▁public ▁health ▁under ▁President ▁L áz aro ▁C ár den as , ▁ ▁Dr . ▁Leopold o ▁Sal azar ▁Vin ie gra , ▁began ▁a ▁campaign ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁to ▁understand ▁drug ▁use ▁from ▁a ▁medical ▁perspective , ▁especially ▁that ▁of ▁mar iju ana . ▁The ▁goal ▁was ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁user ▁as ▁having ▁a ▁medical ▁condition ▁but ▁the ▁s eller ▁as ▁the ▁real ▁criminal . ▁Sal azar ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁pro sec utors ▁of ▁Est é vez . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁he ▁wrote ▁a ▁public ▁letter ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁stated ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁ugly , ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁government - prom oted ▁s tere ot ypes ▁of ▁females ▁in ▁the ▁drug ▁trade ▁as ▁being ▁sexual ▁sed uct ress es . ▁However , ▁the ▁same ▁letter ▁also ▁recognized ▁La ▁Ch ata ’ s ▁ability ▁to ▁know ▁her ▁clients ▁and ▁their ▁needs , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁those ▁who ▁she ▁b rib ed ▁to ▁extend ▁her ▁power ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁highest ▁circles ▁of ▁Mexican ▁society . ▁The ▁objective ▁of ▁the ▁letter ▁was ▁to ▁port ray ▁Est é vez ▁as ▁a ▁woman ▁only ▁concerned ▁about ▁her ▁business ▁and ▁not ▁about ▁Mexico ’ s ▁desire ▁to ▁move ▁forward . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁arrested ▁seven ▁times ▁between ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁imprison ed ▁in ▁L ec umber ri , ▁the ▁Women ’ s ▁Pr ison ▁in ▁Mexico ▁City ▁and ▁even ▁at ▁Is las ▁Mar ías ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific