Excerpts

Post-Revolution Promises and State Failure:

"Working class communities often overlapped with indigenous ones, creating a labor funnel into Mexico’s most physically taxing and low paying industries. This leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of workers, who likely feel betrayed by their own government. Newer policies have tried to ameliorate this issue by taking ownership of these industries back to Mexico, but the damage is still ongoing as job and educational opportunities remain scarce for rural, poor communities. This leaves a gap to be filled, which is readily addressed by local narcos who have left their sleepy villages in pursuit of riches elsewhere."

Odes to El Narco: Cultural Expressions of Fealty

"This new reality has inspired a culture that has formed around the Narco-state and an identity shift for those familiar or entrenched in the industry. For Mexicans, music is one of the most prominent forms of cultural expression. The genre of narcocorridos centers on both the struggles and rewards of Narco-culture, drawing the fascination of regular people and the approval of Narco themselves. Corridos themselves found their rise in prominence during the revolution, where the lyrics conveyed information about the war while supporting revolutionaries in their fight against the state."