy Davidyan
Bodyguard of "El Golfo" Carlos Arrechea

Associated media[edit]

The book upon which the TV series is based also inspired the film El Cartel de los Sapos (2011). Lopez has also written several additional books based on his and his associates' experiences in the drug trade.[3][2]

Prequel[edit]

A prequel series; The Snitch Cartel: Origins was released by Caracol Televisión in 2021.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Iaconangelo, David (7 August 2013). "Lifestyle: Andres Lopez Lopez: The Journey Of A Colombian Drug Lord Turned Bestselling Author Of 'El Cartel De Los Sapos' And The Upcoming 'Lord Of The Skies' [PROFILE INTERVIEW]". Latin Times. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b Elfrink, Tim (10 February 2011). "ANDRES LOPEZ EXPOSES THE COLOMBIAN CARTELS". Miami New Times.
  3. ^ "Author profile". Goodreads.

External links[edit]