The documentary Drug Lord: the Legend of Shorty spotlights a serious problem that the US continues to grapple with. This documentary presents the drug trade and the various policies that the US has adopted to tackle this problem. In particular, it shows how the US has failed to rid Mexico of its numerous drug cartels and how every year, huge amounts of illicit substances make their way into the US. While the documentary is still interesting even when taken at face value, deeper insights can be gained by placing the documentary in its proper context. It is particularly important to examine the documentary within the contexts of the US war on drugs, how the media glorifies the drug trade and the life of El Chapo. These three contextual frames help to narrow down the discussion as well as to critically dissect Drug Lord: the Legend of Shorty.
The War on Drugs
As noted above, the US war on drugs is among the tools that help to frame the documentary. In a bid to protect its population against the hazard of substance and drug abuse, the US launched the war on drugs. This effort has been described by many as highly ineffective. For example, according to Kellner and Pipitone (2010), the war on drugs has done little to limit the influence and activities of drug gangs, most of which operate in Mexico. In fact, Kellner and Pipitone hold that instead of tackling drug trade, this war has actually fueled its rise. The drug trade is a bigger problem today than it was at the time of its launch. Drug Lord: the Legend of Shorty addresses how the law enforcement authorities in Mexico and the US are struggling to contain the drug problem. This documentary makes it clear that thanks to the war on drugs, Mexico has been reduced to a war-ravaged country that has fallen into the hands of drug cartels. Essentially, the US and Mexico authorities have set the conditions that have allowed such individuals as El Chapo, the prime subject of the documentary to thrive.
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An even clearer understanding of the documentary can be gained through a look at the instability and other crises that have resulted from the hugely unsuccessful war on drugs. As a result of this war, Mexico’s law enforcement has become heavily militarized (Mercille, 2014). Scenes of heavily armed police officers and military personnel raiding communities in Mexico are rather common. These scenes help to explain the rise of El Chapo. When communities are terrorized by the very government from which they expect protection, it should not be surprising if they turn to such drug lords as El Chapo. In the documentary, El Chapo is presented as a hugely popular individual who commands immense respect and tremendous admiration. His star-status can be linked directly to the costly, ineffective and brutal war on drugs.
Another element of the war on drugs that helps to expound the documentary is the immense focus placed on physical violence. As the documentary makes clear, the law enforcement agencies responding to the drug problem seem to prefer heavy handed and needlessly violent techniques. They knock down walls and deploy elite forces. Due to this approach, the drug problem has spilled beyond Mexico’s borders. The US and South American countries have been dragged into the crisis (Thiago, 2012). Basically, the war on drugs has become a global problem. In addition to addicts, this war has also impacted communities, nations and the entire global fraternity. It is therefore little wonder that the documentary draws on the perspectives and experiences of various parties to highlight the massive scale of the drug trafficking challenge.
Glorification of the Drug Trade in Media
How the media compounds the problem of drug trafficking is another frame through which the documentary can be viewed. Instead of focusing their attention on concrete and substantial issues, the producers of the documentary gave much focus to spectacle and drama. For example, the documentary glamorizes El Chapo, focusing on his immense wealth and seems to endorse the violent techniques that he employed. It is unfortunate that this documentary is simply a representation of the tendency by the media to glorify and sanitize vices. It has been observed that media portrayals of drug abuse and trafficking are positive (Haines-Saah et al., 2014). As a result of these depictions, these vices are becoming more socially acceptable and even regarded with envy. Basically, the media has become a tool that allows drug traffickers to spread propaganda and build a positive brand (Guevara, 2013). The documentary is a manifestation of the complicity of the media in promoting drug trafficking, thereby placing the health and lives of thousands in grave danger.
The rise of narco cinema is one of the issues that underscore the glorification of drug trafficking in the media and how this is a useful context for understanding Drug Lord: the Legend of Shorty. It has been noted with concern that more and more documentaries and films which glamorize drug trafficking are being produced (Reyes-Vega & Brena, 2014). For example, there are numerous documentaries available on such platforms as Netflix and YouTube. Instead of being objective in their depiction of drug trafficking, these media tend to present this problem in positive light. In fact, some of the documentaries and films feature popular actors and actresses who help them to gain greater acceptance and larger audiences (MacLaird, 2013). There is no question that the media is not a reliable ally in the war on drugs.
El Chapo
As already stated, El Chapo is the primary focus of the documentary. His life and exploits offer another vital context for examining the documentary. Outside Mexico, El Chapo is largely regarded as a villainous individual who led one of the most brutal regimes in Mexico. He is blamed for hundreds of deaths and unimaginable anguish that the people of Mexico continue to grapple with. To understand El Chapo and the documentary, one needs to place his activities within the broader context of drug trafficking, violence and the war on drugs. As the documentary makes clear, El Chapo is just one of numerous other drug lords who have ravaged Mexico. Additionally, he was the subject of a manhunt that eventually led to his capture and conviction by a US court. However, even now that he is in prison, the drug problem is far from solved (Taylor, 2018). The stubbornness of this problem shows that there are some deeper underlying issues that must be addressed if this problem is to be eliminated.
In closing, there is no doubt that drug trafficking is still one of the most pressing issues that the US faces today. This problem has persisted despite the tremendous effort that the US has committed. In partnership with the authorities in Mexico, the US continues to pursue drug traffickers. However, as Drug Lord: the Legend of Shorty makes clear, this effort has largely been ineffective. The war on drugs, El Chapo and the role of the media are among the frames that help to contextualize the documentary. Thanks to these contexts, it is clear that drug trafficking is a serious challenge that demands complex and more concerted effort.
References
Guevara, A. Y. (2013). Propaganda in Mexico’s drug war. Journal of Strategic Security, 6(3), 131-51.
Kellner, T., & Pipitone, F. (2010). Inside Mexico’s drug war. World Policy Journal, 27(1), 29.37.
MacLaird, M. (2013). Documentaries and celebrities, democracy and impunity: thawing the revolution in twenty-first-century Mexico. Social Identities, 19, 468-84.
Mercille, J. (2014). The media-entertainment industry and the “war on drugs” in Mexico. Latin American Perspectives, 41 (2), 110-129.
Haines-Saah, R. J., Johnson, J. L., Repta, R., Ostry, A., Young, M. L., Shoveller, J., Sawatzky, R., Greaves, L., & Ratner, P. A. (2014). The privileged normalization of marijuana use – an analysis of Canadian newspaper reporting, 1997–2007. Critical Public Health, 24 (1), 47-61.
Reyes-Vega, H. A., & Brena, M. O. (2014). Biopolitics and disposable bodies: a critical reading of Almazan’s “entre perros”. Latin American Perspectives, 41 (2), 189-201.
Taylor, A. (2018). ‘El Chapo’ is contained. The drug war is not. The Washington Post. Retrieved October 5, 2019 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/07/18/el-chapo-is-contained-drug-war-is-not/
Thiago, R. (2012). Drug-trafficking and militarization in the Americas: the addiction to war. Contexto Internacional, 34 (1), 9-41.
