After Sandra Ávila Beltrán, known as “La Reina del Pacífico”, claimed 40% of the profits obtained by Netflix and Telemundo for the TV series “La Reina del Sur”, the producers reported that they will not grant any money for this claim.

It should be remembered that Ávila claimed before the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) the payment of royalties for the use of his image to promote the second season of the series in 2019 and for the fact that the character of Teresa Mendoza, is inspired on her. The foregoing, despite the fact that the author of the 2002 novel of the same name, the Spanish Arturo Pérez-Reverte, never confirmed that the work was based on the story of Ávila Beltrán.

However, Ávila Beltrán assures that the series “is a direct affectation to her image”, and demands compensation for the profits generated by the transmission of the series over the last decade.

The narco-series was brought to the screen by Telemundo in 2011 and soon became a resounding success that multiplied thanks to Netflix.

According to information published in the Milenio newspaper, Ávila Beltrán has initiated an administrative process before IMPI. “These companies (…) acted maliciously, with the intention of discrediting me and based on that, obtained economic profit,” Ávila Beltrán explained to IMPI.

On the other hand, in their response, Telemundo and Netflix pointed out that due to Ávila Beltrán is a public figure, she hadn’t the right claimed invasion of her privacy; specifying that the series should be seen as a “journalistic” exercise since the case is a matter of public interest.

Likewise, the consortiums point out that they only talk about a person linked by the authorities to “a crime that causes violence and countless victims in our country” and that the narco-series are protected by the Constitution as an exercise of freedom of expression.

Finally, it should be noted that Ávila Beltrán has been free since February 2015 after spending seven years incarcerated in the United States. She was linked to the most important drug traffickers and was accused of being part of the drug trafficking networks between the two countries, but her power in the world of the biggest drug lords wasn’t really proved in court. In the United States, she reached a judicial agreement and in Mexico, she was released after a judge revoked the only sentence against her, for money laundering.