The trial of Joaquín Guzmán is feeding into our animalistic tendency to seek novelty and excitement. Economics would support this position, given that the high demand for trial information requires news outlets to supply these articles for viewers. Unfortunately, additional time and energy is focused on circulating fear about drug dealers and violence spilling over from Mexico while systemic social issues continue to persist unconsciously.
Politicians use Guzmán as the poster child for increased border security, while downplaying the real crisis in Mexico. The State of Emergency declared by Trump’s Administration is garnering support when Americans frequently hear about Mexican drug cartels being caught and prosecuted. Limited exposure to Latinx members will lead some Americans to use these news stories as a generalization of what Mexico is contributing to the world: drugs, violence and human trafficking.
American viewers are more interested in seeing articles that reinforce their perceptions and fears instead of reading about strategies to help Mexico rehabilitate. The War on Drugs is now shifting our perception towards Mexico, since it has already incarcerated 1,394,514 people according to Drug Policy Alliance.
While some Americans will accept decriminalization of non-violent offenders, our news outlets have continued to disproportionally portray African and Latinx people as criminals deserving of punishment.
Through this lens, why should Americans care about kids who are forced into human trafficking, the women coerced into sex slavery or how drugs are smuggled to Canada before reaching America?
We are distracted from the root cause of drug use in Mexico: instability. Limited employment opportunities motivate some to turn towards drug dealing for survival. A sense of community and security is reinforced by the drug dealers, who believe the government has failed to provide them with jobs or security. However, why should American viewers care about the positionality of others less fortunate?
Our fear of drugs and violent crime is perpetuated when accounts of Guzmán’s siblings are also related to criminal activity. As the media portrays the Mexican drug lord and former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, he becomes a symbol of recklessness and instability crossing over the southern border.
We forget that the majority of the drugs and human smuggling occurs at the Canadian border. This phenomenon was recorded in a New Hampshire Public Radio article: “‘The number of illegal alien apprehensions at the Vermont-Canada border has skyrocketed,’ said Christina Nolan, Vermont’s United States attorney, whose office oversees the prosecution of people caught at the Vermont border.”
The obscurity of El Chapo’s case feeds into our imagination of instability being brought into our country and undermines our legal system. Although it is easy to follow trends and accept the main headlines as informative stories, we must consider both the conditions within Mexico which promote immigration to the United States, and how funding the southern wall will not stop drugs or families from crossing our borders.