Transcription
I have a weird vibe, eh. I don't know if you're going to go in like that, you're going to get locked up. The legend says that whoever enters doesn't leave. When I was on the corner, they started passing by and started accompanying us. Oh, don't leave me naked, eh. They wanted a million pesos. If they weren't going to kill me or her, it's not going to happen. No, we're not going to die. I don't understand if he wants to take me there, up and above, or yes, they would grab you and kill you. The whole perimeter is controlled. Bad, bad, bad. My uncle got hit here with one of those iron boxers. Red Zone, they want to take us up there, it looks very, very nice. They used to kill very often. No, I don't like the gunshot, and it's not a robbery either, so let's go. You know, from here on, I'll accompany you. So don't enter. One more week, guys. In Mexico City, I'm in Iztapalapa, the municipality, the zone, the largest mayor's office of all. Think that it has 117 square kilometers, it's gigantic, and almost 2 million inhabitants. It means that a part of Mexico City is large, practically like Barcelona. Well, in fact, a little more. I have data that personally blows my mind. It's also one of the oldest and most historically relevant areas of all Mexico City. To think that here there is evidence of human occupation for more than 7,000 years. Spectacular. In fact, this was an area. You see the police behind, but they are not accompanying me, eh. I'm waiting for a contact. It was an area where many very important rituals were performed for the Mexicas, who are the original people of Mexico. What happens? We take a leap, not in time, we arrive at the 19th century, where an enormous urbanization process begins. And what happens, as always with such strong urbanization processes? Well, a lot of people start to arrive, which is normally something positive. But where is the problem? That this was not accompanied by a construction process, not of the infrastructures, at the same level, with the same speed. And what does this generate? Marginality, poverty, criminality. Come on, a lot of things. In fact, the most important problems today in this neighborhood are precisely that: poverty and criminality. This is the municipality with the most crimes in all of Mexico City. Think that last year, in 2023, 33,000 crimes were registered in this area. We are talking about robberies, murders, extortions, and a few other things that, honestly, I don't remember now. So, by bad luck, I'm passing by here because, as you can see, we are on the main street. There are many little stalls here. They sell fruit, vegetables, meat, taxis, small supermarkets. And I prefer to stay in this area for the moment because that's what I wanted to tell you about the problems and challenges, no, that this area has. So, what happens when there is a lot of criminality, many organized groups? The perception of the neighborhood changes a bit. So, all external investments and also internal ones from the people here are nullified. People don't want to come here, they don't want to invest in apartments, they don't want to open stores, and this makes the poverty level rise even more. So, something very, very bad, obviously, for the development of a neighborhood. So, they are stepping up their efforts to improve security a bit. It seems that for the moment they are not succeeding, but well, let's see today the areas that are theoretically worse. In reality, I'm going with a contact I don't know. I don't know how strong, so to speak, he is. So, I don't know how much we can risk because, I repeat, we are in Latin America, which is wonderful, but at the same time, it is quite, quite dangerous. There are very strong, very important criminal groups that don't think twice about shooting you in the middle of the eyes. So, let's see what can be done. I hope to be able to show very interesting things to people, to tourists who want to visit this area. I recommend it because this is where the culture of the neighborhoods, of the working-class people, is truly lived, and it's a wonderful experience. I think that while I was walking, you saw behind there the good Joaco, who is recording a video in the same area for his channel. So, if you're interested, you can go there. Okay, we're done a bit with the history of that neighborhood. Let's get to it. Two days have passed since the intro, but it's being practically impossible to record here. All my contacts tell me yes, yes, then no. I'm not understanding the Mexican culture a bit. It's very difficult for them to say no. So, they prefer to tell you yes, yes, no problem, and then they don't answer you. They tell you yes, yes, right now, right now. It can be five minutes or five days. There's no specific time. So, nothing, I've lost two days of work looking for other people, and it seems we're lucky because there you can see the guy on the left, Joaco, and then a friend of his, and it seems that the guy in white has contacts or knows people in "El Hoyo," the most dangerous part, absolutely, of all Iztapalapa, which, as a neighborhood, and I said it in the intro, is one of the most complicated, most intense areas of all Mexico City. It's a spectacular day. I'm having a good Coca-Cola. I'm very eager because yesterday I rested and organized a bit the rest of the places, and I'm going very prepared because I'm going to five of the most dangerous cities in all of Mexico. But before going there, these murals we have behind are very peculiar because we have Pablo Escobar here, El Chapo Guzmán here, the Queen here. This one is called Corrido. I don't know who he is well. Well, they are all well-known drug traffickers from Colombia or Mexico, etc., etc. Well, you know that in many marginal, complicated neighborhoods, they are like gods. You're going to go in like that, you're going to come out locked up, seriously. They shoot us, we're not going to come out without underwear. Maybe if I go to your country and I act crazy, they'll also screw me. If we go in with education and ask, maybe nothing happens. Calm down, calm down. You go in crazy. No, no, no, we're not from here either. We're not going to act like show-offs. To many young girls. Laser, comment there that the kids, from middle school, eh, from middle school, all there in "El Hoyo," and why? Because there's a gang, there's pure heavy gang, man. Do you think something can't happen if we go to record like this? Let's hope not. Before, there was nothing. Patrols didn't enter. Before, patrols didn't enter. Now, like the cable is, less enters. How far do you leave us? Where do you feel safe? About 10 minutes from there. 5 minutes. If you want, I'll leave you there, in the very "Hoyo." Okay. Just give me 20 more pesos to take them further up, right there, to "El Hoyo." Risk your life for 20 pesos. It surprises me or not. If you tell me 1000 more, I understand, but is it dangerous or not? I don't understand. If it's dangerous, then everything is at risk, okay. Well, it doesn't matter because Yaco pays, so 70, 90. He is Yaco. You see him here. The cable bus arrives, and right next to it, we have "El Hoyo." Now, the taxi driver is so kind that he told me, "Look, you give us a little more, and I'll leave you there. I'm risking my life, good man." So, we're going straight there. Look at that spectacular car. They told me this is one of the hottest spots where I have to go because here I only see families. It seems very calm. Do you want me to take you to the dangerous part? You have contacts, but I'm sure. [Music] With you. Oh, don't leave me. [Music] Naked. Well, I'm very lucky because I just found a friend here from the area, and he told me that he knows interesting people. We'll go there, we'll ask them if they want to know or not, always with a lot of respect, you know, so they don't get offended. And you're from here, not from the area? Yes, I'm from here, from the area. And how is it? Why do you think people think that about "El Hoyo"? Because of the thieves. It's just that before, yes, they used to kill very often here, and well, they didn't throw them into "El Hoyo." The police who passed by, they robbed them, they went up and robbed people. If there were wars between gangs, and it was very common, of course, murders and all that. There were different neighborhood gangs, and if you passed by, you were from one neighborhood and passed by another, and they recognized you, well, they would grab you and kill you. Those that are called invisible borders, no, where you cross a street and it's already in another gang's area, and it's a problem. Exactly. Has it happened to you personally, to experience a situation like that, a bit, a bit bad, a bit tough? Yes, of course. One time we went up, we were riding a motorcycle, going around, and we went up to that hill of the Three Crosses. It's, it's on the mountain. You can see it better, okay. And then some cholos started chasing us, and they caught us, and they asked us what neighborhood we were from, and since we were dressed somewhat like that, with baggy clothes, they told us, "No, you're from the neighborhood, right?" No, no, we're not from the neighborhood. No. Where are you from? We told them. No, from down there, from "El Hoyo." Then they told us, "No, then you have to get down." No, then they started taking all our things, chains, wallets, cell phones. They wanted to take our motorcycles too. It's just that, well, due to adrenaline and inertia, one started running. Yes, but they still chased us, still hit us and everything. But did you lose the motorcycle in the end, or did you escape with the keys? In the end, yes, we managed to get away with the motorcycle, but yes, my uncle got hit here with one of those iron boxers. They opened all this here. Wow. They took his silver chains, the money, the cell phone. Now, well, everything we had, practically, except for the motorcycle, because we never got off it, and we accelerated to escape. Otherwise, well, they would have left us there barefoot and everything. They don't know us. They're not afraid that you have very dangerous friends and you come back and you hurt them, you know? Yes, but since they are in their neighborhood, they already feel like the bosses. It's not that they feel like it, but simply that they have the backing there, they have weapons, they have the means, no? I mean, of course, you're not going to go into the lion's mouth, of course, to get hit, of course. Well, in reality, that's what I'm doing right now, because you seem like a very good person, but in reality, I don't know you. Yes. So, I trust the good vibe you're giving me, but I hope you have good intentions, you know. First mayor's office is Iztapalapa, there we have it, one of the hottest spots, and indeed, there are many colors. Look there, how cool, also these murals, but that doesn't mean it's less dangerous. Look, from up here, you can see the metro cable very well, which makes the last stop, I think, the last stop around there. Look, it's all sort of built, and in that part, without any kind of color, something quite common in neighborhoods because paint costs a lot. So, when they already have the essentials to be able to live, then aesthetics is a luxury, it's already external. Can I ask you? Because I've never seen this. What is it called here? Because I've just returned from Colombia, and they smoke "Paco," they call it that. What is it? It's like crack, you know? Uh-huh. Or base paste, it's also called in other countries. Yes, here, what is it called? It's called "piedra" (stone). It's like crack, the same. Okay, okay, okay. And you've been using that for a long time? No, not much. How is it? What does it feel like? It accelerates the body, it accelerates your metabolism, it gives you thirst, exactly. Okay, okay, okay. And is it very addictive, or is it regular? It can be worth a red one. Well, depending. There are 1000 pesos, there are 100. Ah, well, cheap, maybe. Well, yes. Ah, no, wait, 1000 pesos is a lot, man. How? 1000 pesos? Well, that's what it costs, damn it. I hadn't understood. 10 pesos. No, no, 1000 is a lot. Okay, okay. Well, eh, here there's also the glue. No, that thing that you sniff and it's very cheap, it costs like 3, 5 pesos, they told me something like that. 20 pesos for the little bottle. And how long does it last? Well, depending on how you use it, of course. If you do it all the time, it lasts a day. It gives you more, more calmly. Well, a bit more. Do taxis enter here, or because ours was a bit afraid to enter here, he left us down there. And it's that before, well, now they go up a little more, yes, but before, from the boulevard to here, of those who entered the most. Look, what a beauty. There are good artists in Mexico, from what I'm seeing. Regarding gangs, are they divided, or is there only one important one that controls everything? No, well, in each, how can I say, in each corner, in each corner, there's a neighborhood, you could say. They are different gangs, a different clan. Okay, but it's not like there's a very big cartel controlling them all. Each one does what they want, eh? Yes, each one does what they want. Okay, okay. Each one commands in their territory, of course. No, no, but imagine that this is my neighborhood, I form my group, then the Jalisco cartel arrives and tells me, "Listen, you can work here, but you have to pay me every month." So, in the end, they are my bosses. Yes, because they are more powerful. If I tell them no, obviously, how long do I last? A second. Uh-huh. Normal, of course. But so far, well, nothing has sounded like that. Do you like living here, or would you like to change and be in a slightly calmer area, live more relaxed? Well, I like it. It's calm here for me. Since I've been here for a year and people know me, it's calm. Of course, but if they see someone they don't know, well, obviously, yes, they react. No, there are no problems, but yes, they react like, "Who is that guy? Let's see what he's going to do, what he's coming to do here." Yes, but it's not that they shoot you first. They ask you, and you explain, and if they don't want to, you leave, and that's it. It also depends, because if there are places where they are indeed a bit unhinged, and they do pull out and hit you, and they don't ask, like "Paraje" before. Here too, there were gangs, and you manage to capture. Yes, there are the markings of the. They were here before. I don't know. I see a penis and a van. I love you. Ah, okay. Sur 13. Okay, well, very good. We are in a well-controlled area. I don't know if it's relaxed or not, because in reality, I'm not. But I don't understand. It has the level of danger, honestly. I have a weird vibe, eh. I don't know, man. I don't understand. He seems like a good guy, but I don't understand if he's smart, and we're going to go to Paco's friend, and he'll throw us a party. A question, that guy up there is accompanying us, is he very dangerous, or I don't know if he's a farmer. I'm not telling you the truth. You know him by sight. He's a good person. He's not trustworthy. No, here he's very heavy. I don't want to know if he seems like a good guy to me, but I don't understand if he wants to take me up there, and Yoba, or yes. It's Red Zone. Red Zone. But you don't know the family or someone. I don't know if he's, I repeat, good or bad. Bad, bad. So, how far do I go? Here, no, down. That's it. Many people are armed here because we know each other. Here, we have to face more problems. Okay. Don't go into the houses. Ah, he says. Some say, "Come in, come in." Extortions, kidnappings. Damn it, you scared me, eh. No, calm down. Yes, calm down. Kidnappings, extortions, very calm. They ask you for the vaccine, or not? Yes, like they call it, the monthly payment. Well, they arrive and ask you for money. If you don't give it to them, well, they hit you badly. And if you continue not giving them money, they don't burn your place again or something? No, they wanted me to give them, they wanted me to give them a million pesos. If not, they were going to kill me or her. They were going to kidnap my son or my daughter. A million pesos they asked for. And this was like 7:30, right? And everything, I went to touch the camera, they were watching me, they were watching me, everything I did, the clothes, how many children I had, how many cars I had, the business. They were saying all that. But are they big cartels, or are they small gangs of four stupid people? What happens is that cartels, they don't do that anymore. Because they have a lot of money. Of course, they go for bigger things. They don't bother merchants, nothing. Of course, but a person who doesn't have money, a million pesos, it's easy for them. So, did they shoot you, and then you paid, or not? No, I didn't pay. It went to the investigation. They supported me, and yes, I didn't leave here. I'm clinging to being here. Also, your wound, necessarily. Ooh, yes, strong, eh. The bullet entered and exited. It exited an expansive 380. Look at the beauty of these murals. It's something very positive because when it starts to take away a bit of sadness, by giving color to the neighborhoods, I think people go out of the house with, I don't know, a little bit, I don't say a different mentality, but it's much nicer to leave the house and see such a spectacular mural than to go out and see everything gray, everything a bit, a bit sad. Bye, doggy. They fixed it now, but they had set it on fire. They broke the windows and shot it. Which one do you say? This module? Ah, this police one? Yes. Ah, okay. Pillars. Well, this is something quite iconic because a few years ago, as he says, they broke the windows, shot it, and set it on fire. They set it on fire, they burned it. Now, obviously, they've redone it all, but they didn't like the police presence in this area, so they said, "Boom, let's do it all," and goodbye. You mark that, but the moment you press it, don't let go. Grab it like this, and inform it. It will ask for your data. You give it your data, and it says, "I am located," and then I give you the solution so that the patrols go up. I don't know if I've done any harm. He told me to keep pressing it, but an alarm started. Have I messed up or not? What have I done? I think they're going to come for us, but the whole neighborhood already knows. Yes, sorry, they told me to press it. I didn't know there was an alarm. But does someone talk to me, or not? No, no. Ah, ah, they're coming here. That's it. It's no longer anything. A patrol will just arrive, but nothing happens. Okay. That's what I wanted. Thank you. They're already accompanying us. Motorcycles are passing by. They're letting me know that they are. Yes, yes, they're getting uncomfortable. So, they tell me, "That's why we're leaving." Yes, it's better to go down. Listen, when the police arrive, then we tell them we're recording here. But it's not going to arrive. No, it's not going to arrive. It's that if they see we're with the police, there will be more trouble. When I was on the corner, motorcycles and cars started passing by and started accompanying us. They started seeing that we were there, like, "What the hell?" A gunshot or something? I don't like the gunshot, and it's not a robbery either, so let's go. You know, if I have to choose, I prefer robbery. I'll tell you the truth. Me too. Yes. The other guy said, "No, I'm not going up anymore." Good afternoon. How are you? Hello. I was coming down, but I saw this statue from behind that seems very, very peculiar, and here, I suppose, you are the artist. No, I am the founder. The founder. Okay. So, you are in charge, obviously, of melting the metal and putting it here, and it comes out with the shape, obviously. First, they are made of wax. Lost wax casting, my friend. You can touch it. Of course. It's wax. It's not that soft, and then we process it to put it, convert it all into bronze. So, these are bronze. So, several statues are handled, but all with the same, for example, in this case, with the same face, of Christ. This is Christ, yes. It's a series of Christ figures. It's a special job. A monk, so to speak. Of course. Look here, it's incredible. And who is your usual client? Churches or museums? No, private ones. Privately, regularly. They are sculptors or some gallery. I suppose they are very wealthy people. I don't know how much a statue can be worth. I don't want to know the exact price, but to have an idea. Yes, really, yes. The people who have the capital to afford it, because really, if you notice, it's purely ornamental. Of course, of course, of course. But to have an idea of the price, they can be worth, I don't know, from 1 million to 10, or I don't know. This, leaving here, so to speak, would cost 8,000 pesos. My friend Joaco, who is much more informed than me, just told me that "El Hoyo" is called that because it's located in the middle of two mountains, and the legend says that whoever enters doesn't leave. So, we are showing you that it's simply a legend. Something else too, that there used to be, when it was really, at least they said it was very intense, there was a legend that said, "From here on, God does not accompany you, so don't enter." My goodness. But what is that? It's also quite, it's a neighborhood that I feel must be respected a lot to avoid problems. That's why we are moving, but with a lot of caution and without doing any kind of stupid thing. When there are people, you have to talk. We don't ask for anything. Everything very educated, very calm, trying to do everything as discreetly as possible. But seeing four people dressed like that with cameras, it's not very discreet, you know. You see very tough stories, eh. And the incredible thing is that you stop any person, you ask them, has anything happened to you? Yes, everyone has a story to tell. The shopkeeper, they shot him. The other one, they robbed him. Someone else lost family. Incredible. The idea is also to go up on the metro cable, because I want to show you the neighborhood from above, which is very, very striking, very characteristic. I love that they paint these little things, and it gives it this very Mexican, very festive vibe, although there's very little festivity here, honestly. Here, here. Let's go, phenomenon. Look, look, look. I've spent 5 euros since I arrived in Mexico. Do you want to come with me to Venezuela, Colombia? All of Colombia? Well, I'm recording because I want to show this. It's a sin that there's such a new, such a nice structure in such a somewhat marginal area. Look at this structure, all new, very fresh, air conditioning. A girl at the entrance, very friendly. Couldn't be better. And it's only 7 pesos for the trip. 7 pesos is about 40 cents of a euro. A very honest price. Look here, "canchita." Let's go. [ __ ] There it goes. Look, what a marvel. The murals, they've painted them, they've painted the roofs, you see them there. Like this, from above, you can appreciate them. Look, what madness, really. How close it passes the metro cable, incredible. In the part where you see those colorful houses, that's the highest area. Can you record more? And there, how is it? Calm or calm like "El Hoyo"? Calm like the pyramids? Well, here today it's a bit more. I say the pyramids because you know more, right? Because here, I tell you, very calm. It seems like an apparent calm, it seems calm, but in a second, there's a problem. Look at the vastness of that neighborhood. All that that is between mountains is "El Hoyo." So, nothing, Mexico City is so big that a neighborhood is practically Barcelona. Sit down. How beautiful, man. You made it all yourself with your hands. Yes. Wow. Ah, and that? No, this is to lower it. Incredible. Ah, look, you need the. No, dude, but you have impressive manual skill. How long did it take you, more or less? About 2 years. Wow. And in investment, like 10, 10,000 pesos. Of course, of course. And is it possible to drive like this? It's not that low. No, you couldn't even give it. Unless you put a small suspension, of course. But do you use it? Yes, it works, man. Spectacular. I grab it, I go, I tell you, "It goes, I'll take you, I'll take you on the tour." Is it going to happen? Is it not going to happen? I saw that they say that in that place, but what do they do? Do they stop you and rob you, or do they empty the car directly? It has happened to you. As you are foreigners, then they will look for the bribe. Family. Ah, they kidnap you. Damn it. No, no, it's not worth it. I have an idea. What if you take me to where you can see it from above, to the mountain? I mean, don't go through the door. It's the same as going up to the hill. I'm telling you, it's all controlled. The whole perimeter, what is the Eastern Army, it's all controlled. Nothing moves there if it doesn't come from them. However, the police are bought. Even they themselves, if they see you recording, entering the path, they themselves will stop you. And here ends today's episode. It has been a very complicated episode to record. Iztapalapa, we know it's one of the most insecure areas, and "El Hoyo," well, we've seen it. Everywhere they told us, "Leave, you're being watched." There's another area that we haven't been able to record, which is the drug dealing point, but it's literally impossible to document it because there are security controls before reaching the exact drug dealing point. I liked it. I really like Mexican culture. I hope you have learned something, that you have liked it, and as always, we'll see you in the next episode. [Music] [Music]