Thousands of latex masks of El Chapo and Donald Trump are being sold in the streets of Mexico City, with these two characters being the most in demand costumes for this year’s Halloween.
Mexicans are famous for their celebrations of the Day of the Dead celebration — inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO — but new generations also enjoy the Halloween holiday, and it is very common to see people dress in elaborate costumes.
While children typically dress up as witches and ghosts, adults have other preferences. A mask factory in the central state of Morelos is always updating its creations in order to bring the public the funniest and most trending costumes, the catalog always includes politicians and people in public life.
Masks of El Chapo in a factory in Morelos. | Photo: EFE
When Republican presidential hopeful Trump entered the presidential race in June, he often made statements many interpreted as insults against Mexico and particularly undocumented migrants in the United States, dismissing them as “rapists and drug runners.”
“The Mexican government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc," he said on June 16 and after a series of attacks in social media, Mexicans have decided to take him as their favorite villain. Trump's mask has big teeth and his blonde toupee.
The infamous fugitive drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman also tops the list of costumes this year, but stores not only sell the mask of El Chapo, they also include a striped prisoner uniform.
EL Chapo costume in mercadolibe.com.mx
Guzman escaped from a maximum security prison on July 11, making it the second time he has broken out of a Mexican jail. Authorities say he stepped into a shower and fled through an elaborate, man-made tunnel.
PHOTO GALLERY: El Chapo’s Escape
Mexicans are famous for their sense of humor, something they have used for decades to weather the most adverse situations. This year was not an exception and thousands will parade the streets in disguised faces of what many consider to be the most despicable and infamous characters.