My research is focused on how cartels in Mexico use the narrative figure in a type of music called narcocorridos. This figure described in narcocorridos is the image of the martyr that can be traced back to the birth of Catholicism and has been adapted to a modern day version. My findings include the use of religion and religious rituals as a way for these cartel groups to keep their power and their followers. This has eventually evolved into something called “narco-secta” which is a cartel group that follows a religious sect based on the leader of that cartel. My findings can be extended to the study and research of extremist groups and terrorist organizations in the Middle East and all over the world that use religion as a mechanism for gaining power.
