It seems not only politicians and entertainment figures recognize the importance of public relations these days. Even notorious criminals see ways of benefiting from what public relations has to offer.
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, a Mexican drug lord, recently requested that his colleagues and wife keep him in the news.
El Chapo remains behind bars for the
third time in his drug career and intends to get out — again. He let himself out in mid-July of last year when he escaped through a mile-long tunnel and made for freedom.
Six months later, local law enforcement recaptured him and marched him back to prison.
As this was not the first time El Chapo escaped from prison, the authorities are no longer taking chances. With the stricter measures in place, his wife
now claims he is wasting away in the prison due to slow torture, lack of privacy, high blood pressure, and the guard’s refusal to let him rest.
She insists the local authorities simply want to make him pay for the embarrassment his escape caused them.
El Chapo’s attorney also took a stand. Jose Luis Gonzalez Meza called a news conference outside the maximum-security prison holding El Chapo. During the news conference, Gonzalez Meza wore a shirt saying “Extradition Never!!!” and threatened to go on a hunger strike to support his client.
He also called on other nationals to join him.
In addition, media reports recently involved a bounty allegedly placed on presidential candidate, Donald Trump, for the amount of $100 million.
Though El Chapo’s legal team denied the claims, it still painted El Chapo as a savior to many Mexicans opposed to Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency.
At the rate public relations continues to grow, it wouldn’t surprise many if the right to public relations representation became prevalent for convicted criminals in a few years.
Imagine that filtering its way into the Miranda rights.
The importance placed on public relations by El Chapo and his team shows the importance of public relations in all facets of life and all fields of business — legal and illicit.
By allowing his wife to paint her own picture of him to the media, he softens his image.
In essence, not only does he do some much-needed damage control, but he also builds his “brand” as a loving husband and devoted father.
Whether or not this helps him achieve his goals, however, remains to be seen.
Ronn Torossian is one of America’s foremost Public Relations executives as founder/CEO of 5WPR, a leading independent PR Agency. The firm was honored as PR Firm of the Year by The American Business Awards, and has been named to the Inc. 500 List. Torossian is author of the best-selling "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations." For more of Ronn Torossian's reports, Go Here Now.
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