A sense of risk pervades the images. Monterrey is Mexico's wealthiest city, and one of its largest. But while it has a history as a hub of business and culture, the sensational violence of the drug war has cast a shadow on the once-booming metropolis. In what was once ranked as Latin America's safest city, citizens must now contend with decapitations, balaceras (shootings), kidnappings, and security checkpoints and curfews imposed by both the government and the gangs.
Thousands of local businesses have closed their doors because they refuse to pay the drug gangs for protection. Wealthier inhabitants who have remained are buying up downtown real estate while the drug cartels have moved their operations to the suburbs, where even construction firms must pay them for protection.
The photos were captured by Alejandro Cartagena (Photographer)
