Tamal Kundu
Andrea Nuñez is one of the new characters introduced in the third and final season of ‘Narcos: Mexico.’ She is portrayed by Mexican actress Luisa Rubino, known for her work in the 2018 drama film ‘Fugitiva.’ Andrea is also the narrator of the season, taking over the duties from Scoot McNairy’s Walt Breslin. If you want to know more about Andrea Nuñez, we got you covered.
Who Is Andrea Nuñez in Narcos: Mexico Season 3?
Andrea is a young, idealistic, and tenacious journalist who pursues truth with a dogged determination. She grew up reading La Voz, a Tijuana-based newspaper renowned for publishing articles on organized crime, drug trade, and political corruption. As an adult, she works there. After learning about the impending wedding between Enedina Arellano Félix, a member of an infamous drug-trafficking family, and Claudio Vazquez, an attorney working for the oldest firm in the city, she comes to believe that something significant might be happening behind the curtains and starts investigating the matter.
Andrea discovers that the Arellano family uses a casino to launder their money. The casino has multiple investors, but the most prominent among them is a conglomerate under Carlos Hank Gonzalez, the embodiment of institutionalized corruption in Mexico. Salgado, La Voz’s editor, has a long history with Hank. He permits Andrea to continue her investigation but urges her to do it carefully, as they will get only one chance at someone like Hank.
Predictably, when Hank and his partner, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, find out, there are attacks and threats. But Andrea, Salgado, and most of the La Voz team persevere. Andrea is unhappy when Salgado announces that they will not be using bylines for a while as she feels that it compromises the truth. But, at the same time, she understands why Salgado is taking such a step.
Ultimately, Andrea’s investigation of Hank leads to a dead end. But she does connect General Rebollo, the leader of the US and Mexican government’s joint task force, to Amado, which results in the firing and arrest of the former. Her article also inevitably causes the fallout between Hank and Amado.
Towards the end of the season finale, Andrea meets Walt, and the latter gives her details on what happened to Alex Hodoyan. Sitting opposite Walt, Andrea perhaps sees her future self. The two narrators of ‘Narcos: Mexico’ are similar in quite a few ways. They both pursue their heart’s desire — which is justice for Walt and truth for Andrea — with unrelenting resolve, and that can potentially lead to self-destruction.
Is Andrea Based on a Real Person?
Andrea Nuñez is most likely a composite character. We can glean from what is depicted in the series that her editor, Salgado, is probably based on Jesús Blancornelas and La Voz on the Zeta magazine. So, it’s possible that Andrea’s creation was at least partly inspired by Adela Navarro Bello, the current general director of Zeta magazine. Like her mentor, Bello is an award-winning and revered journalist who has continued the tradition of Zeta’s hard-hitting journalism since she took over.
Read More: Does Salgado, the La Voz Editor, Die in Narcos: Mexico Season 3?
