Corajecivil (pseudonym) is the anonymous author of the blog Mexicanos al Grito (Mexicans Cry), which reports and comments on instances of “corruption, drug violence and other Mexican truths”.

The government and mainstream media each have their own reasons for not reporting this kind of event. The government fears any information that could damage its reputation. The media are afraid: journalists who cover these stories are regularly threatened, even killed. As a result, the government and major media outlets maintain a close relation and work together to filter what information is published. Clearly, there is a major information gap that bloggers have stepped in to fill.

“Many postings appear to come directly from traffickers themselves”

I find much of the content on Blog del Narco unbearably cruel and violent, and I’m personally not interested in watching such graphic content. However, they do reflect a certain reality, and I believe that their information is more trustworthy than that given by the mainstream media. Journalists say they cannot report on this kind of information without putting their own lives in danger. Similarly, people who talk about what is going on in their own towns or villages do so anonymously. They have no choice. Their lives are at risk. That’s Blog del Narco’s strength: people can send content completely anonymously, regardless of whether they are common citizens or drug traffickers.

Many people have an interest in making these images public. Several postings appear to come directly from traffickers themselves, who use the blog to publish warnings or intimidate their rivals. Others depict crime scenes accessible only to the military or police, suggesting that law enforcement officials also contribute. Of course, not everything published on blogs is 100% reliable. However the reader comments – an open forum where people can confirm or deny any situation – can serve as a filter against gross misinformation.

“Blogs like this are a sort of historical record, documenting facts that would otherwise be ignored or forgotten.”

Blogs like this are a sort of historical record, documenting facts that would otherwise be ignored or forgotten. The psychopaths, serial killers and drug addicts, the dead, the mutilated, the murdered bodies hung on bridges, the hungry, the destitute, the orphaned children and widowed spouses, the corrupt and cynical politicians, the corrupt justice system, the irresponsible businessmen… All this is real, and people have a right to know.”