The brouhaha over the snaring of the Mexican outlaw and druglord El Chapo Guzman points to a state of mind that glorifies sensationalism, and pecuniary achievements not necessarily made through the right means. Lost somewhere in the din of a Hollywood-style thriller — brought about by a swoop on the drug kingpin — is the larger problem of drug crime in Mexico, Colombia, and the larger Central American region. El Chapo spawned an empire that included aircraft and submarines that helped spread his influence through the illegal trade of narcotics. Going by the reams of newsprint used for describing him and the hits generated on online media over his misadventures, he could have been called by the sobriquet narco emperor. Thanks to the saner elements in the Fourth Estate who stopped just short of that.
One can argue over the news value of novelty that often leads the media into a state of frenzy. Seldom does one come across an El Chapo who commands a virtual estate of crime that could even challenge states, virtually cocking a snook at the establishment. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto who unsurprisingly heaved a sigh of relief at the capture of the crime syndicate chief, will not — one hopes— lose sight of the larger picture.
The country has been virtually swamped by drug trade that leads to the proliferation of other forms of crime. The establishment considers the arrest of El Chapo a major achievement an year after the kidnap and purported murder of dozens of students in Mexico — an incident that had reverberations of drug-related crime.
Muzzled by corruption and narco offences, Mexico has been unable to do much about the problems faced by its citizens. El Chapo’s capture is a setback to the underworld in the country, but the government shouldn’t forget that his crime syndicate is too big to go down with his arrest. The outlaw practised his brand of crime in a way that spawns legends, weaves stories around false heroics of mobsters and leads to the deification of criminals.
El Chapo even wanted to brand his name by applying for a trademark in the intellectual property rights office of Mexico. The application, put forward by his attorney, was rejected. That would not have discouraged the crime syndicate chief who was interviewed by film star Sean Penn. The interview by Penn and the involvement of television actress Kate del Castillo in the entire episode has thrown up a lot of dust. The interview published in Rolling Stone magazine has given El Chapo’s arrest a brush of glamour. There have been rumblings that the druglord was enamoured of Castillo who had earlier shown her interest in him through a tweet. Washington is seeking his extradition and it is likely that El Chapo will soon be handed over to US authorities. His arrest and the resulting excitement, however, should not lull the Mexican government into complacency about taking on other drug syndicates.
The brouhaha over the snaring of the Mexican outlaw and druglord El Chapo Guzman points to a state of mind that glorifies sensationalism, and pecuniary achievements not necessarily made through the right means. Lost somewhere in the din of a Hollywood-style thriller — brought about by a swoop on the drug kingpin — is the larger problem of drug crime in Mexico, Colombia, and the larger Central American region. El Chapo spawned an empire that included aircraft and submarines that helped spread his influence through the illegal trade of narcotics. Going by the reams of newsprint used for describing him and the hits generated on online media over his misadventures, he could have been called by the sobriquet narco emperor. Thanks to the saner elements in the Fourth Estate who stopped just short of that.
One can argue over the news value of novelty that often leads the media into a state of frenzy. Seldom does one come across an El Chapo who commands a virtual estate of crime that could even challenge states, virtually cocking a snook at the establishment. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto who unsurprisingly heaved a sigh of relief at the capture of the crime syndicate chief, will not — one hopes— lose sight of the larger picture.
The country has been virtually swamped by drug trade that leads to the proliferation of other forms of crime. The establishment considers the arrest of El Chapo a major achievement an year after the kidnap and purported murder of dozens of students in Mexico — an incident that had reverberations of drug-related crime.
Muzzled by corruption and narco offences, Mexico has been unable to do much about the problems faced by its citizens. El Chapo’s capture is a setback to the underworld in the country, but the government shouldn’t forget that his crime syndicate is too big to go down with his arrest. The outlaw practised his brand of crime in a way that spawns legends, weaves stories around false heroics of mobsters and leads to the deification of criminals.
El Chapo even wanted to brand his name by applying for a trademark in the intellectual property rights office of Mexico. The application, put forward by his attorney, was rejected. That would not have discouraged the crime syndicate chief who was interviewed by film star Sean Penn. The interview by Penn and the involvement of television actress Kate del Castillo in the entire episode has thrown up a lot of dust. The interview published in Rolling Stone magazine has given El Chapo’s arrest a brush of glamour. There have been rumblings that the druglord was enamoured of Castillo who had earlier shown her interest in him through a tweet. Washington is seeking his extradition and it is likely that El Chapo will soon be handed over to US authorities. His arrest and the resulting excitement, however, should not lull the Mexican government into complacency about taking on other drug syndicates.
