Proposed drugs-trafficking museum in El Chapo's hometown is causing controversy in Mexico

THE Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman, aka "El Chapo," is undoubtedly one of the most infamous inhabitants of Badiraguato. As such, it's perhaps not so surprising that the local mayor, José Paz López Elenes has proposed the creation of a museum dedicated to drugs trafficking.

José Paz López Eelenes announced this atypical project in a video, which was posted on the website of the Mexican magazine Espejo. In it, he explains that the creation of a museum on the drugs trade would in no way glorify drug use and trafficking. On the contrary, it would show just how harmful drug use can be.

The mayor also sees it as a way to fight "the stigma of drugs trafficking," which has long marked the municipality of Badiraguato and the state of Sinaloa. Both places are closely linked to the story of El Chapo. The famous Mexican drugs trafficker grew up in La Tuna, a hamlet hidden away in the mountains of Sinaloa, in a peasant family of seven children. However, his date of birth is a matter of debate, with some sources claiming he was born on December 25, 1954, and others on April 4, 1957.

In any case, El Chapo has contributed to transforming Sinaloa into a true narco-state plagued by violence and organized crime. This situation weighs heavily on the economy of Badiraguato. However, José Paz López Elenes hopes to develop it thanks to the 35 million foreign tourists who visit Mexico every year. He hopes to attract them to the municipality with his idea for a museum dedicated to drugs trafficking.

But not everyone agrees with him. Rubén Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa, vehemently rejected his colleague's proposal. He even declared during a conference that as long as he is governor, he will not allow such a museum in Sinaloa, according to the Mexican weekly Ríodoce. He added: "Yes, it is part of our history [but] we don't want to be lumbered with this symbol."

Although the project for a museum on drugs trafficking has not yet been definitively approved, it has made its way to the Mexican parliament. The Senate Education Committee rejected the Badiraguato mayor's idea in late July, although Mario Zamora Gastélum, an opposition senator from Sinaloa, found it interesting. He said "it may seem like a strange, controversial or half-crazy idea, but also a valuable one."