Now that convicted cartel boss Joaquín ´El Chapo ́ Guzmán is serving a life sentence at the ADX Florence supermax prison in Colorado, Telemundo fueled the lore about him as a bigger-than-life hero with a two-minute report on a new narcorrido, a narrative ballad in which the lyrics praise drug trafficking and illegal activities, that portrays him as a loving father and not a serial killer (over 3,000 assassinations in Mexico and beyond have been attributed to him).
In the segment below, Telemundo and NBC anchor Jose Diaz-Balart opens the report by explaining that the song talks about the end of “his criminal career” (it also says that his sons have taken his place in the notorious Sinaloa cartel, the bloody inner workings of which were detailed in the drug lord’s trial in New York City earlier this year, yet ignored in the report).
JOSE DIAZ-BALART, ANCHOR, TELEMUNDO: The narcocorrido of ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán is getting a lot of attention. The song talks about the end of his criminal career and has gone viral since being shared on an Instagram account in the name of his wife, Emma Coronel.
[…]
‘EL CACHORRO’, SINGING: They crossed the line… and it will remain in their conscience… I´m not a serial killer, I´m Joaquín Guzmán.
The song, written by a fellow Mexican who goes by the name of Mario Delgado, a.k.a. ´El Cachorro´ (The Puppy), known for writing about other drug kingpins like Pablo Escobar, portrays El Chapo as a good son and husband (never mind that he had at least four wives, endless lovers, and at least 10 children from different mothers): They crossed the line… and it will remain in their conscience… … I´m not a serial killer, I´m Joaquín Guzmán. In the song, ´El Chapo´ also “bids farewell to his mother and claims that he helped many people”, according to Telemundo correspondent Raul Torres.
The only reference to his ruthlessness and the people he killed is at the very end of this kingpin-glorifying report. “In the ´El Chapó' corrido there is also talk of death, not about the people the narco killed, but because chances are that he will leave this prison dead.”
Click on “Expand” to view the complete transcript of the above referenced report as aired on the August 8, 2019 edition of Noticias Telemundo:
JOSE DIAZ-BALART, ANCHOR, TELEMUNDO: The narcocorrido of ´El Chapo´ Guzmán is getting a lot of attention. The song talks about the end of his criminal career and has gone viral since being shared on an Instagram account in the name of his wife, Emma Coronel. Raúl Torres has the details.
‘EL CACHORRO’, SINGING: : They crossed the line… and it will remain in their conscience… I´m not a serial killer, I´m Joaquín Guzmán.
RAÚL TORRES, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: The song is a farewell to (the man) who was the most powerful kingpin in the world, accepts his fate, says goodbye to his wife and tells her to care for his daughters.
‘EL CACHORRO’, SINGING: Those girls of my eyes... papa´s treasures... today I give them to you, beautiful, I know you will know how to take care of them. For now, I say goodbye... I have nothing else to say... if death visits me, then I'll take her for a walk.
TORRES: It's a corrido for Joaquín by singer Mario Delgado, ´El Cachorro´. His song went viral on social media because Emma Coronel, the wife of ´El Chapo´, shared it on her alleged Instagram account.
MARIO DELGADO, “EL CACHORRO”, SINGER: That corrido was written a few days ago and went viral fast, it is called “A corrido for Joaquín”.
TORRES: The narcocorrido recalls his escape from the prison. It also says he is not afraid of his life sentence to be served at the safest prison in the United States. However, ´El Chapo´s´ lawyer told Noticias Telemundo exclusively that his imprisonment in the so-called Alcatraz of the Rockies, has already begun to affect him.
MARIEL COLON, “EL CHAPO'S” LAWYER: He tries to stay positive alright, but I notice him quieter than normal.
TORRES: In the song, ´El Chapo´ bids farewell to his mother and also claims that he helped many people and in addition that his children have already taken his place. ´El Cachorro´ has sung to other kingpins such as Pablo Escobar, leader of the Medellin cartel, who ended up dead at the hands of the police.
‘EL CACHORRO’, SINGING: For now, I say goodbye... I have nothing else to say... if death visits me, then I'll take her for a walk. I'm not afraid of the tunnel... I think I can handle them, and three meters underground meant for Mr. Guzman.
TORRES: In the ´El Chapo´ corrido there is also talk of death, not about the people the narco killed, but because chances are he will leave this prison dead. In Mexico Raúl Torres, Telemundo News.
