III. THE “CACHERO” AND THE “KID”

Another type of relationship that is tolerated in the culture of prison inmates is that between an older man and a younger man, known as a “güila” or a “cabrito” (a “kid”) Young prisoners are sought-after by those who have been in prison for a long time, and who seek a relationship of control and “female” services, in exchange for protection inside the jail. Although the gender difference is not so marked in this type of relationship, the seniority of age allows the older man to consider himself the “macho” and the protector of the younger, weaker man, replicating a heterosexual relationship.

“Cachero”-”güila” relationships differ from those involving transvestites. In the first place, the “cachero” who seeks out young men is attracted by the age, not the affectation or mannerisms of his partner. In general, the “güilas” are masculine-looking young men. Moreover, they are not homosexuals and are not attracted to men. The “homosexualization” of the “güilas” is a process that may take days, weeks or years.

One of the advantages that “cacheros” see in “güilas” is that they are more faithful, since they are not attracted to other men. According to Daniel, “cacheros” believe that “güilas” are less promiscuous than transvestites. Luis tells us that “you won’t find a “güila” ogling a “cachero” in the shower to see what his penis is like, like the transvestites do.” Ernesto believes that “güilas” remain content with their man”. “Cacheros” who look for “güilas” are generally pedophiles. Daniel and his son, who is in prison with him, are an example.

Other “cacheros” have developed a taste for young men while in prison. Carlos, for example, used to like girls under fifteen. His passion was to go off with the girls and “play house” with them. When we asked him to describe the game, he said he would ask the girls to “play the role of mother” and he would “play father”. The girls, without suspecting his intentions, would gradually become more trusting and little by little would yield to his demands. “One day, I ask them to pretend that we go to sleep together. Another time, we pretend to examine each other’s bodies. Before they know it, I’ve possessed them.” While in jail, Carlos looks for whatever most closely resembles a young girl. “Well, here you don’t have any chance of finding little girls. The only thing you see here are the (female) prison officers who are more wide open than the Zurqui tunnel (a large tunnel on one of Costa Rica’s main highways). I enjoy getting acquainted with the “güilas” who come here and playing around with them.” This is a complicated game which goes on for months:

Many of these kids are criminals but they’re innocent about sodomy. When a little blond, white-skinned kid arrives, all beardless and hairless, I gradually befriend him. I offer him food and cigarettes. I invite him to stay with me in my den. At night, I touch him on the sly, like I didn’t really mean to do it. If I see that he doesn’t say anything, the next time I grab him deliberately. Little by little I begin to masturbate him. In one or two months I begin playing around behind. I do this very carefully, because the kid doesn’t know how to do this. First I insert a finger, that’s all...In a few more weeks he’s mine.

Others like Teja began as ‘cacheros’ with transvestites and gradually developed a taste for young men. He says that before he met Ana, he had never seen another man. However, a “kid with a big ass” was assigned the bunk below his. The young man was not a homosexual but a “güila” who was visited by another “cachero”. Teja could not help but be impressed by what he saw:

I have a lot of respect for Calderòn, because he’s a very manly, butch type, a real thug, but one night I heard him begging the “güila” below me. First he gave him a crack joint so he’d get a good blast (get high). Then I saw him get into the den and begin taking the kid’s pants down. Looking down from above, I saw what pink, rounded buttocks that kid has. Wow! I like Ana’s butt, but his was phenomenal. I heard when Calderòn took the “güila”. The kid told him that he’d never had a banging (passive anal sex) of that quality. He said, ‘you squeezed all the juice out from inside, you motherfucker. Get out, I can’t stand the pain.’ I was all turned on by this, and ever since that night I often thought about getting into his bed. Well, last week, the kid began to make eyes at me, because Calderon was moved to another block. I didn’t waste any time and went down to him and told him: “Look, if you go with me, you close down that little backside of yours. I don’t want any more playing around.” He said, “well, I don’t want to see you with Ana either. You either stay with that queen or come with me...’ So, I left Ana for this guy...

Luis is a very different case. He was raped by another man when he was just ten years old and has decided to take his revenge by doing the same to boys of his age:

This trauma led Luis to do the same to other children.

In jail, Luis continued with this behavior against the “güilas”.

INITIATION

There are many ways of persuading a “güila” to agree to sexual relations. Some older “cacheros” who were imprisoned in San Jose’s Central Penitentiary during the 1970's, say that different tactics were used to subjugate inmates. Since prevention and education programs were nonexistent in the old penitentiary, prisoners were simply abandoned in their cells. Some of them would spend weeks or months without receiving visits, a situation which “cacheros” would take advantage of to force some of the younger prisoners to have sex with them. Polo describes this as follows:

Things were very different before. In the Peni (San Jose’s former prison), when a nice-looking “güila” arrived, they’d say a boat had come in, and he would be forced into a cell with several “cacheros”. He might be a tough small-time criminal, it didn’t make any difference. They’d strip the guy, shave all of his body, powder him and put him in a cell for three or four months without ever letting him out. Can you imagine what it’s like to be used like a woman, day and night, by two or three guys for three months? Many of them ended up completely schizoid (schizophrenic). You’d hear screams of pain during the day and at night from the penetrations they did to him. The “cacheros” would bring out the guy’s underpants, which were red with blood, so everyone would laugh. It was a real joke! These kids would either go crazy or turn gay. Some of them would stay with just one guy to avoid being grabbed by the rest. I’ll never forget Juancito, who was put in with a black guy who was famous in the Peni. I saw in the shower and I saw the size of his dick. It was an exaggeration! Well, the guy would screw Juancito, who ended up in the infirmary more than once. He asked me to protect him from the “cachero”, but I didn’t want to have any problems...

There is evidence that forced initiation continues. In the chapter on rape, we shall see how many “güilas” are obliged to find themselves a “cachero” after being forced by several inmates. The young man learns to choose the lesser evil, which is to become the lover of a single “godfather”. However, the appearance of crack in the country’s jails, from the mid-eighties onwards, has made things easier for the “cacheros”. Juan tells us that “it’s not worth forcing” a young inmate if they’re “willing to do anything for a hit of crack.” This view is shared by Daniel who says that “with money you can even buy a mother in jail”. The need for money to buy highly addictive drugs means that “anyone will give his ass”, says Teja. “Cacheros” simply need to introduce “güilas” to drugs and soon “they will do anything”, says Tucan. “You don’t need to complicate your life. I give them a few joints and I gradually tame them with drugs. They soon beg me to lend them money to buy more. Then I tell them that I want to see them naked to give them money. Finally, I’ve got them nailed and without saying a single word. Why should I complicate things with rape?”

Unlike the relationship between “cacheros” and transvestites, the “cachero”-”güila” relationship is characterized by its exclusivity. The “güilas” are generally under threat of death if they go with another “cachero”. Daniel makes it clear to his partners that the relationship is “‘till death do us part.” It is unusual to find a “güila” prostituting himself as openly as the transvestites do. In general, “cacheros” who go with “güilas” are the ones who provide the money, and not the other way round, as in the case of the transvestites. The fact that “güilas” are not homosexuals means that it is easier for them to be faithful to their partners. “Güilas” may end up enjoying sexual relations and even turn them around, and possess the “cacheros’ themselves. However, they do not seek out men for their physical appearance, or for their virility, as the transvestites do, but rather for their money and their power.

THE “GÜILA’S” VERSION

Juan Carlos is a “güila” who agreed to talk frankly to us. He describes the type of man he lives with, their relationship, their sexual practices and their commitment to each other: