Mexican drug kingpin named on Forbes list

Joaquin Guzman, who has been on the run since 2001 when he escaped extradition to the U.S. with the help of prison guards, was number 41 out of 67 powerful people.

His cartel, the Sinaloa, handles the trafficing of billions of dollars worth of cocaine and other drugs using an extensive networks in the U.S. and Mexico.

Forbes also named Guzman, known as "El Chapo" Spainish for "Shorty", one of the world's top billionairs in another issue.

Mexican Officals are condeming the article as subjective and misrepresentative. Mexico's Attorney General's office cited Guzman's inclusion as "frivolous."

Mexico's ambassador, Arturo Sarukhan, tried on his twitter page to paint a more positive picture of Mexico as opposed to that shown in "traditional [American] media."

Recent events in Mexico like the on going drug cartel violence in U.S.-Mexico border towns has created an image of Mexico as a land where corruption, violence, and graft are rife.

Though some of the criteria on the list may be subjective, but the reality of Guzman's escape and continued evasion of the law couple with the sheer vastness of his resources point to a man who wields tangible power.

However fellow Mexican national telecom giant Carlos Slim was named on the list ahead of such people as Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, and Pope Benedict XVI. Slim is considered the third richest man in the world and ranked number six on the list.

Written by Seamus Esparza