Neither plebeians that find their prince charming, nor victims who cry for the misdeeds of villains; narco women make decisions to survive.
The female characters in the series on drug trafficking, known as narco series, are antiheroines that are more dangerous than men.
"Since they are multifaceted and have many things to attend to, they become cold and have to make strong decisions to avoid being minimized and survive," says Fernanda Castillo, who plays the role of Mónica Robles in “El Señor de los Cielos” (The Lord of Heavens).
Castillo's character joins a list of women who, far from being the sex toy of a bandit, have taken the reins of the "illegal business". At first, TV programs showed the girlfriends of drug lords who enjoyed luxuries and became the mothers of their children. However, now the female characters are strong, independent and even glamorous.
"Many say they have an easy life because they are rich and have a lot of power, but each one of them has had to live with the consequences of being in the world of crime. My character has been raped, kidnapped, it hasn't been easy for her," Castillo explained
Since the success of “La Reina del Sur” (The Queen of the South) starring Kate del Castillo, TV stations, especially Telemundo, Univisión and others from Colombia and Venezuela, have given more space to stories of drug traffickers with central female characters.
In La Viuda Negra (Black Widow), Dueños del Paríso (Owners of Paradise), Señora Acero (Madame Steel), Camelia la Texana (Camelia the Texan) and Señorita Pólvora (Miss Powder), women play the central role instead of being the typical submissive damsels in distress.
"Television, like the world itself, is changing, so women are now independent, strong and work.
"This situation has nothing to do with feminism, but with what happens in reality," says Carmen Aub, who plays the role of Rutila Casillas, in El Señor de los Cielos.
Teresa Mendoza, Griselda Blanco, Susana Flores are real women who led a drug cartel. For example the story of “Viuda Negra” is based on the book “La patrona de Pablo Escobar” (The boss of Pablo Escobar) by José Guarnizo, that tells the story of Colombian drug baroness Griselda Blanco, better known as the queen of cocaine.
"I have met women who have told me: 'thanks to your character I stopped letting my husband mistreat me'. These women are human, make mistakes and learn," Fernanda Castillo said about her character.
However, not all the stories are the same. Carmen Aub plays the role of the daughter of Aurelio Casillas in El Señor de los Cielos. She is an abused woman. "It's hard to see the reality of some women; although things have changed, bad habits remain," the actress said.