22

REAL POWER – BIOPOLITICS THEORY & TRUTH

The Invisible Chains: Biopower and the Case of Coca-Cola in Mexico

What is real power?
What is truth?

Is truth what we see, what we are told, or what only powerful people know?

French thinker Michel Foucault introduced the idea of biopolitics, which changed how we understand power in modern times. He explained that power today does not mainly work through open violence, weapons, prisons, or fear. Instead, it works quietly by controlling everyday life. This kind of power manages how people live, eat, think, and even how they define happiness and health. Rather than ordering people directly, it guides them through habits, social rules, and consumption. This quiet control over life itself is called biopower.

A very clear example of this can be seen in Mexico and Coca-Cola, where corporate power slowly reshaped society, health, and even basic survival needs.

For many years, Mexico had a rich and balanced food culture. People depended on maize, sugarcane juice, traditional drinks, and local festivals. Over time, this system began to break down. When Coca-Cola entered Mexico, it did not sell just a drink—it sold a new way of thinking. Through advertising, the company connected Coca-Cola with love, care, and emotion. One famous message said, “If you love your sister, give her Coca-Cola.”

Show your family love with a cold Coca-Cola – it’s the taste that brings smiles!

Serve Coca-Cola and be the ultimate host – it’s the perfect companion for laughter, memories, and great times.

In this way, a global product replaced natural expressions of affection.

During the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Coca-Cola filled cities with red banners and promotions. The drink became linked with sports, success, modern life, and celebrities. Slowly, people began to see Coca-Cola as something natural, positive, and even special, while local drinks were pushed aside. This created a false sense of harmony where a sugary drink looked harmless and even desirable.

The impact on the body and environment was very serious. Coca-Cola is a (secret concentrate) mixed with 90% of water & large amounts of sugar, caffeine (which was never disclosed ) and carbon dioxide. Sugar gives quick energy, while caffeine ( triggers a dopamine effect ) encourages habit and dependence. As a result, consumption exploded—reaching nearly 800 litres per person per year in some areas.

This led to two major crises:

First: Water crisis.

Coca-Cola bottling plants were allowed to pump nearly 10 lakh litres of groundwater per day. Local water levels dropped sharply, and in many places water became polluted or unavailable to ordinary people.

Second: Health crisis.

Diabetes rates in Mexico rose dramatically—from about 6% to nearly 16% of the population.

When experts investigated these problems, a familiar pattern appeared. Coca-Cola was not blamed. Water shortages were explained as “climate change,” and diabetes was blamed on “high sugar drinks” in general. This removed attention from the company’s direct role and turned a political issue into a neutral, technical explanation.

Next came the control phase of biopower.

Coca-Cola’s license was renewed for many years. Political connections grew stronger— one Mexican president had even worked as a Coca-Cola delivery agent earlier in life. Proposals for higher sugar taxes were blocked. Instead, Coca-Cola promoted exercise programs and health awareness campaigns. The company claimed its drink had “only” 16% sugar compared to some local alternatives. This made regular consumption appear reasonable and safe.

At the same time, the state focused on medical treatment rather than prevention. Free or low-cost insulin and drugs like Ozempic (Novo Nordisk) and medicines from Eli Lilly were introduced. These companies are often backed by the same large U.S. investment firms, such as BlackRock, which also owns major shares in Coca-Cola. In this cycle, the same power system earns profit from creating illness and from treating it.

In the final stage, Coca-Cola presented itself as the solution to the water crisis. As groundwater dried up and became unsafe, the company began selling bottled water—often at a higher price than its soft drinks. People were forced to buy water from the same company that helped drain their water sources.

This is biopolitics at its purest:

Power that quietly enters daily life, shapes desires, creates health problems, controls resources, and then sells the solutions—while also controlling what is called “truth.”

This is the kind of truth Foucault spoke about—not the truth we see openly, and not the truth we are told, but the truth understood and managed by those in power.

The Hindi saying “Ki main jaanta hoon ki main nahi jaanta” (I know that I do not know) captures this reality well. The strongest power works where people believe they are free, while their choices are already shaped.

Mexico’s story is not just about Coca-Cola. It is a warning. The same idea of real power can be applied to many countries. It shows how governments and corporations together can quietly change the future of a nation—one habit, one body, and one belief at a time.

Reference : Vicente Fox: How He Went From Coca-Cola Truck Driver to President – Business Insider