IIRC the tunnels are built by coerced labor, usually killed after the project is completed.

(They kidnap engineers to build submarines for smuggling operations, too).

There is little here that is glamorous.

Exactly so, on the coerced labor... Great article here: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/05/05/the-hunt-for-el...

There is absolutely nothing to root for. He's killed (and his cartel continues to kill) a tragic number of innocent people: women, children, and the poor, all across Mexico. He's a vulture.

Unfortunately, it's an innate human instinct to admire strong, powerful, and clever leaders and figures, no matter their ethical record. Look at how Genghis Khan is viewed today, for example. Some are even starting to view Stalin favorably as more time passes.

Alexander the Great and Napoleon weren't quite as evil as those two, but they invaded and forcibly took other people's lands for selfish reasons, killed and enslaved countless innocents, and committed many atrocities. Napoleon is even alleged to have tried to implement Hitler-style eugenics, and may have used poison gas to kill civilians. [1] Yet they're seen as historical heroes and are deeply admired by millions, or perhaps billions, of people.

Many people view Guzman in the same light. It's a form of cognitive dissonance, in a way, since those same people may still have deep moral objections to the acts they know the person has committed, and yet still can't help but sympathize with them.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Ribbe#Career

I think it's worth noting that perceptions of these "world conquerors" depend a lot on whether you live in one of the countries that were conquered or the country that did the conquering. Perceptions of Genghis Khan are much more positive in Mongolia than in the Middle East, for example.

I know. I'm sorry. I can't help it. I don't know what the problem is.....

No need to apologize, I get where your coming from, good or bad leaders are glorified in some form or another, especially in organized crime.

Latin America's Magic Realism.