The governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, and Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán have something in common: both were born in Badiraguato, a Sinaloan municipality stigmatized as the 'cradle' of Mexican drug traffickers. Since his youth, Rocha Moya, a trained teacher and a law graduate, has been close to the phenomenon of drug trafficking in Mexico. In his book "This is How the Narco Was Born," published in December 2013, the governor recounts his experiences as a rural teacher in Badiraguato, describing the origins of illegal drug cultivation and trafficking in the region and how this affected the lives of its inhabitants.
The novel narrates the story of Chepederas, a fictional village in the Sierra of Badiraguato. The governor's work has faced criticism from Sinaloans, especially after recent murders in Culiacán. He has been accused of having ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, including campaign financing from the 'kings of huachicol' and alleged involvement in the murder of Héctor Melesio Cuén, a former deputy and former rector of the University of Sinaloa, according to intelligence reports and a letter written by 'El Mayo' Zambada.
Rocha Moya's book details how day laborers and ranchers were employed for the harvest of marijuana in Chepederas, with bribes that kept the business afloat. It recounts a climate of fear and violence in the region, where denunciation could lead to torture and murders, describing a dangerous and tense environment. The fiction based on reality focuses on the simulation that allowed the transgression of the law through payments and perks to cover up drug trafficking activities.
Amid criticisms and protests in Culiacán demanding his resignation, and following the arrest of 'El Mayo Zambada', the governor has been questioned for minimizing violence in Sinaloa, despite the reality of violent events in the region. The escalation of violence between Los Chapitos and Los Mayitos has put pressure on Rocha Moya, who has been controversial for his perception of the situation in the state, even with the publication of a novel titled 'The Deception.'
