Mexico Moves to Ban Controversial ‘Juarez’ Video Game

By Michael Lopez

Popular video games often attempt to mirror major political events happening in our world. They can vary from Iraq combat simulations to covert operations in Latin America. But every now and then, a shoot-'em-up scenario can hit a little too close to home. And that just happens to be the case with the upcoming PS3 title Call Of Juarez: The Cartel, which Mexican authorities hope to ban.

Just having the name Juarez in the title can stir up emotions for Mexican-Americans. In recent years, the small border town has turned into a battle zone between drug cartels and law enforcement, leading to thousands of deaths and a city plagued with fear.

Although The Cartel isn’t set to be released until the summer, legislators in Chihuahua, Mexico, are already asking federal authorities to ban it.

"It is true there is a serious crime situation, which we are not trying to hide," Chihuahua congressman Ricardo Boone Salmon told Fox News Latino. "But we also should not expose children to this kind of scenarios so that they are going to grow up with this kind of image and lack of values."

Another congressional leader, Enrique Serrano, emphasized the point.

"Children wind up being easily involved in criminal acts over time, because among other things, during their childhood not enough care has been taken about what they see on television and playing video games," Serrano said. "They believe so much blood and death is normal.”

But perhaps the most curious thing about Call Of Juarez: The Cartel is that no one can actually confirm what the game’s plot is about. The third in a series of Call Of Juarez titles, Cartel is described on its website as “a bloody road trip from Los Angeles to Juarez, Mexico,” challenging players to “take justice into your own hands.”

Does that mean battling modern-day drug lords? It isn’t entirely clear. Previous Call Of Juarez games took place in the 1800s and channeled the experience of being a gunslinger in the wild west. The Cartel may follow that same formula, but due to increased sensitivity and violence in the now infamous city, perhaps they should have just called it something else.

Do you think the Call of Juarez games promote violence? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Call Of Juarez, Call Of Juarez: The Cartel, Chisme, Cultura, Enrique Serrano, Mexico, Ricardo Boone Salmon, video games