Tengo Miedo! (I'm Afraid)

About

"Tengo Miedo" is a YouTube video that became immensely popular amongst Mexican netizens circa 2008. The view count for "Tengo Miedo" is well on its way towards 10 million views (as of June 2009) and remixes of the original footage have been floating around as well.

The Story of Juan Carrasco

In 2007, Juan Pablo Carrasco was stopped by the local police for speeding in Juarez, Chihuahua, where news crews happened to be present on site. The footage (filmed by the crew) begins with Carrasco surrounded by several Mexican police officers, who were trying to get him to take a field sobriety test. Before complying with the procedures, Carrasco frantically responded with an outburst of "tengo miedo," which means "I am afraid" in English.

Remixes of Tengo Miedo

Like most viral videos on YouTube, Tengo Miedo has spawned off several remixes, though many of them still remain in obscurity with fewer than 1,000 views. Some of the more popular versions include:

• Tengo Miedo (Techno Remix):

• Tengo Miedo (Version Electronica):

• Tengo Miedo (Halloween Version):

• Tengo Miedo (Freestyle Rap):

• Follow-up News Coverage of Juan Pablo Carrasco:

Since the incident, he’s started a Halloween-esque website called tengomiedo.com.mx that offers “Tengo Miedo” t-shirts for sale. The site is billed as a space for people to share and let go of their own fears. He also has a blog, also called Tengo Miedo.

Sources

Across the Border Blog: Traffic Stop Leads to "I'm Afraid" Website