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Los señores del narco
Esta segunda edición de Los señores del narco, revisada y actualizada, incluye la entrevista inédita del Chapo con la DEA.
Anabel Hernández tuvo acceso no sólo a una vasta documentación, inédita hasta hoy, sino a testimonios directos de autoridades y expertos en el tema, así como de personas involucradas con los principales cárteles mexicanos de la droga. Esto le ha permitido examinar rigurosamente el origen de la sangrienta lucha por el poder entre los grupos criminales, y cuestionar la "guerra" del gobierno federal contra la delincuencia organizada.
Al investigar las intrincadas redes de contubernios, la autora tuvo que remontarse a la década de 1970, cuando se controlaba el tráfico de enervantes haciendo que los narcos prácticamente pagaran impuestos al gobierno. En su inquietante recorrido avanza hacia los años ochenta, cuando los jefes de la organización criminal del Pacífico, auspiciados por la CIA, incursionaron en el jugoso negocio de la cocaína, y nos conduce hasta el surgimiento de poderosos capos como los hermanos Beltrán Leyva, Ismael El Mayo Zambada o Joaquín Guzmán Loera, quienes lograron penetrar las estructuras del Estado y ponerlas a su servicio. Tras echar abajo el mito de la fuga de El Chapo de la prisión de Puente Grande en un carrito de lavandería, este libro narra su ascenso en la jerarquía del crimen y cómo ha llevado hasta sus últimas y terribles consecuencias un "pacto de impunidad" con numerosos funcionarios públicos y hombres de negocios.
Este libro, en suma, se presenta como un impactante viaje al interior del mundo del narcotráfico para buscar los poderosos resortes que lo mueven, y los ha descubierto con nombre y apellido.
Anabel Hernández tuvo acceso no sólo a una vasta documentación, inédita hasta hoy, sino a testimonios directos de autoridades y expertos en el tema, así como de personas involucradas con los principales cárteles mexicanos de la droga. Esto le ha permitido examinar rigurosamente el origen de la sangrienta lucha por el poder entre los grupos criminales, y cuestionar la "guerra" del gobierno federal contra la delincuencia organizada.
Al investigar las intrincadas redes de contubernios, la autora tuvo que remontarse a la década de 1970, cuando se controlaba el tráfico de enervantes haciendo que los narcos prácticamente pagaran impuestos al gobierno. En su inquietante recorrido avanza hacia los años ochenta, cuando los jefes de la organización criminal del Pacífico, auspiciados por la CIA, incursionaron en el jugoso negocio de la cocaína, y nos conduce hasta el surgimiento de poderosos capos como los hermanos Beltrán Leyva, Ismael El Mayo Zambada o Joaquín Guzmán Loera, quienes lograron penetrar las estructuras del Estado y ponerlas a su servicio. Tras echar abajo el mito de la fuga de El Chapo de la prisión de Puente Grande en un carrito de lavandería, este libro narra su ascenso en la jerarquía del crimen y cómo ha llevado hasta sus últimas y terribles consecuencias un "pacto de impunidad" con numerosos funcionarios públicos y hombres de negocios.
Este libro, en suma, se presenta como un impactante viaje al interior del mundo del narcotráfico para buscar los poderosos resortes que lo mueven, y los ha descubierto con nombre y apellido.
568 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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4526 people want to read
About the author
Anabel Hernández
22 books339 followersAnabel Hernández is one of Mexico’s leading investigative journalists. She has worked on national dailies, including Reforma, Milenio, El Universal and its investigative supplement, La Revista, where the work on the alleged collusion of government officials and drug lords won her the Golden Pen of Freedom award, presented by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
August 2, 2012
Wow. Un espeluznante, esclarecedor, gigantesco e imprescindible trabajo periodístico. Y yo que creía que nunca iba a poder entender todo lo que está pasando en las calles hoy en día (aunque no es sorprendente, sí está tremendamente enredado). Aún cuando no todas las fuentes de información de Hernández están acreditadas ni debidamente citadas (pero cuando lo están, de veras que lo están), no tengo porqué creerle menos a ella que al gobierno federal: simplemente, muchas más cosas cuadran en la investigación de Anabel que en el laberinto de contradicciones de Calderón y su equipo. Sabiendo cuánto dinero maneja el "negocio" de las drogas, es impensable imaginarse que más de un funcionario no está completamente metido hasta el cuello. Es más, entre más arriba, peor. No hay otra manera de explicar porqué el narcotráfico persiste y sigue generándole millones a los capos mas que la protección y la anuencia que los altos mandos y muchos mandos inferiores les brindan (a unos más que a otros). Me siento mejor por saber lo que ahora sé a raíz de leer este libro, a pesar de todo el cochinero involucrado.
May 20, 2023
I really tried, but this book as other reviewers have pointed out just has too many acronyms and similar names that I couldn't keep the actors straight. Also, the elliptical writing style drove me crazy. She'll start at one point, jump forward to some unrelated or only slightly related side point and sometimes never come back to her main point or go back to her previous point. It could have used a better editor perhaps. For the stories behind the cartel, I think that the Narcos series or better yet, Extra pure : Voyage dans l'économie de la cocaïne are better and more readable sources of information.
March 8, 2020
During its so-called war on drugs, the Calderón government dealt some much-publicized blows to members of the Sinaloa cartel, in an attempt to distract public attention away from the many clues to its complicity with that organization,
There is no doubting that this is an intrepid effort. The journalists who risk death to report on the corruption at the core of the Mexican state are to be applauded. All too often they are killed.
Hernández posits the idea that the corruption is almost necessary for Mexico to retain the possibility of a functioning state. There is a thesis here I and I feel like a shit with my complaints. If one is reasonably informed about the Mexican situation of the last thirty years one might be somewhat bored. If one isn't aware then there's a real likelihood that one will quickly be lost. All the major points are included: Escobar, Oliver North, Barry Seal etc. The only revealing aspect is the myriad contact with El Chapo, which is fascinating.
I picked this up Friday at a book sale, I grabbed it because it was published by Verso and is thus my fourth of their works this year. This tome badly needs editing and I am not sure it can be rated at four stars.
There is no doubting that this is an intrepid effort. The journalists who risk death to report on the corruption at the core of the Mexican state are to be applauded. All too often they are killed.
Hernández posits the idea that the corruption is almost necessary for Mexico to retain the possibility of a functioning state. There is a thesis here I and I feel like a shit with my complaints. If one is reasonably informed about the Mexican situation of the last thirty years one might be somewhat bored. If one isn't aware then there's a real likelihood that one will quickly be lost. All the major points are included: Escobar, Oliver North, Barry Seal etc. The only revealing aspect is the myriad contact with El Chapo, which is fascinating.
I picked this up Friday at a book sale, I grabbed it because it was published by Verso and is thus my fourth of their works this year. This tome badly needs editing and I am not sure it can be rated at four stars.
August 15, 2013
In the early 1980s, the Reagan Administration broke with previous U.S. foreign policy to embrace the Reagan Doctrine and actively support anti-communist resistance movements. In Central America, this took the form of backing the anti-Sandinista rebels, the Contras. The U.S. Congress had blocked funding of the Contra rebels, so the CIA turned to other money sources, one of which is alleged to have been the trafficking of narcotics from Colombia to the United States via Mexico. When the U.S. began covert operations to use drug money to fund anti-communist rebels, the organizations that controlled the drug routes into the U.S. gained a lot of influence and power and eventually developed into the cartels as we know them today. In Narcoland, Hernandez argues that the current Mexican Drug War is a direct result of those Reagan-era policies.
Hernandez traces the history of collusion between the drug cartels and government and police officials to expose the massive corruption that exists at virtually every level of Mexican business, politics, and law enforcement. The narcos had been around since the 1970s, and Hernandez describes the drug traffickers and the political and judicial systems then as being separate entities; the traffickers respected government authority, paid their “taxes,” and maintained a low profile, and government and police took their cut and turned a blind eye to the narcos’ activities. As the drug trade exploded in the shift from marijuana to cocaine and the profits rose exponentially, this separation began to fade, and no longer willing to simply turn a blind eye, politicians and law enforcement officials took an active role in drug trafficking. Rather than paying money into the system, the narcos were now buying favors directly from the individuals they worked with, and political campaigns were funded with drug money. Under Presidents Fox and Calderón, the author argues that the federal government chose sides, protecting the Sinaloa cartel in its struggle with the other cartels, such as the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas.
For someone who is not familiar with the history of the various cartels and their major players, the level of detail can be overwhelming. Names are sometimes given in the English tradition (father’s surname) but sometimes are given in the Mexican tradition (father’s surname, mother’s surname) and it can be a bit confusing. Also, the author uses a lot of acronyms and it’s easy to get lost. There is a list of acronyms and a list of names at the end of the book—many times I wished I were reading a physical copy of the book and could flip to the back for easy reference (this is personal preference: I don’t find glossaries, indices, etc. to be user-friendly in ebooks, for the most part). But these are relatively minor quibbles.
This is a very thoroughly researched and documented book, and because it goes into the history of drug trafficking in Mexico and how the cartels gained so much power instead of simply presenting the situation as it exists today, it doesn’t just expose the corruption, it provides an explanation of its roots and how and why it became so widespread. Understanding the reasons is essential to finding a solution and bringing about major change.
This book was originally published in Mexico in 2010 under the title Los Señores del Narco. It’s been updated to be current through the end of the Calderón presidency in November 2012. Apparently Hernandez has received death threats and is always accompanied by bodyguards; I’m not at all surprised—though obviously I’m saddened and dismayed—to hear that after reading this book.
This book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hernandez traces the history of collusion between the drug cartels and government and police officials to expose the massive corruption that exists at virtually every level of Mexican business, politics, and law enforcement. The narcos had been around since the 1970s, and Hernandez describes the drug traffickers and the political and judicial systems then as being separate entities; the traffickers respected government authority, paid their “taxes,” and maintained a low profile, and government and police took their cut and turned a blind eye to the narcos’ activities. As the drug trade exploded in the shift from marijuana to cocaine and the profits rose exponentially, this separation began to fade, and no longer willing to simply turn a blind eye, politicians and law enforcement officials took an active role in drug trafficking. Rather than paying money into the system, the narcos were now buying favors directly from the individuals they worked with, and political campaigns were funded with drug money. Under Presidents Fox and Calderón, the author argues that the federal government chose sides, protecting the Sinaloa cartel in its struggle with the other cartels, such as the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas.
For someone who is not familiar with the history of the various cartels and their major players, the level of detail can be overwhelming. Names are sometimes given in the English tradition (father’s surname) but sometimes are given in the Mexican tradition (father’s surname, mother’s surname) and it can be a bit confusing. Also, the author uses a lot of acronyms and it’s easy to get lost. There is a list of acronyms and a list of names at the end of the book—many times I wished I were reading a physical copy of the book and could flip to the back for easy reference (this is personal preference: I don’t find glossaries, indices, etc. to be user-friendly in ebooks, for the most part). But these are relatively minor quibbles.
This is a very thoroughly researched and documented book, and because it goes into the history of drug trafficking in Mexico and how the cartels gained so much power instead of simply presenting the situation as it exists today, it doesn’t just expose the corruption, it provides an explanation of its roots and how and why it became so widespread. Understanding the reasons is essential to finding a solution and bringing about major change.
This book was originally published in Mexico in 2010 under the title Los Señores del Narco. It’s been updated to be current through the end of the Calderón presidency in November 2012. Apparently Hernandez has received death threats and is always accompanied by bodyguards; I’m not at all surprised—though obviously I’m saddened and dismayed—to hear that after reading this book.
This book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2020
This book, which has been a sensation in Mexico, does exactly what it promises: it exposes the deep integration of government and the narco elite in Mexico. The book is detailed, and has a cast of hundreds of narco millionaires, and the law enforcement officials, politicians, jailers, and spies who work for them. There is general discussion about financiers, who arguably the narcos work for - including an acknowledgement that the fastest way to stop the drug trade would be to close the financial loopholes for capital to invest in it - but that is never the focus. Nor, unfortunately, is their analysis of broader social forces: the book is an evidence-based account of what is - not why it is. There is some historical content which traces the formation of the main cartels to Reagan's contra-motivated drug smuggling, and a few references to the reality that many cartel/paramilitaries are trained through the "War on Drugs" military programs (it's not ironic if it is intentional).
Given that, it is not surprising that many of the book's readers view the phenomenon through a "corruption" lens, which assumes that it is the narcos who create bad apples in the structure of government and law enforcement, whereas I could read the book and see it as reinforcement that the real power in Mexico is coming from the intersection of highly-trained soldiers and massive investment in drug production and transport, kidnapping and extortion, all of which has developed because fundamentally the wealthier parts of North America profit from the results: a terrified labour force, much of migrating and open swathe for converting villages to resource extraction wastelands.
The book was written for Mexicans and clearly deserves all the accolades. It was often hard going for this non-Mexican reader: the large cast, the absence of hand-holding regarding Mexican civil and police structures, and the avoidance of a more narrative-based analysis is joined by a thematic structure which results in constant switching between time periods and groupings, adding to the confusion. It is worth persisting through: this is a global problem, not a local one.
Given that, it is not surprising that many of the book's readers view the phenomenon through a "corruption" lens, which assumes that it is the narcos who create bad apples in the structure of government and law enforcement, whereas I could read the book and see it as reinforcement that the real power in Mexico is coming from the intersection of highly-trained soldiers and massive investment in drug production and transport, kidnapping and extortion, all of which has developed because fundamentally the wealthier parts of North America profit from the results: a terrified labour force, much of migrating and open swathe for converting villages to resource extraction wastelands.
The book was written for Mexicans and clearly deserves all the accolades. It was often hard going for this non-Mexican reader: the large cast, the absence of hand-holding regarding Mexican civil and police structures, and the avoidance of a more narrative-based analysis is joined by a thematic structure which results in constant switching between time periods and groupings, adding to the confusion. It is worth persisting through: this is a global problem, not a local one.
July 23, 2016
Todos los mexicanos deberían leer este libro.
February 18, 2014
Uffff... que libro tan... complicado de calificar.
La verdad es que no sé que fue lo que leí: ¿un libro perfectamente documentado de investigación periodística? ¿un libro hecho por consigna? ¿un libro que presenta las fantasías y especulaciones de la autora? ¿un libro de denuncia? ¿una novela?
Pero bueno, es mucho más sencillo si se toma en cuenta las "simpatías" políticas de la autora.
Más o menos la historia del Chapo Guzmán según este libro es más o menos así: el Chapo era un narquito de tercer o cuarto nivel cuando en 1993 lo aprehenden. Aunque era un narquito de poca monta, hace una confesión a bordo de un jet, donde inculpa a prácticamente todos los políticos y empresarios del país, en una confesión que no existe, pero que pareciera que la autora escuchó de primera mano. Para 1997 lo mandan a Puente Grande, donde de alguna forma se hizo con aviones, plantaciones y demás (o al menos es lo que dice que les decía a sus queridas). El gobierno requería de un narco manejable para hacerlo poderoso y unificar en él a todos los narcos. Misteriosamente varios narcos de mas jerarquia rechazan la oferta y entonces acuden al Chapo, a quien ayudan a escapar. Este recibe ayuda del gobierno federal en todas sus instancias y secretarías, y se vuelve el mega-narco que es hoy en día, el que controla "todo" el comercio de drogas en Estados Unidos. Y se volvió el dueño de México. O algo así.
Es un libro complicado porque hay capítulos que están profusamente documentados con referencias a las averiguaciones previas, declaraciones ministeriales y demás; pero el siguiente capítulo no tiene una sola referencia, esta lleno de dichos y de inculpados sin fundamento. En este aspecto el libro pierde mucha credibilidad, porque si dice "entonces se reunió con el corrupto Pancho López" y Pancho López no es un personaje relevante a la historia, de quien no se conoce absolutamente nada, de quien no se cuenta nada en el libro ¿para qué calificarlo como "corrupto"?
En este sentido, la autora se excede con los calificativos de "corrupto", veamos, los PRIistas de Zedillo para atrás, son corruptos, pero tenían controlado al narco. De Fox para adelante, todos son corruptísimos, gobierno, policía, empresarios, todos... menos las autoridades del DF, por supuesto.
En una parte del libro se hacen referencias a los nexos entre las bandas de secuestradores del DF y el narcotráfico, se mencionan los casos de la banda de La Flor, el niño Martí, la señora Wallace, la hija de Nelson Vargas y demás, todos operando en el DF, con la complicidad de las autoridades de la SSPDF que estaba a cargo de... ¿García Luna? Por supuesto, el poder infinito corruptor de García Luna hacía que la SSPDF olvidara las nobles instrucciones de Andrés Manuel López Obrador y Marcelo Ebrard (SSPDF en el sexenio de AMLO), a quienes se menciona, pero solo de forma contextual dos veces en todo el libro, sin tener ninguna responsabilidad, ni siquiera por omisión
El libro también peca de darle validez absoluta y total a los testimonios de los narcos cuando inculpan a los enemigos políticos de la periodista, pero también descarta a testigos protegidos como "improvisados" y de "mala calidad" cuando no tienen las declaraciones que necesita para probar su punto.
Otra cosa insoportable del libro, es la novelización de varios capítulos, donde la autora narra lo sucedido (y hasta lo que pensaban los actores) como si hubiera estado en el lugar de los hechos, algunas de estas "recreaciones" provienen de documentos ministeriales, algunos otros de la imaginación de Hernández, y no distingue cuál es cuál.
Finalmente el último capítulo es prácticamente un adendum, que se escribió a última hora tras los acontecimientos que se iban dando. Por ejemplo, durante una buena parte del libro habla de La Barbie como uno de los operadores más importantes de La Federación, el cartel de carteles que comanda el Chapo, y como eso explicaba claramente como en varias ocasiones que se le habría podido aprehender, se decidió no actuar, porque el gobierno lo encubría. Sin embargo, al final, la captura de La Barbie resulta ser que es una entrega pactada a las autoridades (no importa que La Barbie lo haya desmentido, en este caso su declaración es una mentira), para que pudiera seguir con sus privilegios. La explicación, que no ajusta con los capítulos anteriores, es que dejó de caerle bien al Chapo y por eso lo detuvieron.
Desconozco la versión física del libro, pero en el eBook la posición de las notas, está en un anexo y no en la misma página, por lo que es un poco complicado revisarlas. En ciertas acusaciones (porque no pueden ser llamadas de otra forma) revisé la nota y resultó que se trataba de "fuentes vivas", es decir de dichos.
De verdad es una pena que en un libro tan bien documentado (en una muy buena parte) se mezcle tanto odio y tanta consigna. Esa es la razón de las dos estrellas.
La verdad es que no sé que fue lo que leí: ¿un libro perfectamente documentado de investigación periodística? ¿un libro hecho por consigna? ¿un libro que presenta las fantasías y especulaciones de la autora? ¿un libro de denuncia? ¿una novela?
Pero bueno, es mucho más sencillo si se toma en cuenta las "simpatías" políticas de la autora.
Más o menos la historia del Chapo Guzmán según este libro es más o menos así: el Chapo era un narquito de tercer o cuarto nivel cuando en 1993 lo aprehenden. Aunque era un narquito de poca monta, hace una confesión a bordo de un jet, donde inculpa a prácticamente todos los políticos y empresarios del país, en una confesión que no existe, pero que pareciera que la autora escuchó de primera mano. Para 1997 lo mandan a Puente Grande, donde de alguna forma se hizo con aviones, plantaciones y demás (o al menos es lo que dice que les decía a sus queridas). El gobierno requería de un narco manejable para hacerlo poderoso y unificar en él a todos los narcos. Misteriosamente varios narcos de mas jerarquia rechazan la oferta y entonces acuden al Chapo, a quien ayudan a escapar. Este recibe ayuda del gobierno federal en todas sus instancias y secretarías, y se vuelve el mega-narco que es hoy en día, el que controla "todo" el comercio de drogas en Estados Unidos. Y se volvió el dueño de México. O algo así.
Es un libro complicado porque hay capítulos que están profusamente documentados con referencias a las averiguaciones previas, declaraciones ministeriales y demás; pero el siguiente capítulo no tiene una sola referencia, esta lleno de dichos y de inculpados sin fundamento. En este aspecto el libro pierde mucha credibilidad, porque si dice "entonces se reunió con el corrupto Pancho López" y Pancho López no es un personaje relevante a la historia, de quien no se conoce absolutamente nada, de quien no se cuenta nada en el libro ¿para qué calificarlo como "corrupto"?
En este sentido, la autora se excede con los calificativos de "corrupto", veamos, los PRIistas de Zedillo para atrás, son corruptos, pero tenían controlado al narco. De Fox para adelante, todos son corruptísimos, gobierno, policía, empresarios, todos... menos las autoridades del DF, por supuesto.
En una parte del libro se hacen referencias a los nexos entre las bandas de secuestradores del DF y el narcotráfico, se mencionan los casos de la banda de La Flor, el niño Martí, la señora Wallace, la hija de Nelson Vargas y demás, todos operando en el DF, con la complicidad de las autoridades de la SSPDF que estaba a cargo de... ¿García Luna? Por supuesto, el poder infinito corruptor de García Luna hacía que la SSPDF olvidara las nobles instrucciones de Andrés Manuel López Obrador y Marcelo Ebrard (SSPDF en el sexenio de AMLO), a quienes se menciona, pero solo de forma contextual dos veces en todo el libro, sin tener ninguna responsabilidad, ni siquiera por omisión
El libro también peca de darle validez absoluta y total a los testimonios de los narcos cuando inculpan a los enemigos políticos de la periodista, pero también descarta a testigos protegidos como "improvisados" y de "mala calidad" cuando no tienen las declaraciones que necesita para probar su punto.
Otra cosa insoportable del libro, es la novelización de varios capítulos, donde la autora narra lo sucedido (y hasta lo que pensaban los actores) como si hubiera estado en el lugar de los hechos, algunas de estas "recreaciones" provienen de documentos ministeriales, algunos otros de la imaginación de Hernández, y no distingue cuál es cuál.
Finalmente el último capítulo es prácticamente un adendum, que se escribió a última hora tras los acontecimientos que se iban dando. Por ejemplo, durante una buena parte del libro habla de La Barbie como uno de los operadores más importantes de La Federación, el cartel de carteles que comanda el Chapo, y como eso explicaba claramente como en varias ocasiones que se le habría podido aprehender, se decidió no actuar, porque el gobierno lo encubría. Sin embargo, al final, la captura de La Barbie resulta ser que es una entrega pactada a las autoridades (no importa que La Barbie lo haya desmentido, en este caso su declaración es una mentira), para que pudiera seguir con sus privilegios. La explicación, que no ajusta con los capítulos anteriores, es que dejó de caerle bien al Chapo y por eso lo detuvieron.
Desconozco la versión física del libro, pero en el eBook la posición de las notas, está en un anexo y no en la misma página, por lo que es un poco complicado revisarlas. En ciertas acusaciones (porque no pueden ser llamadas de otra forma) revisé la nota y resultó que se trataba de "fuentes vivas", es decir de dichos.
De verdad es una pena que en un libro tan bien documentado (en una muy buena parte) se mezcle tanto odio y tanta consigna. Esa es la razón de las dos estrellas.
March 2, 2018
Annabel Hernandez does a tremendous job of exposing the relationship of the Mexican state and the drug cartels it’s supposedly waging a war against. The writing is straight forward with good rhythm. I did find myself getting bogged down in names at times. There are so many characters that it I found it daunting at times trying to keep it all straight; add to the fact that many of the people have four names instead of the three we are used to in the United States and it was not easy. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it and found it really eye opening.
Hernandez comes up short, however, when it comes to US involvement. There is almost a certain level of naïveté or, perhaps, purposeful ignorance on her part. For instance the notorious Zetas were trained in terrorism at the school of the Americas at Fort Benning in Georgia. She then follows up that information with an official denial by that terrorism training school. Hernandez mentions the idea that the Drug Cartel Union formed by El Chapo and others was the brainchild of the DEA. We are also told about the CIA’s longtime involvement at the very highest levels of the Mexican government since the CIA’s inception. Here I need to quote Hernandez to give an idea of what I mean:
“Obsessed with its anti-communist mission in Latin America, denied resources by Congress, the unscrupulous CIA fell into the arms of the narcotic traffickers.”
The poor old CIA was just trying to fight Communism and they were duped by the savvy drug traffickers. The fact that Hernandez uses the term “fell into the arms of” in relation to what is quite possibly the world’s most violent and deadly terrorist organization in human history—the CIA—says a lot about the weaknesses of the book. Hernandez can delve into the corrupt underbelly of the Mexican state, it’s business elites and the drug traffickers that control so much of that; but we only get to poke around at the very edges of the actual power that is the source of all this corruption. What Hernandez does is essentially hide the CIA and covers up their actual history and mission to prop up and serve global capitalism. That anti-communist mission has always been really about thwarting independent nationalist movements of any stripe from developing; making sure markets remain open to US corporate interests and quashing any and all moves toward actual substantive democracy.
That power we see in the not so subtle conclusion to President Calderon’s post presidential life of teaching at Harvard and classes at John F. Kennedy School of Government. More than 80,000 Mexican citizens were killed during his reign, over 20,000 disappeared, and 200,000 people were driven from their homes. This is not given any kind of analysis by Hernandez. But clearly the powerful state that she keeps telling us is in bed with the drug traffickers is also clearly taking its orders from Washington.
Hernandez quotes a professor Edgardo Buscaglia at length and it tellingly shields the actual power from any discussion. Buscaglia a senior research scholar in law and economics at Columbia Law School in New York focuses completely on the Mexican state and things they could be doing to address the problem. None of his solutions identify the obvious source of the problem as being the CIA. Instead he focuses on the corruption of the Mexican state and what can be done internally. It’s probably the weakest section of the book.
In summary Hernandez shines a bright light on the body of this monster to our South. We rarely see glimpses of its head or what machinations brought it to life in the first place. But it’s still worth reading if you’re willing to fill in the blanks that Hernandez leaves us with.
Hernandez comes up short, however, when it comes to US involvement. There is almost a certain level of naïveté or, perhaps, purposeful ignorance on her part. For instance the notorious Zetas were trained in terrorism at the school of the Americas at Fort Benning in Georgia. She then follows up that information with an official denial by that terrorism training school. Hernandez mentions the idea that the Drug Cartel Union formed by El Chapo and others was the brainchild of the DEA. We are also told about the CIA’s longtime involvement at the very highest levels of the Mexican government since the CIA’s inception. Here I need to quote Hernandez to give an idea of what I mean:
“Obsessed with its anti-communist mission in Latin America, denied resources by Congress, the unscrupulous CIA fell into the arms of the narcotic traffickers.”
The poor old CIA was just trying to fight Communism and they were duped by the savvy drug traffickers. The fact that Hernandez uses the term “fell into the arms of” in relation to what is quite possibly the world’s most violent and deadly terrorist organization in human history—the CIA—says a lot about the weaknesses of the book. Hernandez can delve into the corrupt underbelly of the Mexican state, it’s business elites and the drug traffickers that control so much of that; but we only get to poke around at the very edges of the actual power that is the source of all this corruption. What Hernandez does is essentially hide the CIA and covers up their actual history and mission to prop up and serve global capitalism. That anti-communist mission has always been really about thwarting independent nationalist movements of any stripe from developing; making sure markets remain open to US corporate interests and quashing any and all moves toward actual substantive democracy.
That power we see in the not so subtle conclusion to President Calderon’s post presidential life of teaching at Harvard and classes at John F. Kennedy School of Government. More than 80,000 Mexican citizens were killed during his reign, over 20,000 disappeared, and 200,000 people were driven from their homes. This is not given any kind of analysis by Hernandez. But clearly the powerful state that she keeps telling us is in bed with the drug traffickers is also clearly taking its orders from Washington.
Hernandez quotes a professor Edgardo Buscaglia at length and it tellingly shields the actual power from any discussion. Buscaglia a senior research scholar in law and economics at Columbia Law School in New York focuses completely on the Mexican state and things they could be doing to address the problem. None of his solutions identify the obvious source of the problem as being the CIA. Instead he focuses on the corruption of the Mexican state and what can be done internally. It’s probably the weakest section of the book.
In summary Hernandez shines a bright light on the body of this monster to our South. We rarely see glimpses of its head or what machinations brought it to life in the first place. But it’s still worth reading if you’re willing to fill in the blanks that Hernandez leaves us with.
November 27, 2014
This is an outstanding, albeit rather depressing look at the state of criminal narcotic trafficking in Mexico and the extraordinary degree of government complicity and corruption that allows it to flourish.
To give a sense of the book, let me just quote from Publishers' Weekly:
This is not an easy book to follow. At times I felt as though I should draw a mind map to show the relationships between both the criminals profiled and their government cronies. So it does take some dedication to work through.
A few key takeaways:
* Former Mexican President Felipe Calderón (who left office in December 2012) was clearly on the take and helped the drug gangs.
* The heads of the major Mexican federal police agencies were also benefitting from their corrupt alliances with the drug gangs even as they went through the motions of taking action against them.
* There is no question that the US government and particularly the DEA were aware of this; there is some potential that political concerns via the CIA and State Department hampered DEA activity against some of the more powerful political figures in Mexico's government.
* Even today, Calderón lectures at Harvard, presumably not about how to be a corrupt leader.
Does any of this change under Mexico's current president, Enrique Peña Nieto? That remains to be seen.
In any case, a must-read. And one which leads to a number of questions, such as:
--Why would anyone travel to Mexico given not only the state of lawlessness but also the complicity of authorities, from local mayors and policemen all the way up to the highest levels of government?
--Why has the US domestic effort to reduce drug use failed so badly, in spite of imprisoning over 500,000[Citation] Americans (as of 2011)?
--And, what should we do about this?
To give a sense of the book, let me just quote from Publishers' Weekly:
"First published in Mexico as Los señores del narco in 2010, this dry translation brings Mexican investigative journalist Hernández's exposé about drug trafficking in Mexico to an English-speaking audience. Five years in the making, it's an in-depth, unforgiving look at the deep-rooted corruption that has allowed the cartels to flourish; they now influence and control vast swaths of the country. Numerous anecdotes and interviews flesh out a decades-long narrative, touching on everything from CIA and DEA involvement, to how the drug lords run their empires from prison, to the way these powerful men live and die.
It's a scathing, sobering report, as Hernández lays the blame not just on the drug cartels, but on all those who exercise everyday power from behind a false halo of legality to make their law of 'silver or lead' a reality. While appendices containing glossaries of acronyms and short bios do much to reduce reader confusion, there's still an immense and exhausting amount of information to absorb. Those willing to slog through the dense bits will find a thought-provoking portrait of the crime and corruption that dominates our southerly neighbor." [PublishersWeekly]
This is not an easy book to follow. At times I felt as though I should draw a mind map to show the relationships between both the criminals profiled and their government cronies. So it does take some dedication to work through.
A few key takeaways:
* Former Mexican President Felipe Calderón (who left office in December 2012) was clearly on the take and helped the drug gangs.
* The heads of the major Mexican federal police agencies were also benefitting from their corrupt alliances with the drug gangs even as they went through the motions of taking action against them.
* There is no question that the US government and particularly the DEA were aware of this; there is some potential that political concerns via the CIA and State Department hampered DEA activity against some of the more powerful political figures in Mexico's government.
* Even today, Calderón lectures at Harvard, presumably not about how to be a corrupt leader.
Does any of this change under Mexico's current president, Enrique Peña Nieto? That remains to be seen.
In any case, a must-read. And one which leads to a number of questions, such as:
--Why would anyone travel to Mexico given not only the state of lawlessness but also the complicity of authorities, from local mayors and policemen all the way up to the highest levels of government?
--Why has the US domestic effort to reduce drug use failed so badly, in spite of imprisoning over 500,000[Citation] Americans (as of 2011)?
--And, what should we do about this?
February 1, 2014
Ya había escuchado acerca de este libro años atrás. Siempre hemos sabido de la corrupción que hay en México, sean en un estado ó en el gobierno federal, pero este libro desnuda esta corrupción. No sé nada de periodismo, y aún así con mi ignarancia en la materia, puedo decir que este libros es un gran trabajo periodístico. La autora saca a la luz hechos que no se habían aclarado hasta el año 2013, dejando ver su credibilidad como periodista.
Tengo que confesar que me sentí deprimido por ver la verdad de mi País, pero le doy gracias a Anabel Hernández que haya escrito este libro. Quisiera que cada mexicano pudiera tener este ejemplar en sus manos, no sólo para que abran los ojos, pero para que comprendan que el amor al dinero y al poder desmedidos tienen un precio muy alto, tan alto que pueden ser pagados por vidas inocentes.
Tengo que confesar que me sentí deprimido por ver la verdad de mi País, pero le doy gracias a Anabel Hernández que haya escrito este libro. Quisiera que cada mexicano pudiera tener este ejemplar en sus manos, no sólo para que abran los ojos, pero para que comprendan que el amor al dinero y al poder desmedidos tienen un precio muy alto, tan alto que pueden ser pagados por vidas inocentes.
January 20, 2015
Truth be told, I couldn't finish this. I was lost in the mass of names, connections and the timeline jumping around. I simply wasn't comprehending any of the information. The most interesting elements about El Chapo I already knew from the fantastic New Yorker article from last year by Patrick Radden Keefe.
I've now purchased El Narco by Joan Grillo in the hope that his book can bring some more clarity to the topic.
I'm sad really, because I really respect Hernández her sacrifice cannot be underestimated.
I've now purchased El Narco by Joan Grillo in the hope that his book can bring some more clarity to the topic.
I'm sad really, because I really respect Hernández her sacrifice cannot be underestimated.
November 20, 2018
An excellent book to understand the narcotraffic in Mexico. It goes from the rise of Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo to the Chapo's capture. It becomes heavy with all the names and characters but it is a wonderful blueprint
January 29, 2023
Brutal. Con muchos datos. Y un montón de nombres conocidos.
September 1, 2017
I had a hard time with this book because it encompassed so much Mexico history and geography and I just don't have that background. I read a few chapters and was like 'okay, ignore the names and the political parties and just concentrate on the high level concept'. But...the high level takeaways are still pretty important, interesting and appalling.
I was going to give it two because I had a hard time following all the people--but I feel like that isn't fair to the author. Why give the book a poor rating because I don't have sufficient knowledge in world events? So I split the diff and gave it three.
I want to read more about Narcos and Mexico/Central America. Next time though, I want to dial in on a book that focuses on a smaller time period and gang.
I was going to give it two because I had a hard time following all the people--but I feel like that isn't fair to the author. Why give the book a poor rating because I don't have sufficient knowledge in world events? So I split the diff and gave it three.
I want to read more about Narcos and Mexico/Central America. Next time though, I want to dial in on a book that focuses on a smaller time period and gang.
May 17, 2015
This is a difficult book for me to review. Purely based on my reading experience I have to give it three stars however for readers more familiar with Mexican politics this will be an instant 5 star book.
The book chronicles the history of the drug cartels in Mexico, how they operate, their working relationships and wars amongst them. More importantly it documents how Mexican society from the politicians to the police and army and business leaders are not only reliant on the drug trade yet are totally complicit in the misery the industry causes. Yes there are high profile leaders of the cartels who are worth hundreds of millions of dollars but what is clear reading this book is that the politicians (even as high as the President) are drug traffickers. Senior military people are drug traffickers. This isn't a case of a few bad apples, it's an entire economy, judiciary and political system totally and utterly corrupt. Mexican readers I suspect will know this already but I think readers will be truly horrified and disgusted about the evil the traffickers represent and how ingrained the corruption is.
The significant players are all documented and their crimes are all researched. No stone is left unturned explaining the horrific violence and torture meted out by the police and traffickers over generations of violence. In six years 80,000 people died as a result of 'a war between cartels' rather than 'a war on drugs'. An entire society kept in a grip of evil. Many may be shocked at how Reagan declared war on drugs in the 80's whilst allowing Mexican drug cartels to flood the US with cocaine as they delivered arms to the Nicaragua contras for him. This really is small fry compared to the collusion in Mexico. Politicians planes are blown up, police work for the drug traffickers (often shooting other police officers either legitimate or working for another cartel), Presidents are paid bribes, senior industry figures launder hundreds of millions of dollars. Cartels kidnap people and murder children and rape women for money.
The book is meticulously researched and referenced with first hand accounts and documentary evidence. Hernandez researches everywhere and obtains sources deeply hidden or whitewashed. Hernandez speaks to the traffickers, journalists and politicians. I don't know much about her but she deserves the highest accolades of journalistic perseverance and integrity. Her life has clearly been in danger writing this book and will be forever more - I can't help but think if just 5% of these allegations happened elsewhere there would be seismic turmoil. The book is perhaps the most 'explosive' I have ever read and deserves a significantly wider readership.
My reasons for knocking a star or two off relate to my experience as a reader. I felt the flow of the book jumped backwards and forwards and I struggled to join up the dots sometimes of who everyone was and what they did and when. My interest in the book stemmed from seeing horrific footage of corpses with messages hanging from bridges and being aware of how dangerous ordinary life became six or seven years ago for Mexicans. I'm sure if I re-read this book it would get 5 stars. There is a full glossary of individuals and their history at the back and explanations of all the various acronyms. I struggled a little with the naming conventions of many of the people. Everyone seemed to have a couple of nicknames and were related to each other. Sometimes the full name was used, other times a nickname and other times part of a name. I also struggled with the geography a little. Perhaps a little is lost in translation. Of course if one is familiar with Mexican recent history, it's geography and naming conventions none of this matters. My criticisms as a reader stem from my knowledge gaps - not Hernandez's ability to fill them. If I re-read this I almost certainly would have a map of Mexico to hand, a bunch of name cards and perhaps draw a relationship map as I read.
Very good book and a must read if you are interested in the subject matter.
The book chronicles the history of the drug cartels in Mexico, how they operate, their working relationships and wars amongst them. More importantly it documents how Mexican society from the politicians to the police and army and business leaders are not only reliant on the drug trade yet are totally complicit in the misery the industry causes. Yes there are high profile leaders of the cartels who are worth hundreds of millions of dollars but what is clear reading this book is that the politicians (even as high as the President) are drug traffickers. Senior military people are drug traffickers. This isn't a case of a few bad apples, it's an entire economy, judiciary and political system totally and utterly corrupt. Mexican readers I suspect will know this already but I think readers will be truly horrified and disgusted about the evil the traffickers represent and how ingrained the corruption is.
The significant players are all documented and their crimes are all researched. No stone is left unturned explaining the horrific violence and torture meted out by the police and traffickers over generations of violence. In six years 80,000 people died as a result of 'a war between cartels' rather than 'a war on drugs'. An entire society kept in a grip of evil. Many may be shocked at how Reagan declared war on drugs in the 80's whilst allowing Mexican drug cartels to flood the US with cocaine as they delivered arms to the Nicaragua contras for him. This really is small fry compared to the collusion in Mexico. Politicians planes are blown up, police work for the drug traffickers (often shooting other police officers either legitimate or working for another cartel), Presidents are paid bribes, senior industry figures launder hundreds of millions of dollars. Cartels kidnap people and murder children and rape women for money.
The book is meticulously researched and referenced with first hand accounts and documentary evidence. Hernandez researches everywhere and obtains sources deeply hidden or whitewashed. Hernandez speaks to the traffickers, journalists and politicians. I don't know much about her but she deserves the highest accolades of journalistic perseverance and integrity. Her life has clearly been in danger writing this book and will be forever more - I can't help but think if just 5% of these allegations happened elsewhere there would be seismic turmoil. The book is perhaps the most 'explosive' I have ever read and deserves a significantly wider readership.
My reasons for knocking a star or two off relate to my experience as a reader. I felt the flow of the book jumped backwards and forwards and I struggled to join up the dots sometimes of who everyone was and what they did and when. My interest in the book stemmed from seeing horrific footage of corpses with messages hanging from bridges and being aware of how dangerous ordinary life became six or seven years ago for Mexicans. I'm sure if I re-read this book it would get 5 stars. There is a full glossary of individuals and their history at the back and explanations of all the various acronyms. I struggled a little with the naming conventions of many of the people. Everyone seemed to have a couple of nicknames and were related to each other. Sometimes the full name was used, other times a nickname and other times part of a name. I also struggled with the geography a little. Perhaps a little is lost in translation. Of course if one is familiar with Mexican recent history, it's geography and naming conventions none of this matters. My criticisms as a reader stem from my knowledge gaps - not Hernandez's ability to fill them. If I re-read this I almost certainly would have a map of Mexico to hand, a bunch of name cards and perhaps draw a relationship map as I read.
Very good book and a must read if you are interested in the subject matter.
June 22, 2015
3.5
La mayoría de las veces leo como un escape de la realidad, otras como entretenimiento, viajar a mundos y lugares a los que solamente puedo viajar a través de un libro, pero hay ocasiones en las que se tiene que leer para saber qué está pasando en el mundo real y aunque sea una apertura de ojos con una caída llena de decepción, enojo y frustración, es importante estar informados.
La mayoría de las veces leo como un escape de la realidad, otras como entretenimiento, viajar a mundos y lugares a los que solamente puedo viajar a través de un libro, pero hay ocasiones en las que se tiene que leer para saber qué está pasando en el mundo real y aunque sea una apertura de ojos con una caída llena de decepción, enojo y frustración, es importante estar informados.
March 27, 2016
I get the feeling that a lot of the character of the prose was lost in translation. This caused the book at times to read like a phone book.
September 3, 2025
Wow so many thoughts and also kind of amazing to see how this read has coincided with El Mayo’s confessions in the U.S.?
Anyway, I highly recommend but also stress that this probably won’t be a book for everyone. Narcoland (Los Señores del narco) made an explosive debut when it came out a decade prior in México, and rightly so; it’s a deeply documented and thorough account of the history of narcotrafficking in México from the 70s to the 2010s, and for the majority of its claims Hernandez has receipts. It lays out explicitly the corruption multiple Mexican presidents, their administrations, police officers, and the U.S. government displayed and how their actions encouraged and propelled the drug trade that continues to claim so many lives today. In a country like México where so many journalists are killed or bought to keep quiet, the publication of this book alone — with every single date and name dropped — is not only a triumph, but an extreme act of courage.
As a journalist myself, and as a U.S. citizen living in Mexico, I may be biased. The amount of detail Hernandez has in this book with proper sourcing is astounding on its own. She even manages to get a letter from El Barbie in jail, and interviewed one of the Morelos governors who supported so much of the older generation of drug dealers and was friends with El Chapo. She has read scholars from the U.S., cited international reports, and combs through numerous Mexican newspapers and court cases to write narrative accounts. But while impressive to me, I get a non-journalist may not appreciate this alone. And of course the book dragged on in parts due to the high level of detail — and I’m still unsure how I feel about that, because sometimes as a reader I wish details were edited down, but probably as a Mexican I’d likely want that level of precision to support these claims — I’d argue there were several times throughout the book where details saved the text. A juicy nugget here or there — say a vivid description of a narco’s face, the bouquet El Chapo sent to court the prison’s lunch lady, the exact amount owed for a prison employee’s son’s operation — those tidbits help the reader float entertained amid the weight of facts. The strongest sections were of El Chapo’s rise and his stay in El Puente Grande and the end. The writing, and also the English translation, was so poetic and fast-paced during these sections I felt I was reading a Netflix series script. (To those who want to try reading, apparently watching the Narcos México series helped when discussing the power of El Güero.)
At the same time, I understand that this level of detail bogs down non-Mexican readers who are not as familiar with the acronyms for government agencies. Similarly, the multiple names used to refer to the same person tripped me up often. There was times when this dragged for me, too, and I was definitely very mixed-up. The story also jumps back forth in time which other readers found hard to follow; for me, I didn’t mind, as I felt it aided the tensions of the vignettes by using suspense and foreshadowing. Still, I get why overall the text might have been easier to understand if structured chronologically.
Overall, I’m so glad I read this. I didn’t know about the history of narcotraffickers before and I think Narcoland gave me a different context for understanding the theme in Mexico, especially right now, when many Mexicans and U.S. citizens are advocating for controversial means to end the trade through U.S. involvement.
To me, Narcoland is one of those eye-opening pieces of journalism that reveals and changes your perspective of history and government. Hernandez succeeds at this by repeatedly calling out the blatant corruption and consequences throughout; it so easily could’ve been a book that stuck to facts and avoided narratives or vignettes (and probably would’ve come out WAY more boring) or that shied away from its arguments and accusations. Narcoland thus is the pinnacle of journalism, where its facts was clearly presented in ways to service Hernandez’s people — Mexicans.
Hope I can learn more and retain a lot of this information as more insight into the narco world comes out!
Anyway, I highly recommend but also stress that this probably won’t be a book for everyone. Narcoland (Los Señores del narco) made an explosive debut when it came out a decade prior in México, and rightly so; it’s a deeply documented and thorough account of the history of narcotrafficking in México from the 70s to the 2010s, and for the majority of its claims Hernandez has receipts. It lays out explicitly the corruption multiple Mexican presidents, their administrations, police officers, and the U.S. government displayed and how their actions encouraged and propelled the drug trade that continues to claim so many lives today. In a country like México where so many journalists are killed or bought to keep quiet, the publication of this book alone — with every single date and name dropped — is not only a triumph, but an extreme act of courage.
As a journalist myself, and as a U.S. citizen living in Mexico, I may be biased. The amount of detail Hernandez has in this book with proper sourcing is astounding on its own. She even manages to get a letter from El Barbie in jail, and interviewed one of the Morelos governors who supported so much of the older generation of drug dealers and was friends with El Chapo. She has read scholars from the U.S., cited international reports, and combs through numerous Mexican newspapers and court cases to write narrative accounts. But while impressive to me, I get a non-journalist may not appreciate this alone. And of course the book dragged on in parts due to the high level of detail — and I’m still unsure how I feel about that, because sometimes as a reader I wish details were edited down, but probably as a Mexican I’d likely want that level of precision to support these claims — I’d argue there were several times throughout the book where details saved the text. A juicy nugget here or there — say a vivid description of a narco’s face, the bouquet El Chapo sent to court the prison’s lunch lady, the exact amount owed for a prison employee’s son’s operation — those tidbits help the reader float entertained amid the weight of facts. The strongest sections were of El Chapo’s rise and his stay in El Puente Grande and the end. The writing, and also the English translation, was so poetic and fast-paced during these sections I felt I was reading a Netflix series script. (To those who want to try reading, apparently watching the Narcos México series helped when discussing the power of El Güero.)
At the same time, I understand that this level of detail bogs down non-Mexican readers who are not as familiar with the acronyms for government agencies. Similarly, the multiple names used to refer to the same person tripped me up often. There was times when this dragged for me, too, and I was definitely very mixed-up. The story also jumps back forth in time which other readers found hard to follow; for me, I didn’t mind, as I felt it aided the tensions of the vignettes by using suspense and foreshadowing. Still, I get why overall the text might have been easier to understand if structured chronologically.
Overall, I’m so glad I read this. I didn’t know about the history of narcotraffickers before and I think Narcoland gave me a different context for understanding the theme in Mexico, especially right now, when many Mexicans and U.S. citizens are advocating for controversial means to end the trade through U.S. involvement.
To me, Narcoland is one of those eye-opening pieces of journalism that reveals and changes your perspective of history and government. Hernandez succeeds at this by repeatedly calling out the blatant corruption and consequences throughout; it so easily could’ve been a book that stuck to facts and avoided narratives or vignettes (and probably would’ve come out WAY more boring) or that shied away from its arguments and accusations. Narcoland thus is the pinnacle of journalism, where its facts was clearly presented in ways to service Hernandez’s people — Mexicans.
Hope I can learn more and retain a lot of this information as more insight into the narco world comes out!
August 5, 2021
Aterrador. No obstante, debería ser lectura obligatoria.
September 5, 2017
"The Gringos build you up, and the Gringos knock you down". This is the wisdom that pervades Anabel Hernandez's courageous and brilliantly written investigation. "Narcoland" reads like a potboiling thriller, compulsively requiring page turns and 'just one more chapter'. However, this is no fictional account of organised crime. This is a basic expose of the reach of the Narcotraffickers of the "Mexican trampoline", and an account of how drug kingpins went from the like of Escobar, to El Chapo.
El Chapo was arrested in 1993, and he made an unforced and candid confession. Although the Mexican State denies the existence of this report, Hernandez has her hands on it, and produces it in full in her final chapter. The rest of the book sets about confirming the facticity of El Chapo's claims in his confession. We are apprised of how a gang of traffickers including the infamous Amada Carillo Fuentes and the Arellano Felix brothers came together to form the Sinaloa cartel, once the Mexican State had helped El Chapo escape from prison, and helped to cover up their part in assisting in his escape.
The Sinaloa cartel was so interlinked with the Mexican State, that they were able to instigate wars with neighbouring cartels that were fought for the traffickers by Mexican State Police. This is how former presidents ended up renting houses to the wives of narcotraffickers, how so many ended up fantastically rich, and how the narco-state was born.
The narco-state was built up by the Gringos. The CIA was keen to ensure that Iran-Contra could be funded, and so long as narcotraffickers donated money to the Contras, they turned a blind eye. As the violence escalated, peaceful parts of Mexico became grisly museums of death, with mutilated bodies hanging at every turn. This book shows how the nature of capitalism is such as to corrupt the State and to place the risks of this corruption firmly upon the innocent. Ultimately, it is the States that knock them down. Believing that it is easier to deal with a centralised force, the US supported the consolidation of power to the Sinaloa cartel. In return, many traffickers faked their own death and kept their ill-gotten gains.
Ultimately, the books ends with the revelation that El Chapo's power is probably not his. He is a violent, charismatic man with ruthless intelligence. He combines the earthy loyalties that Escobar could command, with a savage intelligence and support from the true power of Sinaloa - El Mayo Zambada. It is this that leads DEA agents to believe that El Chapo's second capture was negotiated and choreographed, in turn with (most likely) a deal to ensure early release for El Chapo. For there is nothing that the womanising narco hates more than being locked in a prison.
Read this book, it will open your eyes to the actual, real world consequences of the War on Drugs, and how it is prosecuted for the enrichment of the "respectable" members of the political establishment in both supply and demand countries.
El Chapo was arrested in 1993, and he made an unforced and candid confession. Although the Mexican State denies the existence of this report, Hernandez has her hands on it, and produces it in full in her final chapter. The rest of the book sets about confirming the facticity of El Chapo's claims in his confession. We are apprised of how a gang of traffickers including the infamous Amada Carillo Fuentes and the Arellano Felix brothers came together to form the Sinaloa cartel, once the Mexican State had helped El Chapo escape from prison, and helped to cover up their part in assisting in his escape.
The Sinaloa cartel was so interlinked with the Mexican State, that they were able to instigate wars with neighbouring cartels that were fought for the traffickers by Mexican State Police. This is how former presidents ended up renting houses to the wives of narcotraffickers, how so many ended up fantastically rich, and how the narco-state was born.
The narco-state was built up by the Gringos. The CIA was keen to ensure that Iran-Contra could be funded, and so long as narcotraffickers donated money to the Contras, they turned a blind eye. As the violence escalated, peaceful parts of Mexico became grisly museums of death, with mutilated bodies hanging at every turn. This book shows how the nature of capitalism is such as to corrupt the State and to place the risks of this corruption firmly upon the innocent. Ultimately, it is the States that knock them down. Believing that it is easier to deal with a centralised force, the US supported the consolidation of power to the Sinaloa cartel. In return, many traffickers faked their own death and kept their ill-gotten gains.
Ultimately, the books ends with the revelation that El Chapo's power is probably not his. He is a violent, charismatic man with ruthless intelligence. He combines the earthy loyalties that Escobar could command, with a savage intelligence and support from the true power of Sinaloa - El Mayo Zambada. It is this that leads DEA agents to believe that El Chapo's second capture was negotiated and choreographed, in turn with (most likely) a deal to ensure early release for El Chapo. For there is nothing that the womanising narco hates more than being locked in a prison.
Read this book, it will open your eyes to the actual, real world consequences of the War on Drugs, and how it is prosecuted for the enrichment of the "respectable" members of the political establishment in both supply and demand countries.
May 4, 2017
La lectura de este libro es un must para entender claramente cómo surgió el narcotráfico en México, pues lo presenta como el problema que realmente es: multidimensional. Es un trabajo periodístico interesante, que narra cómo surgieron los principales cárteles mexicanos, El Chapo y Los Zetas. Quizá lo más impresionante es cómo Anabel Hernández expone la red de corrupción que imperó en el sexenio de Fox y Calderón, si bien las redes del narcotráfico llevan más de cuatro décadas infiltrados en el gobierno mexicano. Como lector, uno no puedo más que quedarse helado ante las complicidades, las omisiones y la tácitca aprobación de funcionarios públicos que protegieron a uno u otro bando y que crearon a un monstruo fuera de control. También resulta apabullante lo siniestro de un personaje como Genaro García Luna, cuya colusioón ha sido más que probada y nunca fue castigado. Sin embargo, sobre este personaje cabe destacar que hubo momentos en que parecía que la periodista estuviera emitiendo una crítica más bien subjetiva, personal, contra García Luna -cuestión que no era necesaria, toda vez que la evidencia reunida resultaba más que suficiente. Por otra parte, si bien es un trabajo completo, en lo personal me hubiera gustado que también explorara un poco más la psicología de personajes como El Chapo y El señor de los Cielos. Hay referencias, documentadas por las evaluaciones que hubo de psicológos, pero hubiera sido interesante que también se abordara el contexto de dónde surgieron estos capos. Ya lo sabemos, pero hubiera sido interesante conocer la perspectiva de Hernández al respecto.
October 19, 2014
This remarkable book almost reads like the reporter's notebooks on which it is presumably based. At first the disjointed story, which jumps from the present day, to the 1990s, and back again, is confusing and disconcerting. Gradually, though, the forensic detail becomes fascinating and draws you in, as you learn more and more about how 'El Chapo' Guzman built his drugs empire and, even more importantly, how he built and maintained his corrupt links to government so that his position was strengthened and protected. Central to this achievement was Garcia Luna, the Mexican police chief, who is shown to have been aware in advance of El Chapo's planned escape from prison and to have helped him hunt down and eliminate his enemies in other cartels. Not surprisingly, it is Garcia Luna who is believed to be behind the threats to the author's life, including the incident in which armed men surrounded her and her family in a restaurant and warned her to desist from her writing.
Anabel Hernandez has dedicated her life to exposing the corruption in Mexico, let's hope she doesn't have to sacrifice it.
Anabel Hernandez has dedicated her life to exposing the corruption in Mexico, let's hope she doesn't have to sacrifice it.
December 11, 2018
Excelente labor periodistica de Anabel Hernandez. Sin duda alguna uno de los mejores libros que podamos encontrar donde se pone al descubierto todo el Sistema de narcotrafico y corrupcion complementando diferentes angulos, desde el sector privado, publico, y de los capos. Anabel en todo momento se mostro una periodista neutral, exponiendo los temas con evidencia. Absolutamente todos los capitulos y sub capitulos son interesantes, e incluso se relacionan entre si. Despues de leer este libro tengo otra vision del narcotrafico, en donde envuelve no solo a los funcionarios publicos, pero Tambien importantes personajes del sector privado (empresarios), los cuales ayudan a tejer esta gran red de corrupcion. Me quedo con una frase muy cierta de la carta que Edgar Valdez "La Barbie" envia a la periodista…"...yo pude haber hecho lo que haya hecho pero ellos, los funcionarios publicos que menciono, Tambien son parte de la estructura criminal de este pais". En que tipo de pais vivimos en el cual el propio gobierno es socio de los narcotraficantes, incluso se vende al mejor postor?
Vale la pena leer y analizar esta gran obra periodistica. Ampliamente lo recomiendo!
Vale la pena leer y analizar esta gran obra periodistica. Ampliamente lo recomiendo!
September 17, 2015
En este segundo tomo de un libro indispensable para entender la "guerra" del gobierno mexicano en contra del narcotráfico, Anabel Hernández describe las operaciones del cartel del Golfo (y su infiltración y colusión con las autoridades y los empresarios mexicanos) y el nacimiento de los Zetas. La descripción de los métodos de los rivales del Chapo Guzmán (a los que presuntamente ataca preferencialmente el gobierno mexicano, en colusión con el cartel del Sinaloa) es descarnada, pero, inclusive cientos de páginas de crueldad sanguinaria, apenas logran prepararnos para los últimos capítulos del libro, en los cuales la autora se enfoca en las actividades de lavado de dinero en las que colaboran empresarios establecidos y narcos que buscan "legalizar" sus ganancias y la corrupción de las agencias de seguridad pública (en particular, aquéllas encabezadas por Genaro García Luna). Aunque los hechos relatados en "Los señores del narco" pueden parecer desalentadores, pero a veces mirar de frente a un problema es la única manera de empezar a encontrar una solución.
March 2, 2017
Para aquellos que gustan debatir de política profunda más allá de "quiten al presidente en el poder" y argumentos por de más "chairos", está es una lectura obligada. Un extenso, agobiante y bien sustentado trabajo periodístico que evidencia a "los otros señores del narco: militares, diputados, senadores, empresarios, policías, políticos y una gran lista de participantes con diversos niveles de poder que llevan a la obvia, pero esta vez más que fundamentada, conclusión: el sistema político mexicano está podrido desde sus entrañas y desde hace ya muchos sexenios atrás.
Mi conclusión: el problema no radica fundamentalmente en el presidente en el poder, sino en las mafias conjuntas que mantienen negocios millonarios y milenarios que dictan a diario cuál será la suerte del resto de los mexicanos promedio: los jodidos, mal documentados y fácilmente manipulables que somos la gran mayoría.
Mi conclusión: el problema no radica fundamentalmente en el presidente en el poder, sino en las mafias conjuntas que mantienen negocios millonarios y milenarios que dictan a diario cuál será la suerte del resto de los mexicanos promedio: los jodidos, mal documentados y fácilmente manipulables que somos la gran mayoría.
February 8, 2016
Tenía muchas ganas de leer este libro porque me apasiona el tema del narcotráfico en general y el de la guerra al narco en México en particular.
No puedo dejar de hallarme un poco decepcionado con este libro, me ha parecido que los primeros capítulos dibujaban una buena panorámica de las causas y orígenes del conflicto actual, pero más adelante la narración se vuelve confusa, compleja. La autora maneja muchos datos, y muy buenos, pero falla a la hora de reflejar su conocimiento; pronto nos hallamos ante una marea de nombres y cargos, que bailan en una cronología igualmente desordenada.
No puedo dejar de hallarme un poco decepcionado con este libro, me ha parecido que los primeros capítulos dibujaban una buena panorámica de las causas y orígenes del conflicto actual, pero más adelante la narración se vuelve confusa, compleja. La autora maneja muchos datos, y muy buenos, pero falla a la hora de reflejar su conocimiento; pronto nos hallamos ante una marea de nombres y cargos, que bailan en una cronología igualmente desordenada.
January 3, 2020
Gran libro documental. Explica de manera muy simple pero muy completa, la compleja maraña de situaciones que han llevado al país a su situación actual. Increíble el nivel de detalle y la valentía de sostener, con nombre y apellido, una acusación periodística, sobre los verdaderos señores el narcotráfico.
July 24, 2016
Expansive and incisive, Narcoland is equal parts infuriating and heart-breaking as it chronicles the tragic greed and corruption that resulted in the criminalization of Mexico, much of which can be traced back to us, stemming from the U. S. Iran-Contra debacle.
May 7, 2016
Es muy interesante pero está escrito de manera confusa, dando saltos delante y atrás, exceso de nombres, rtc. Una pena. Lo dejé a la mitad
July 28, 2017
Buenísimo! un libro que todos los mexicanos debemos leer! Anabel es mi heroína!
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