El dinero me encantó: por robar dejé el futbol | "Pariente" #VolverAEmpezar #México

YouTube · MQ-nPOrq9Es

Quick Read

A former promising footballer recounts his descent into a life of crime, the allure of easy money, and his current efforts to find redemption and reconnect with his estranged family from within a Mexican prison.
A promising football career with Chivas and América was abandoned for the immediate gratification of illicit earnings, starting with 'cuentavientes' (bank robbery/extortion).
Prison football offers a vital escape and community, but the deeper emotional cost includes estrangement from family and an 8-year separation from his daughter.
Pariente is committed to a new path, aspiring to be a lawyer and football coach, driven by the desire to be a positive example for his daughter and break the cycle of crime.

Summary

Enrique, known as "Pariente," shares his life story, detailing his passion for football from a young age and his professional aspirations with teams like Chivas and América. Despite a supportive family, he was drawn to the fast money of the "circuito profesional del rápido" (professional fast-paced football circuit), which quickly transitioned into illicit activities like 'cuentavientes' (bank robbery/extortion). He describes how the ease of earning 10,000 pesos daily overshadowed his love for sports and led him to abandon his legitimate path. Now incarcerated for express kidnapping, Pariente reflects on the emotional toll of his choices, including the estrangement from his siblings and the inability to be present in his daughter's life. He highlights the unique dynamics of football within prison walls, where it serves as a crucial outlet for stress and a means of building community, despite the underlying codes and hierarchies of the prison system. Pariente expresses a profound desire for change, aiming to become a lawyer, open a football school, and rebuild his life with his current partner and daughter, emphasizing the importance of family support and the need to break free from the cycle of crime.
This narrative offers a raw, first-person account of how the pursuit of quick wealth can derail a promising life, even for someone with strong family values and a clear passion. It illuminates the complex realities of rehabilitation within the Mexican prison system, showcasing how structured activities like football can provide a vital sense of purpose and a pathway for personal transformation. Pariente's story underscores the devastating long-term impact of crime on family relationships and personal identity, while also providing a hopeful perspective on the human capacity for change and the enduring power of love and connection, even in the most challenging circumstances.

Takeaways

  • Enrique, known as 'Pariente,' was a talented footballer who played for Chivas and had trials with América before turning to crime.
  • The allure of earning 10,000 pesos daily from 'cuentavientes' (bank robbery/extortion) quickly overshadowed his passion for football and led him to abandon his sports career.
  • Football within the prison system serves as a critical stress reliever, a way to build community, and a means of maintaining mental well-being for inmates.
  • Prison life is governed by internal codes and hierarchies, which also influence team dynamics, requiring respect for those with longer sentences or designated leaders.
  • Pariente's criminal activities led to estrangement from his brothers and an 8-year separation from his daughter, Pía, whom he only sees through photos.
  • Despite his past, Pariente is actively pursuing rehabilitation, studying to become a lawyer and aspiring to open a football school to teach children.
  • He recognizes the importance of family support, particularly his parents, who remain a constant presence, unlike his brothers who have distanced themselves.
  • The decision to change was driven by the fear of consequences for his family if he continued his criminal path from within prison, highlighting the lack of 'codes' in the current criminal world.

Bottom Line

The prison football system, while providing a recreational outlet, also reflects and adapts to the internal social codes and hierarchies of incarceration. Players must respect 'veterans' (those with longer sentences) on the field, and designated leaders (captains/coaches) hold absolute authority to prevent conflicts that could lead to tournament cancellations.

So What?

This reveals how informal governance structures within prisons impact even recreational activities, emphasizing the need for strong leadership and conflict resolution mechanisms to maintain order and continuity. For rehabilitation programs, understanding these internal dynamics is key to effective implementation.

Impact

Develop sports programs that explicitly integrate and leverage existing internal prison leadership structures and codes to foster discipline, teamwork, and conflict resolution skills, rather than imposing external rules that might be resisted.

Pariente notes a significant shift in criminal 'codes' outside prison, where violence is now indiscriminate, targeting family members regardless of involvement. This contrasts with older codes where family was off-limits during conflicts between individuals.

So What?

This indicates a deterioration of traditional criminal ethics, making the consequences of involvement in illicit activities far more severe and unpredictable for individuals and their loved ones. This increased risk is a strong motivator for inmates to seek genuine change.

Impact

Leverage this perceived increase in external danger as a powerful motivator in rehabilitation programs, emphasizing the protective benefits of a legitimate life for an inmate's family. Programs could focus on teaching non-violent conflict resolution and providing support networks to help individuals and their families navigate the dangers of the outside world post-release.

Opportunities

Inmate-run Food Service within Prisons

Pariente describes selling 'bowls with potato wedges' and other prepared food items to fellow inmates, often with the help of others. This demonstrates an internal economy for prepared meals, especially around visiting days.

Source: Pariente's personal experience selling food in prison.

Professional 'Talacha' Football Circuit (Post-Prison)

Pariente earned significant money (800-3000 pesos per game) playing in the 'circuito profesional del rápido' (professional fast-paced football circuit) before his incarceration. This circuit involves paid players who are often substituted frequently to maintain high intensity.

Source: Pariente's pre-incarceration football career.

Lessons

  • Recognize the seductive power of 'easy money' and its potential to derail long-term goals and passions, as Pariente's shift from football to crime illustrates.
  • Prioritize and actively maintain family connections, especially during challenging times, understanding that their support is a crucial pillar for mental and emotional well-being.
  • Seek out and engage in structured, purposeful activities (like sports or education) as a means of stress relief, community building, and personal growth, particularly in restrictive environments.
  • Reflect on past choices and actively work towards making amends and building a positive future, focusing on becoming a better role model for loved ones.
  • Understand that personal transformation is a continuous process that requires confronting difficult emotions, setting new goals, and persistently pursuing a path of integrity.

Notable Moments

Pariente recounts how he was introduced to the 'cuentavientes' scheme, initially unaware of its criminal nature, and how the immediate reward of 10,000 pesos daily quickly overshadowed his legitimate football earnings.

This moment illustrates the insidious nature of 'easy money' and how a single, seemingly innocuous act can quickly normalize illicit behavior, leading to a complete shift in values and life direction.

He describes the emotional pain of his brothers' estrangement due to his criminal actions, expressing a deep longing for their simple acknowledgment and support rather than financial aid.

This highlights the profound and lasting impact of crime on family relationships, emphasizing that emotional support and acceptance can be more valuable than any material assistance, especially in incarceration.

Pariente shares the overwhelming joy and sense of connection he felt when his infant daughter, Pía, recognized his voice and opened her eyes upon meeting him for the first time in prison.

This moment underscores the powerful, transformative potential of parenthood and the deep emotional bonds that can inspire individuals to seek redemption and change their lives, even from within prison.

He explains his decision to abandon his criminal connections and commit to change, driven by the fear that his family would become targets in the increasingly brutal and 'codeless' criminal world outside.

This reveals a critical turning point where the perceived external dangers to his loved ones outweighed the allure of illicit power or money, showcasing a shift in priorities towards protection and a desire for a legitimate future.

Quotes

"

"Me maravilló demasiado el dinero con con tonterías que hicimos, ¿sabes? Sin duda, regresemos."

Pariente
"

"Desgraciadamente me maravilló el dinero de ganar a la un juego 800 pesos, 1000 pesos, 2000 a ganar 10,000 pesos diario. Diario en cuestión de 5 minutos."

Pariente
"

"Llegó un momento en donde como el fútbol te empieza a gustar demasiado, ¿sabes? Por eso te digo, me empecé a dejar de mi familia."

Pariente
"

"Yo con todo respeto, yo no te fallé. Yo te di educación, valores, principios, todo. Tú hiciste tomar otro camino, pero eres mi hijo. Aquí estoy y no te preocupes. Échale ganas, cuídate, compórtate para cuando termines de tu sentencia, ahí está tu casa."

Pariente (quoting his father)
"

"Es dificilísimo porque no tenemos los medios para comunicarnos. O sea, si tuviéramos un celular todo el día, entonces voy de acuerdo que tengas comunicación. como no los hay y no están permitidos, tienes que esperar la hora de tu llamada."

Pariente
"

"Es algo muy, no sé cómo no sé lo sabes, pero increíble, increíble, increíble por tener un bebito tan chiquito que pueda ser tuyo, ¿sabes? que hayas eh podido pues crearlo, procrearlo. O sea, a veces es increíble esa emoción, esa sensación es incomparable, inconfundible."

Pariente
"

"Yo sé que el que la regó no me hago el el dolido ni nada. Yo sé que el que dio el mal paso fui yo, pero sí les pediría, ¿sabes qué? Te ocupo, ocupo un abrazo tuyo, ¿sabes? Ocupo tu mano de decir, 'Aquí estoy, o sea, eres mi hermano, güey.'"

Pariente
"

"Ya, desgraciadamente y perdón hablar de esta manera, pero ya no hay código se fuera. Ya cualquier hijo de vecina toma una pistola para ver si mata la gallina de huevos de oro y se vuelve millonario narco."

Pariente
"

"Definitivamente el 100% creo que hoy estoy del lado del de los buenos de los buenos de componer, de de crecer de este lado, ¿sabes? más el deporte más que es donde me gusta, me llama más la atención."

Pariente

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