Sports

El Chapo Support Was Strong at the Mexico-Costa Rica Gold Cup Match

Lead Photo: Jul 19, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Mexico midfielder Andres Guardado (18) celebrates with teammates after kicking a penalty kick to score a goal against Costa Rica goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado (23) during stoppage time of the overtime period of a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match at MetLife Stadium. Mexico won 1-0 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-230456 ORIG FILE ID: 20150719_ads_ae5_226.JPG
Jul 19, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Mexico midfielder Andres Guardado (18) celebrates with teammates after kicking a penalty kick to score a goal against Costa Rica goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado (23) during stoppage time of the overtime period of a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match at MetLife Stadium. Mexico won 1-0 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-230456 ORIG FILE ID: 20150719_ads_ae5_226.JPG
Read more

A week in internet time is like one human year. The blink and you miss it news cycle means that it doesn’t take long for most of us to move onto the next story – but El Chapo continues to go strong. At the Mexico-Costa Rica game, fans came equipped with signs and T-shirts that expressed their pro-Chapo sentiments. In the 76th minute of the game, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, who were the bulk of the audience, began cheering “Chapo, Chapo” as the game was tied at 0-0, according to Terra. Though many found the moment to be worthy, there were some who were not happy about it.

https://twitter.com/annddyyyy_/status/622924101540315136

El Chapo has been receiving support from celebrities and regulars alike, with some admiring him and putting down Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in the process. 19-year-old José Antonio Sevilla went to a march in Culiacán after El Chapo escaped Altiplano Federal Prison, and he held a sign that said, “El Chapo is more of a president than Peña Nieto.” Oof, that doesn’t look good for EPN. The New York Times explains that people think of El Chapo as a sort of Robin Hood, and they cheer him on as he continues to straight up embarrass the Mexican government, who is seen as their actual common enemy.

Even elected officials can’t keep their cool when it comes to El Chapo. Mario Alfonso Valenzuela, the mayor of Chapo’s hometown and member to the same Institutional Revolutionary Party that EPN belongs to, was impressed by the breakout. “There was a sense of surprise among the people of Badiraguato, but also one of joy,” he said, according to Business Insider. “Let’s put it like this: ‘Look, El Chapo gave them the slip, it’s totally bad ass.’”