El Chapo Survey Reveals Most Mexicans Think State Helped Drug Lord Escape

When known drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman managed to break out of prison on July 11, by slipping through a hole in the floor of his shower and escaping through a mile-long tunnel under prison grounds, some Mexicans believe that he did not manage to do that by himself.

In fact, they're convinced he's had help from none other than corrupt officials, no matter what the government says.

Citing data from polling company, Parametría, The Guardian reported that only 46 percent of Mexicans believed the version of the events fed to them by the officials, while 40 percent suggested that he may have escaped by another route. However, a whopping 77 percent are convinced that the state had some hand in the drug lord's disappearance from the Altipano high security prison, while the remaining 17 percent assumed it was masterminded by Guzman's colleagues.

Professor of communication and cultural studies at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico Lenin Martell told the Guardian that most Mexicans, particularly the younger demographic, "are much better informed and better educated" and are not easily fooled. 

It's not surprising why some Mexicans may seem paranoid about El Chapo's escape, as the country has had records of corrupt officials. In addition, the recent incident was Guzman's second escape from a supposedly high-security prison after all.

The New York Times reported that in 2001, he also managed to escape from another high security prison, situated in Guadalajara, by (according to some accounts) sneaking out from a laundry cart. He was recaptured again in 2014, and the second escape in July has made a lot of Mexicans angry.

Sinaloa opposition legislator Carlos Castanos said about El Chapo's escape, "The government wants to sell us a tale in which no one knew about the tunnel and he got away... It's like they think that Mexicans are all kindergartners and they're going to believe anything they tell them."

Retired government administrator Manuel Benitez said money has something to do with Guzman's escape, adding, "He walked out the front door, and this was something that was already perfectly planned and executed. How is it possible that the noise of the drilling to make the tunnel didn't warn anyone? Didn't someone, anyone, hear that tremendous noise?"

"Prison Break" character Michael Scofield managed to do so, but there should be a line between fact and fiction, no?

Do you think corrupt officials helped El Chapo escape, or is this the doing of his band of goons?