On Tuesday, Doug talks with journalist Ioan Grillo about the rise of the Mexican drug cartels. The cartels--fueled largely by guns smuggled from America, and by our hunger for drugs--have grown so powerful they arguably trump the country's government for supremacy in Northern Mexico. And their virulent and ruthless violence increasingly reaches north of the border. In El Narco, Grillo draws a sweeping portrait of Mexico's drug war, America's liability in it and what might be done to fix things.
Check out some classic "narcocorridos," Mexican songs about narco culture that evolved out of the popular norteno folk corrido tradition.
"Jefe de Jefes" by Los Tigres del Norte. Ioan Grillo says the song is one of the most famous narcocorridos of all time.
"118 Balasos" by Valentin Elizalde.
"El Papa de Los Pollitos" by Los Tuacanes de Tijuana.
Books and music from today's RadioWest:
