After being released from prison, twenty-five years ago, I began to speak to African American and Latino gangs across America. I saw the hatred among these young people, not only for those of the opposite color but also for many of their own. I began to hear their stories, and the one common denominator that most of them shared was being born in the wrong place to parents who were out of control, in jail, or addicted to drugs and no opportunity for an education. Their only form of schooling and ""parenting"" was provided by the gangs themselves. For many of these young men and women, positive role models were not there, but the gang became their security, their parent, their schoolteacher, and their pastor-like leader.  

In this episode Dr. Valdes how he came to understand why suffering exists. 

In this episode Dr. Valdes talks about how the song WE SHALL BE FREE BY
GARTH BROOKS in 1992 is so much more relevant today than it was in 1992.  In the song Garth talks about when we would truly be free, yet as we see the lyrics we realize that nothing has changed in 28 years.  We still look at the color of people’s skin, we have homeless people dying and in a country with a serious obesity problem we have children going to be hungry every day.  

In this episode, Dr. Valdes addresses the challenges our nation faces today as a result of some police brutality and a sorely neglected community, finally erupting as a result of the many years of abuse.

For Dr. Valdes, a person of color, he sees the problem is much more complicated. Dr. Valdes stresses that it is vital that we do not judge the many good police officers who leave their homes every day and risk not coming home so that they can protect the community they serve. This specific incident to Dr. Valdes it almost seems like the officer was possessed.

Dr. Valdes believes that no matter how much of America we burn and destroy, it will never change other's perceptions against people of color; on the contrary, the looting and vandalism only affirm the belief for those who dislike people of color.

The crux of the problem that needs addressing is criminal justice reform, here is where all the issues lie. In the year 2016, in Georgia of the 8760 people convicted of drug offenses, 22% were white, and 78% were people of color. This is where all the leaders who want to make a difference need to direct their energies to; it is in the ballot boxes and in Washington DC, where we need to stand and protest.

Last, Lebron James is the model to follow, we who succeed can not abandon our communities we must reinvest in them. Sadly, the minute a person of color makes it the first thing they do is leave their town and move to the white suburbs where the people we criticize the most live.

In this episode, Dr. Valdes addresses the challenges our nation faces today as a result of some police brutality and a sorely neglected community, finally erupting as a result of the many years of abuse.

For Dr. Valdes, a person of color, he sees the problem is much more complicated. Dr. Valdes stresses that it is vital that we do not judge the many good police officers who leave their homes every day and risk not coming home so that they can protect the community they serve. This specific incident to Dr. Valdes it almost seems like the officer was possessed.

Dr. Valdes believes that no matter how much of America we burn and destroy, it will never change other's perceptions against people of color; on the contrary, the looting and vandalism only affirm the belief for those who dislike people of color.

The crux of the problem that needs addressing is criminal justice reform, here is where all the issues lie. In the year 2016, in Georgia of the 8760 people convicted of drug offenses, 22% were white, and 78% were people of color. This is where all the leaders who want to make a difference need to direct their energies to; it is in the ballot boxes and in Washington DC, where we need to stand and protest.

Last, Lebron James is the model to follow, we who succeed can not abandon our communities we must reinvest in them. Sadly, the minute a person of color makes it the first thing they do is leave their town and move to the white suburbs where the people we criticize the most live.

Narco Mindset is an enlightening, informative, effortlessly entertaining podcast.  It contains compelling RAW storytelling and intellectually honest talk about life.  We will be delving into life challenges, life miracles, life recovery, and life opportunities. It illuminates a new generation on the power and the impact of a positive mindset. 

In this episode, Dr. Valdes is asked by his Co-Host, Anthony Petrucci, what is real and what is fake about today’s shows on Narcos. Dr. Valdes explains that when he was the founding member of the group that became the Medellin Drug Cartel, things were a lot different, there was no violence, cocaine was for the rich and famous. Things drastically changed. Dr. Valdés makes a major announcement on how he has finally decided to be involved with Rakontur Studios, makers of famed series Cocaine Cowboys. Dr. Valdes explains the reason he has rejected so many offers from Hollywood and why he finally decided to work with Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman of Rakontur. Narco Mindset is an enlightening, informative, effortlessly entertaining podcast. It contains compelling RAW storytelling and intellectually honest talk about life. We will be delving into life challenges, life miracles, life recovery, and life opportunities. It illuminates a new generation on the power and the impact of a positive mindset.

TIME magazine would label the summer of 2002 as the “Summer of Mistrust” and would report that “Most Americans  ̶ 72% in the Time/CNN poll  ̶  fear that they were not a few isolated cases but a pattern of deception by a large number of companies (Nancy Gibbs, “Summer of Mistrust,” ​Time, July 22, 2002).  

In this episode, Dr. Valdes talks about the impact of materialism and what he labels a pseudo-American dream.  A lie sold to us by society and media that once you have enough money, lots of money, women, lots of women, cars, mansions, jets, and yachts, then you have achieved the American dream.  Yet, Dr. Valdes relates how he had it all that at the age of 21. All this wealth and power was supposed to make him happy, yet all he wanted to do was die.  Dr. Valdes talks about the real American dream of the WWII Greatest Generation. In this exciting podcast, he details how family members often fall victim to our selfish pursuits.  

 In today’s society, we guard our privacy at all cost, and at the same time it seems that we have this deep hunger that yearns for intimacy; we yearn to be intimate with our spouses, our children, our co-workers, yet it seems we are unable to achieve this and every day we grow more distant. We are social, but we poor at being intimate. It is evident that a conflict exists between our desire to be private and our desire for intimacy.  

In this episode, Dr. Valdes takes the two significant amendments, the First – Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, and the Second Amendment – The right to bear arms.  He details how often these two amendments are abused.  Dr. Valdes believes that even though we have many freedoms, it does not give us the liberty to misuse them.  For example, some media today are using the first amendment to instill tremendous fear on the people.  They focus on reporting the horrors of the pandemic instead of giving us hope in these unsettling times.

Arrogance is ugly, deceptive, isolating, destructive and something that evidently does not sit well with the Creator of the universe.  People don’t warm up to arrogant people, in general.  Arrogance creates a separation between people.  It makes the person believe he/she is so special that he/she is above everyone else, even though it is not true because God created everyone equal.  Arrogance leads a person to be condescending to others, to have a “diva” attitude, to have a sense of entitlement and to think of himself/herself as God, with power, prestige and/or wealth or simply something that seems superior.

In this episode, Dr. Valdes invites his youngest son Estevan to talk about his experience with online education and how he finally discovered his true passion.  Estevan was a very gifted golfer, finishing eighth in the South Florida Junior Golf Tour, going on to the Minor League Golf Tour, becoming the highest money earner in the Training Division.  Even though he loves golf, he realized that his true passion was and will always be film and film making.  

My father was a giant of a man not only because he faced his economic hardships with an amazing amount of dignity, but because he was also a compassionate man.  He gave a hand to anyone whom he thought was less fortunate than us, often sacrificing food at our dinner table.  He had compassion on all who knocked at our door.  When he was not repaid for money, he would still give, he never complained.  Many times, my mother would be angry that people were stealing from him, but to him, they were not.  He would say: “How could they steal from me when I do not expect them to pay me back?” 

In this weekly update, Dr. Valdes discusses the tremendous pain it has caused our prison system and how we need to think about prison reform. He talks on the immense strain it has caused to our prison system and how we need to think about prison reform.  Dr. Valdes posits what he believes we need to see as a country. 

Dr. Valdes' daughter Isabela visits the podcast once again, this time to express how proud she and so many of her classmates have developed a social conscience, and how they express it through their art. Isabela recently received A Silver Medal from The National Scholastic Art Award, where the organization chooses the award winners from 1% of over 320,000 art pieces presented. Isabela's photograph was of a soldier at the Comuna 13, Medellin, Colombia. This community was one of the most dangerous in Colombia's history, the police never entered, and drug lords use to take their hostages to. Her Silver Medal photograph was able to be taken due to the government's investment in upgrading the area's infrastructure and the daily police presence. In the image, the soldier who is a physical manifestation of the protection of the Comuna 13, is next to the statue of the Virgin Mary, who is the country's spiritual protector. 

Today Dr. Valdes talks about how Christians are doing during this time. Dr. Valdes wonders if when people meet or speak with a Christian do, they see fear or faith, do they find that we Christians have a separate peace. It does not mean that we are not careful and do foolish things.  So, the question becomes if we Christian are living in fear, or are we trusting God? The way I look at it is that if we believe God and HE is not real, we lost nothing and spend our time on this earth with greater peace and hope?  The questions become: are we praying our worry we are going to die?  And b. Are we praying and worrying about those less fortunate than us?

Today I want to talk about how Christians are doing during this time. Is it evident to those who see us that we have a separate peace?

a.     are we in fear, or are we trusting God? The way I look at it is that if we believe God and HE is not real, we lost nothing and spend our time on this earth with greater peace and hope?

b.    Are we praying our worry we are going to die?

c.    Are we praying and worrying about those less fortunate than us?

In this episode, Dr. Valdes brings his youngest daughter Isabela to the podcast to get her opinion on how the Coronavirus has impacted her life. She shares her unique perspective as a 12th grader at The Benjamin School in South Florida and how she and her peers have to focus on different goals other than the senior traditions everyone was used to having.  Isabela offers what she has missed but also tells the listeners what and who is getting her by.

“Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him.  Otherwise, he may become so discouraged that he won’t be able to recover.  Now show him that you still love him.” (2 Corinthians 2: 7-8) 

Today Dr. Valdes talks about how Christians are doing during this time. Dr. Valdes wonders if when people meet or speak with a Christian do, they see fear or faith, do they find that we Christians have a separate peace. It does not mean that we are not careful and do foolish things.  So, the question becomes if we Christian are living in fear, or are we trusting God? The way I look at it is that if we believe God and HE is not real, we lost nothing and spend our time on this earth with greater peace and hope?  The questions become: are we praying our worry we are going to die?  And b. Are we praying and worrying about those less fortunate than us?

Today I want to talk about how Christians are doing during this time. Is it evident to those who see us that we have a separate peace?

a.     are we in fear, or are we trusting God? The way I look at it is that if we believe God and HE is not real, we lost nothing and spend our time on this earth with greater peace and hope?

b.    Are we praying our worry we are going to die?

c.    Are we praying and worrying about those less fortunate than us?

In this episode, Dr. Valdes wants to pay tribute to two amazing ladies, Jeri Ross and Lynn Ross. Jeri and Lyn are the late Harold Rosenthal’s daughters, and Dr. Valdes refers to the book. See you in the Sky, written by Jeri Ross, who is a passionate advocate for families affected by incarcerations. Dr. Valdes suggests that the real victims of the selfishness of those of us who break the law are the children of the offenders. Dr. Valdes refers to the chapter in the book where Harold writes to Jeri to tell her how Manuel Noriega’s goons tortured him and me after being arrested in Panama. It is a great book that I pray will help families heal. The podcast is riveting with raw stories of the tortures and how Dr. Valdes and Harold were able to live through them.