What is the name of the character played by Matias Varela in Narcos season 3?

In Narcos season 3, Matias Varela plays Jorge Salcedo Cabrera. The character is the Cali Cartel's head of security and becomes one of the season's most important figures.

Salcedo is portrayed as a technically skilled engineer and security specialist who initially works inside the cartel's organization. Unlike the cartel's senior leaders, he is not primarily driven by wealth or political power. His increasing discomfort with the cartel's violence and internal rivalries eventually places him in an extremely dangerous position.

The character is based on the real Jorge Salcedo, a Colombian security operative who helped the authorities move against the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, the leaders of the Cali Cartel. The series dramatizes and compresses real events, but the real Salcedo reportedly consulted on the production and provided feedback about his portrayal.

Viewers sometimes confuse him with Gilberto or Miguel Rodríguez, the cartel leaders, or Pacho Herrera, another major Cali figure. Salcedo is different: he is the insider responsible for security who ultimately becomes crucial to the cartel's exposure.