Selva Cartel
They are the main antagonistic force featured in the light-novel El Aleph, particularly its final arc.
Summary
The Selva Cartel is an organization that began in the early 1980s led by Octavio Luna Kan in a commune hidden in the Amazon rainforest. Their primary goal is for political upheaval in South America, wanting to stop racial discrimination against the indigenous population, as well as to reduce disparities between the wealthy and poor.[1] However, they resort to violent and unethical methods for fulfilling their goals, operating a large-scale cocaine farm where they cultivate coca leaves for accruing funds. The coca paste is airlifted by light aircraft and refined into cocaine hydrochloride in cities of Brazil and Peru.
The cartel owns over twenty planes, invested in banks, acquired pharmacy chains, and have all necessary chemicals for completing their supply chain. They are able to outwit American law enforcement, bribe officials, and have political power to monopolize sales channels. In addition, they are allied with extreme leftist armed groups to dominate 80% of the Amazonian cocaine market. They completely overthrow other established cartels using their abilities. Aside from cocaine, they make money through ruthless acts and other means such as selling locally-mined cobalt to international military organizations. Their total annual revenue is estimated to be five billion dollars.[2]
Hierarchy
Octavio, referred to as "el Jefe", secludes himself in a temple within the jungle.[2] He never appears in public and keeps his identity a secret, unlike some other organizations. Joaquín Ruiz-Jorruda is also a high ranking member, unleashing El Aleph's power of the eternal night to secure their resources.[3]
Octavio has an army of bodyguards who are Stand users to protect the commune and cocaine farm from intruders. They either follow orders from Octavio or Joaquín.[3] The cartel's bodyguards consist of a diverse mix of ethnicities such as Indios, mestizos, members of the Amazonian tribes such as the Jivaro and Huambisa, people who seem to appear Native American, and even some white people.[4] They are typically criminals, smugglers, Indigenismo followers, hitmen, drifters, or from guerrilla groups.[2] The bodyguards have a variety of different Stands, either awakened by Alhorn or Octavio himself using the Arrow.
The commune consists of many residents not different from a typical village. Their bodies seem to have adapted to the nocturnal lifestyle while living in the endless night of the jungle. Indigenous people, mestizos, and other native tribes live together, transcending their racial and linguistic differences. Their standard of living is high because of the profits earned from the cartel. It is primarily the residents that cultivate the coca leaves on the farm and manage the greenhouses. Lisa Lisa is reminded of a religious community upon seeing them.[5]
Members
★: The character is leader
(✩: Subsequent leader / ✦: Leader of their own faction within the group)
(👻: The character remains as a soul or ghost)
☮: The character has resigned
⚓: The character retired (incapacitated) and/or their fate is unknown
History
Formation
Around 1979-1980, a revolutionary from Ayacucho follows Octavio and Joaquín while they are wandering, believing their eternal night ability will be a blessing for political upheaval in South America. He describes how the economy is at the brink of collapse, racial discrimination against the majority indigenous population is rampant, and poverty and inequality are unbearable throughout South America. Joaquín and Octavio are reluctant, thinking a revolution would be too troublesome. However, the man convinces them as a fellow indigenous person by bringing up the clashes between guerrillas and the military, the rampaging police, the massacres of farmers, cross-border shooting victims, missing persons, and children dying from stray bullets. He claims they won't have to fight on the front lines, but just help earn funds. The orphans agree and head into the Amazon rainforest, where they become guardians of a commune cultivating coca leaves which are to be used as funds for the revolution.
Octavio and Joaquín mediate between the commune's farmers and drug traffickers. They enforce stable prices and fair trade, protecting the commune from untrustworthy dealers. When the elderly farm owner of the commune passes away from a heart attack, Octavio and Joaquín take over the farm's management. They are able to expand their sales channel and rapidly grow the commune into a major drug organization, which is how the Selva Cartel originated.[1]
Octavio and Joaquín head to Fernando Alhorn's factory in Salvador, Bahia under the guise of a business deal for Alhorn's firearms. Alhorn realizes that they are actually there for revenge, and kills Octavio's bodyguards to prove his guns work. Octavio and Joaquín manage to overpower him and successfully get their revenge on Alhorn, reducing him to only a conscious head due to the ability of El Corazón de las Tinieblas. Thus, Octavio and Joaquín take his firearms and also his Arrow, allowing them to awaken powers in people for their army.[6]
Invasion Attempts
Several search and destroy operations are conducted by state military police and groups of former soldiers. All of them end up in failure, but there are a few survivors who provide a testimony of what they witnessed in the jungle.[2]
At some point in 1986, the cartel kidnaps an executive of a joint venture in Japan and demands a 30 million dollar ransom. Other Japanese members negotiate for his release. The cartel ends up killing all of them and their corpses are found in the Amazon.[2]
A month later, Peru's Guardia Civil soldiers also attempt to raid the commune. The Selva Cartel's bodyguards eradicate all of them using their Stands and El Aleph's creatures, not letting a single one return alive.[4] Days later, all of their corpses are found hanging by ropes from the trees in the surrounding jungle, torn apart by wild animals.[2]
Some time shortly after, Lisa Lisa, Sasha Loggins, J.D. Hernández, and the Speedwagon Foundation's Rueda Squad invade the jungle as well to retrieve the Arrow from their leader, who they believe to be Alhorn. The cartel's guards confront them, asking if they're lost tourists and mocking them. Lisa Lisa attempts to defuse the situation and requests to meet with their boss, claiming that they're acquainted with him. Nonetheless, the guards have direct orders not to communicate with any intruder and to eliminate them instead. They engage in a fierce battle as Sasha's flock of birds rain down on them. Joaquín arrives and defuses the situation, taking them to see the leader of the cartel as they wished.[3] However, he keeps their hands bound and has the guards watch them as they're being escorted.[5]
They are shocked to learn that the leader is actually Octavio, who refuses to hand the Arrow over to them as he needs it to protect his community.[5] He forces Joaquín to unleash El Aleph's creatures. However, El Aleph indiscriminately starts devouring anyone in its path, including Octavio's own bodyguards. Several of the bodyguards either flee or are killed. The creatures go on a rampage, endlessly multiplying. Nonetheless, Octavio believes he can rebuild his organization and suggests that they leave the jungle and hold a siege in the city. He and Joaquín are on the rooftop of the temple, where Lisa Lisa confronts them.[7]
Dissolution
Lisa Lisa challenges them to a match with her own Stand, The House of Earth. The creatures swarm below the rooftop, piling up on top of each other which raises the ground like an arena. Lisa Lisa uses The House of Earth to generate a solar wind that she infuses with the Ripple to wipe out most of the creatures who managed to reach the top of the arena. While battling, she reveals to Joaquín that she realized he isn't actually a human, but is Octavio's Stand. Joaquín feels angry toward Octavio for forcing him to commit evil deeds and for not telling him about his true identity earlier if he knew. Despite his newfound self-awareness, he continues to protect Octavio. A giant crane-fly like creature attacks the ground, causing both her and Octavio to nearly fall off a cliff. Joaquín saves Lisa Lisa, while Octavio narrowly avoids falling. When Octavio tries to kick Lisa Lisa off the cliff again, Joaquín intervenes, protecting her. The House of Earth pauses its wind and attacks Octavio with a barrage of punches, but Joaquín shields his user, taking the blows. The punches cause them to fall into the abyss where El Aleph's creatures lurk, leaving their fate uncertain. Thus, it finally becomes morning in the Amazon.[7]
The Selva Cartel's operations are shut down by the Guardia Civil. The living residents, farmers, and remaining bodyguards go separate ways. The fate of the group's leaders, Octavio and Joaquín, are officially unknown. However, Lisa Lisa claims that the two have visited her afterward several times; whether that be in dreams or reality is a mystery.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 El Aleph Chapter 16: XVI - Final Arc
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 El Aleph Chapter 14: XIV - Final Arc
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 El Aleph Chapter 15: XV - Final Arc
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 El Aleph Chapter 12: XII - Final Arc
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 El Aleph Chapter 17: XVII - Final Arc
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 18: XVIII - Final Arc
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 El Aleph Chapter 19: XIX - Final Arc
- ↑ rey infinito Final Chapter: Epilogo
