Word: bulletproofing
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Obama, who is expected to give his inaugural address from behind a bulletproof shield, will be able to ride along the 1.7-mile parade route in his brand-new heavily armored Cadillac limousine. He'll be shadowed by Secret Service vans crammed with heavily armed SWAT teams and electronic-warfare gear capable of jamming detonators designed to set off certain explosives. Electronic devices - like those already in use in the D.C. subway - will be used above ground, to sniff the air for biological or chemical agents. They'll be aided by at least four Army dogs that will be sniffing...
...unusual consequence of the ensuing chaos has manifested itself in the Mexican world of fashion. Colombian designer Miguel Caballero has opened a new shop in Mexico City that is drawing worldwide attention for its merchandise: luxury bulletproof clothing. With prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to $7,000, Caballero’s leather jackets, polo shirts, coats, shorts and ruffled tuxedo shirts are becoming increasingly popular with political leaders and celebrities from around the world...
...risk and preserve…life.” In fact, Caballero, who has come to be known as the “Armani of armor,” routinely demonstrates the life-saving capabilities of his products by allowing potential customers to shoot hired salespeople clothed in the bulletproof apparel...
Although they have not offered exact figures, Caballero’s spokespeople have reported that increased crime rates have helped business significantly. Caballero’s success speaks to a disturbing trend among the Mexican elite. Bulletproof clothing is emblematic of a greater divide between Mexican problems and Mexican money; as a BBC report revealed in October, the Mexican wealth gap is the largest in the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with “some parts [comparable] to Spanish or German cities, but other parts…more like the poorest parts of Africa...
Sinaloa is home to some of Mexico's most powerful crime families. A "narco culture" of bulletproof trucks, lavish clothes and gold-plated guns dominates its streets. In this environment, the girlfriends of gangsters have become a subculture - buchonas - identified by diamond-studded finger bling, fake breasts and expensive dresses by foreign designers. "What a shame that there are ladies who get dazzled by the false shine of that money, who only aspire to be the girlfriends or loved ones of these vulgar thugs," wrote a Sinaloan resident identified as Gonzo on a Web discussion of Zuniga's arrest...