Gustavo Fring's Past In Chile Is A Mystery — But My Theory About The Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul Character Holds Up

Not a whole lot is known about Gus Fring's (Giancarlo Esposito) backstory in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. We do know he hails from Chile, but who exactly Gustavo Fring was in Chile is a whole other question. One of the greatest villains to come out of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Gustavo Fring has been charmingly menacing since his first appearance in Breaking Bad season 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 Fring going forward.

Fring's arc in Breaking Bad is possibly the third-best in the series, behind only Walt's (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse's (Aaron Paul). That would have been enough, but then Fring turns up in Better Call Saul and 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 in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul explores 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 both Better Call Saul and Breaking 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.

Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul split image

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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 regime but 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 (via BBC). 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

Max (James Martinez) and Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) at Don Eladio at his hacienda in Breaking Bad

Fring eventually left Chile in 1986, which, coincidentally, is the same year members of the Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front attempted to assassinate Pinochet (via NYTimes). He likely stopped in Mexcio to put some space between his life in Chile and the new one he hoped to make in 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

Gustavo Once Had A Relationship With David The Sommelier

Reed Diamond as David and Giancarlo Esposito as Gus talking at a wine bar in Better Call Saul

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 of Better Call Saul. Consensual same-sex relations were illegal under Pinochet, so it's possible Fring was forced to flee after his secret was discovered (via WashingtonBlade). So the question of who Gustavo Fring was in Chile has a few answers.