The escape of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Mexico’s most notorious cartel boss, from a maximum-security prison by a mile-long tunnel, was evidently the last thing President Enrique Peña Nieto’s government expected from the kingpin – even if the drug lord had previously escaped from prison and shown a penchant for elaborate tunnels.
Peña Nieto said last year that an escape would be “more than unfortunate, it would be unforgivable”. This year his attorney general, Jesús Murillo Karam, expressed confidence that the kingpin would move only at the government’s whim.
“I could accept extradition, but at the time that I choose,” Murillo Karam said. “So about 300 or 400 years later. It will be a while.”
The internet’s reaction to El Chapo’s escape, however, should surprise Peña Nieto’s humiliated government rather less.
‘The first images of El Chapo Guzman’s escape’
‘That awkward moment when El Chapo went out on Saturday and you didn’t’
Jajajajajaj #Chapo pic.twitter.com/4zomSprf36
— Carola (@karlaacme) July 12, 2015
‘Don’t worry, our professional and capable authorities are searching for El Chapo’
No se preocupen, nuestras profesionales y competentes autoridades están ya buscando a #ElChapo pic.twitter.com/53kYb50qCZ
— #MissAtomicBomb (@Sand_Avella) July 12, 2015
‘The government of [Peña Nieto] begins the hunt for El Chapo’
El gobierno de @EPN empieza la búsqueda de #ElChapo pic.twitter.com/MZfOMwt0WP
— dajeko (@dajeko) July 12, 2015
‘Synchronized exits: Peña Nieto, the prosecutor and the military men to Paris. El Chapo prefers Uber’
Salidas sincronizadas pic.twitter.com/LDNoKAZIKN
— Manuel Falcón (@falconvoy) July 12, 2015
Peña Nieto: ‘El Chapo broke out? You think they’ll figure it out?’
Amanecemos con la nueva que se fugó #ElChapo y @EPN va rumbo a Francia! #México #ElChisteSeCuentaSolo pic.twitter.com/Z194FRW7xe
— Eljuan Pistolas (@EljuanPistolas) July 12, 2015
Peña Nieto’s predecessor, Vincente Fox: ‘I’ve seen this movie before…’
Remake. #Chapo pic.twitter.com/7cMOAanyBX
— Rapé (@monerorape) July 13, 2015
El Chapo as folk hero/villain
The ballad of El Chapo’s Breakout, featuring such lines as “I’ve escaped them yet again/ I’ve left them back there wanting” and “The press have just confirmed it/ I’ve broken out from lockup/ to be clear I’m still most wanted!”
It continues:
If you had me locked up for more than a year/ If you thought my life was over and thought you could cheer/ You’d be wrong/ My cartel keeps fighting/ It doesn’t matter who doesn’t like it/ I am the capo of capos!
The escape block party
Vamonos de fiesta con el #Chapo #LibreSoy #Fuga #PARTY #MasPendejoQueLosDelAltiplano pic.twitter.com/WZ9AUAyP0I
— MarioEduardoPorFavor (@MarioEduardoXfa) July 12, 2015
“What’s up king? You out?”
“Affirmative. I’m going to throw a party with the people. You get some girls.”
“Send me your location … All right, I’m on my way.”
Trump cards
El Chapo escaped and Trump is scared. pic.twitter.com/USwiidaqHa
— Efrain Ayllon Roa (@EA_Roa) July 12, 2015
El Chapo’s escape also proved apposite to certain remarks by a certain US presidential candidate, the ginger billionaire and human manifestation of internet mockery and vitriol Donald Trump.
Many though Trump, who recently said Mexico was sending criminals, drugs and “tremendous infectious disease” to the US, would regret tapping into virulent anti-Hispanic sentiment now a dangerous man was on the loose.
They should have known better.
Mexico's biggest drug lord escapes from jail. Unbelievable corruption and USA is paying the price. I told you so!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2015
Pop culture mashups
And in that last recourse for the commentator searching desperately for a joke, the internet opened the pop culture vault and hastily cut up everything from Forrest Gump – “run, Chapo, run” – to Frozen – “I’m free, I’m free!”
Morgan Freeman is narrating El Chapo's person story😂 @MattMeneses pic.twitter.com/GQHiqn6LQr
— Sauncho Smilax (@kikicorajes) July 12, 2015
‘Chapo, I’ll be right there.’
Es un buen momento para volver a recordar este meme: #ElChapoGuzman #ElChapo #MejorLlamemosASaul pic.twitter.com/78M2kacDuP
— Misty Day (@elixpiscore) July 12, 2015
