Corruption.  A beloved buzzword most generally heard in discussions regarding, but not limited to, countries in the “third world”.  It’s typically the defining factor in what makes a third world country considered tertiary on a global standard.  What is corruption exactly? According to good ole Miriam Webster, there are 4 variations of the term:

1 – Dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (ie: government officials or police officers)

2 – Inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (ie: bribery)

3 – A departure from the original or from what is pure

4 – Decay. decomposition

While visiting Guatemala I stared corruption, in all four of those definitive terms, dead in the eyes.  I like to think I’m tough, but it deeply burdened me to the point of a physical sense of heartbreak, anger and overwhelming sense of hopelessness.  I got an inside glimpse of what living under the lordship of “Narco Culture” is like for an entire nation, families and for individuals.

I want to illustrate my observations of the power and corruptive nature of the cartel culture that permeates, not only Guatemala, but much of the western hemisphere through storytelling of a first-hand account. As is unfortunately the norm, it begins in childhood.

Marco* had a difficult childhood and decided he was better off in the streets than at home.  He was happier on the streets: he had more freedom, peace of mind, and sense of belonging.  This sense of belonging came from a mentor who took Marco under his wing, who just so happened to be a Narco.  Not long after meeting this mentor, Marco was groomed into joining the cartel at 9 years old, lured in by the power, sense of community and purpose.

He started at the bottom of the ranks, cooking cocaine in the jungle.  To move up and make more money, he had to get his first kill under his belt.  The first kill cannot be made with a gun, in order to prove that you have the guts to kill someone in a more intimate and drawn-out way, he had to use a knife.  The victim was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time; unfortunately a major reason why taking public transport or walking around in public is a risk some people have no choice but to take every day.

By 15 years old, Marco had more money than he could count, literally; he used scales to weigh his money rather than counting it out, because it was much more time efficient.  At that point, money really had no value to Marco, he could buy whatever he wanted, but it wasn’t enough.  It was the power that the money gave him to manipulate people that fueled his addiction to the cartel culture.

Imagine any 15-year-old boy with more money than he had things to buy.  Think about it: teenagers generally take a liking to senseless things.  They still want to play, but also want to be treated like an adult, yet want none of the responsibilities.  Paired with an excessive amount of money, this makes for a lethal combination.  Marco and his friends would make bets with one another to see how much money it would take to get people to do reckless things.

For example: I bet it would take $10,000 to get this small guy to pick a fight with this big guy! Nah, I bet $5,000.  This, of course, was chump change to the cartel kids, but was a small fortune to the innocent targets of their amusement.  In his right mind, the smaller guy would never pick a fight with the bigger guy, because he knew he would only hurt himself.  But with the carrot of over a year’s worth of salary dangling over his head, he was likely to subject himself to pain for that cash.  Money = power over people.

Of course, different people have different motivations and reasons for getting roped into the cartel culture.  Sometimes voluntarily (they choose to “eat”, rather than be “eaten”), sometimes coerced, sometimes blackmailed or threatened (“I know where your kid goes to school”), and sometimes the decision is made for the person at the start.  Often times even entire villages are involved in the drug trafficking business, simply because their economies depend on it. From the fisherman, to the abuelitas selling homemade tamales to workers, entire villages are involved directly or indirectly with the Narcos because they don’t have many other options for income.

Simply put, those involved in the cartels hold the power in the nation because they have a monopoly of money. Their overflow of money subsequently permits an unwarranted control over people: the government and grandmas alike.  Even though you can spot a Narco driving on the street in a fancy red flag of a sports car, he can drive in confidence knowing that he’s paid off every cop on the highway.  The police make $200 a month to risk their lives, so a way they can maintain their living is through these bribes…so why should they stop them!?

I’m not here to judge or condemn the nation of Guatemala, I am simply stating the observations and conversations I experienced during my three-week stay there.  I know that there are no borders on corruption, it happens everywhere; it just looks different depending where you are.

It was crazy to see how the daily life of a Guatemalan citizen is affected by this self-proclaimed Narco culture.  The majority of cars have black tinted windows for the protection of anonymity.  Having a car for that matter, any car, is a sought after item for the purpose of avoiding public transportation, which is much less safe.  Bus drivers and taxi drivers are among the most commonly murdered victims of cartel gang violence. Too many times they will kidnap, kill and ransom innocent people, or start an enemy shootout on a bus.

Shopping malls are constantly overcrowded with people trying to enjoy their free time in a public place that is guarded by security.  Sorry Zara, they’re not all there for your beautiful clothing.  People will spend a large sum of money every month to live in gated communities with 24/7 armed security.  I stayed in one of these self-sustaining gated communities, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it’s the innocent citizens who are living “locked up” while the criminals are “freely” running the nation.

The thing is, these Narcos aren’t born with the intent to kill and destroy people’s lives. Many times, they come from broken families and get sucked into a world that is almost impossible to get out of except through death, facial reconstructive surgery, or by a miracle from God. There’s a lack of awareness and hope for a bright future for those who are uneducated, which is many.  Therefore, because it’s all they really know, normal citizens too often get sucked into the cartel culture and perpetuate the cycle.  Too many people are just thinking about providing for their own needs and will do anything for any sort of money.

This is just one example of how culture perpetuates cycles of destructive behavior.  When you look around and all you see are people murdering people for money, even killing an innocent person for $14, can seem “normal”. Unfortunately it’s the poverty stricken areas that are “breeding grounds” for the cartels. In these places, education isn’t really an option because the child is a source of income; parents literally cannot afford to have their children in school, because they are making money being “innocent” watchmen, or worse, for cartels.  It doesn’t help that there aren’t any real public schools, so going to a private school is out of the question financially, anyway.  Cartels are their source of income.  It also doesn’t help that politicians will campaign in these neighborhoods, bribing them with housing repairs for votes, further perpetuating the corruption cycle between the poor, the rich and the government.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure why I experienced what I experienced in Guatemala, but I do feel some sort of social responsibility for getting to stare at this type of corruption in the world in the face.  Also, disclaimer, I was completely safe and there are some really amazing places to visit in Guatemala.  I got to stay with locals who explained the depths of what it’s really like to live there, otherwise I wouldn’t have had much insight regarding the culture of Guatemala.  The worst part is, that this isn’t only Guatemala:  unfortunately many of the nations in central America operate similarly, in direct relation to the war on drugs.

The largest impact this experience has had on me was connecting the dots on the global impact of our consumer behaviors in the US, in this case in the realm of drug use.  WE [Americans] are the market that all these people are murdering and bribing and trafficking drugs for.  Destroying entire nations for.  We’re the ones buying it.  Our noses get dry and we’ll pay anything to get more.  We have the money, they have the supply.  Basic economics.  But we don’t think about it that way when we see the news about building a wall at the Mexico border.  What we see is an us vs. them.  But we are neglecting to admit that we are part of the problem! Just like with any relationship, it’s easier to blame the other person than to do the inner work on yourself to see what you’ve being doing wrong.   Hey, maybe if we stopped to take an inside look at why our country has such a terrible drug addiction problem, we’d probably see that we have a lot more in common with those who get involved with supplying the drugs.

What it ultimately comes down to is that anything we consume, from food to clothes to drugs, doesn’t only affect us.  When it comes to this war on drugs, I believe it’s far more interconnected globally than we could ever imagine. However, we don’t see how our behaviors are affecting others; both those close to us, and those we will never meet.

I believe as Americans we have an immense amount of power as a consumer and we don’t even realize it.  We just see something we want and we buy it.  But our world is dying because of it.  We are blinded by what is directly in front of us and missing the big picture.  We all have the power to choose.  I’m definitely not perfect and definitely don’t think about every purchase I make, but I’m realizing the immense interconnectedness of this world.  My purchase choices affect others, it’s not all about me.  Thankfully the rise of ethical fashion and ethical business is on the up.  However, we still must use our brains and do our research because just because something says their ethical doesn’t mean it’s true.  It’s a social trend, as well as a marketing buzzword so we have to constantly seek out the truth.

To sum up corruption most simply, it’s hiding the truth.  We must be truth and justice seekers in order to see any change in this world.  And it starts with you and I; it starts in the minds and choices of all of us.  We can’t just wait around and blame the government for all the problems in our nations, we have to change.  I believe change starts with the renewing of our minds.  If you don’t think that it is possible, that’s where Jesus comes in.  He renews our minds, and through that same renewing power there is possibility in a changed world. Corruption’s got nothing on Him.