On the opening of the trial of “El Chapo” in the United States, his lawyer declared that his client was not the controlling mind of the cartel of Sinoa. The real mastermind was “El Mayo” [photo]. This is something noone in Mexico challenges. El Mayo lives, with his face unmasked, under the protection of the Mexican president, Enrique Peña Nieto.

This version of facts has blown the minds of the tribunal. Yet it is nothing original. It is a hypothesis that the Mexicans have repeatedly mentioned. That said, there are others.

The entire Mexican economy rests on illegal drug trade. There is no doubt that this constitutes Mexico’s principal source of revenues. During the last fifteen years, more than 200,000 people have either been killed or have disappeared a result of the war between the cartels or the war against them. It is therefore impossible to formulate a policy, without the support of one or other cartel.

This situation will only be able to end with the liberalization of the entire drugs market, as has happened in the past.