Drug Cartels Do Not Exist: Narcotrafficking in US and Mexican Culture is a 2022 non-fiction book by Oswaldo Zavala. The book rejects the common designation of criminal enterprises involved in the Mexican narcotics trade as "cartels".
 | |
| Author | Oswaldo Zavala |
|---|---|
| Original title | Los cárteles no existen. Narcotráfico y cultura en México |
| Translator | William Savinar |
| Subjects | Mexican drug war, Military–industrial complex |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Vanderbilt University Press |
Publication date | May 15 2022 |
| Pages | 193 |
| ISBN | 978-0826504678 |
Publication
editThe book was written by Oswaldo Zavala, a Mexican journalist and a professor of Latin American Literature and Culture at the City University of New York.[1][2] It was first published by Malpaso in 2018 as Los cárteles no existen. Narcotráfico y cultura en México.[3] William Savinar's English translation was published in 2022 by Vanderbilt University Press.[4]
Synopsis
editIn the book, Zavala claims that enterprises in the Mexican narcotics trade have been incorrectly labeled as cartels in order to cast them as threatening the power of the state. He identifies the origin of this erroneous usage, now ubiquitous in journalism, literature, and academia, with US and Mexican authorities seeking to justify military intervention. He argues that these organizations do not meet the definition of a cartel, as they compete against each other on the market rather than colluding, and are neither strictly organized nor significantly individually powerful.[4][5]
Critical reception
editOsiris Aníbal Gómez of the University of Minnesota described the book as "a defiant investigation", "a rigorous research effort" and "an act of hope."[4]
References
edit- ^ "Mexican fiction turns drug kingpins into vicious vampires". CBC Radio. 5 June 2023.
- ^ Loudis, Jessica (2019-04-22). "In Mexico, 'The Cartels Do Not Exist': A Q&A With Oswaldo Zavala". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ "Oswaldo Zavala | | College of Staten Island Website". www.csi.cuny.edu. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ a b c ANÍBAL GÓMEZ, O. Drug Cartels Do Not Exist. Narco-Trafficking and Culture in the US and Mexico. Chasqui (01458973), [s. l.], v. 51, n. 2, p. R29–R31, 2022. Disponível em: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=159559885&site=eds-live&scope=site . Acesso em: 6 jun. 2023.
- ^ Correa-Cabrera, Guadalupe (17 April 2023). "Perspective: The Myth of the Mexican 'Cartels'". Small Wars Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
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