The life of the Mexican drug mafia on Facebook
Guns, money, coke and smiles - one day in the life of a Mexican drug cartel. All the photos that you will find in this issue appeared on Facebook, both on the official pages of the drug cartels and on the personal profiles of its members…
Judging by the photographs of weapons, drugs, money and strange self-portraits, these guys (and girls) have a pretty busy and varied life. Where is the world heading when even drug dealers can flaunt themselves?
(Total 17 photos)
1. These photos are regularly deleted by the Facebook network administration, but they appear again and again on other accounts.
2. Analysts believe drug cartels have begun using social media to create a more positive image of themselves.
3. They “advertise” their activities, hold public relations events and practically become their own media company.
4. Analysts also agree that these social media photos are helping the cartels recruit new forces from outside.
5. At the same time, they try to show their bright side, trying to tell the world that they are not as bad as the authorities say.
6. A video showing members of one of the cartels bringing food, water and other humanitarian aid to Mexicans affected by Hurricane Ingrid has garnered 500,000 views.
7. The August speech of the leader of the cartel "Knights Templar" nicknamed "La Tuta" has collected a million views on YouTube. By comparison, the video of a speech by Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has received less than 16,000 views. So who is the national hero?
8. An already banned Facebook page owned by Caballeros Meplarios garnered 10,000 likes before being taken down.
9. Instead, a profile of a certain Broly later appeared - a comely cartel member with an insatiable appetite for self-portraits.
10. Broly loves to pose with guns and wads of cash. He is not even a stranger to duckfaces.
11. Among other things, cartels use archival photographs that show their life as more "dramatic".
12. As a result, the archives turned out to be photographs of weapons, people in masks, snipers with rifles and other members of the drug mafia.
13. Photographs of trained cartel fighters are used for intimidation.
14. Many analysts argue that despite all this "popularity", it will also destroy the mafiosi.
15. In an instant, the technology that until then helped the cartels to declare themselves to the world can become their weak point.
16. And this will happen in Mexico first of all, if the government finds a new way and laws to counter the drug cartels in cyberspace.
17. In the meantime, the lifestyle of the Mexican drug cartels is on display for everyone to see.
Keywords: Facebook | Mafia | Mexico | Drug mafia | Social networks