Chapter 7
Pablo’s compound boasted an almost mythical reputation among the ordinary people of
Antigua. It seemed to float above the humdrum of regular life and inspire a sense of holiness. Perhaps not in the same way the oligarcas familias were revered; their wealth and power allowed them to carve up and rule Guatemala like the Spanish once had. Nor in the same way the Catholic Church still dominated a majority of souls in Latin America.
Tourists would marvel at the decadence of the compound, wondering who lived there surrounded by such wealth. Antiguans would marvel too, but they knew who lived behind the well-guarded walls. They also knew what built them. When tourists would inevitably ask about the compound, guides and other folk would give a measured glance and say ‘drogas’. The onl
