It is fascinating that an article (a very good one at that) about Mexican drug lord homes made it into the Home & Garden section of the New York Times. The NYTimes never ceases to amaze. In his article, "Inside the Homes of Mexico's Alleged Drug Lords" Damien Cave states that for many people in Mexico "crime represents a meritocracy in a country of oligarchy and poverty. Work hard, do what it takes and a crime boss will reward you with money, cars and responsibility."
For narcos homes are a symbol of wealth and power, crime is simply the means to obtain not just a home, but in the best of aspirations homes filled with plush luxury. However, as he gets a glimpse into the psyche of Mexican drug lords as he tours government captured homes of the illicit perpetuators of "narquitecture" he discovers that "most of the homes I visited were hardly palaces. Many were entirely average and darkly utilitarian...Even on the more luxurious end of the spectrum, most of the homes could best be described as upper-middle-class. Packed into nice neighborhoods, they were usually three- to five-bedroom houses of around 3,000 square feet, lacking exterior charm or adornment. The biggest tipoffs about the occupants: a shortage of street-facing windows, and the best security systems money could buy." Evidence of family life in the homes is also found that reminds us that the security systems are not just to protect their business enterprises, but also to protect their loved ones from the potential backlashes of their profession.
For narcos homes are a symbol of wealth and power, crime is simply the means to obtain not just a home, but in the best of aspirations homes filled with plush luxury. However, as he gets a glimpse into the psyche of Mexican drug lords as he tours government captured homes of the illicit perpetuators of "narquitecture" he discovers that "most of the homes I visited were hardly palaces. Many were entirely average and darkly utilitarian...Even on the more luxurious end of the spectrum, most of the homes could best be described as upper-middle-class. Packed into nice neighborhoods, they were usually three- to five-bedroom houses of around 3,000 square feet, lacking exterior charm or adornment. The biggest tipoffs about the occupants: a shortage of street-facing windows, and the best security systems money could buy." Evidence of family life in the homes is also found that reminds us that the security systems are not just to protect their business enterprises, but also to protect their loved ones from the potential backlashes of their profession.
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