The Dark Side of Social Media: The Case of the Mexican Drug War
The Mexican Drug War is one of the most brutal conflicts in the world between the Mexican government and cartels. From the beginning, the Mexican Cartels have used propaganda in the form of narcomantras, or banners used to threaten their rivals, and narcocorridos, or drug ballads.
In this investigative report, Nilda Garcia describes how the rise of social media has been of strategic value to the Mexican Cartels, allowing them to disseminate intimidating messages to the public and authorities on a far wider scale than they ever had before, and to broadcast warnings and threats to rivals and potential rivals. Visuals on cartel accounts range from love letters to decapitated bodies to gruesome videos of beheadings and torture. The Mexican Cartels also send threatening messages directly to government authorities and civilians alike, using encrypted systems like WhatsApp and Facebook messenger.
Ultimately, social media platforms provide a toolbox for the Mexican cartels to enhance their legitimacy and attract new recruits.
Learn more details by downloading this report.
Authors:
Nilda M. Garcia