1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: learn this stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. 5 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 2: Hello, welcome back to the show. My name is Matt. 6 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 2: Our colleague Noel is on an adventure, but will be 7 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: returning shortly. 8 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 3: They called me Ben. We're joined as always with our 9 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 3: super producer Andrew the try Force Howard. Most importantly, you 10 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 3: are here. That makes this the stuff they don't want 11 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 3: you to know. Previously, on Stuff they Don't want you 12 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 3: to know, we explored the historical and geopolitical context surrounding 13 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 3: something called the Darien Gap. We spent a lot of 14 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 3: time on that. It was sort of chapter one of 15 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 3: the two because we needed to lay out deep precedents 16 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 3: leading to the GAP's current reputation as well as its 17 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 3: role as a massive land route for migration and crime. 18 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 3: And Matt, I know we were talking the law fair. 19 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 3: This is particularly close to a lot of us and 20 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 3: our social groups here in Atlanta because of recent moves 21 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 3: regarding migration or regarding deportation attempts and apprehending undocumented people 22 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 3: and families and yet to be clear, folks, this is 23 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 3: not just an Atlanta thing. It's happening around the US 24 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 3: as we record. 25 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 2: Oh yes, just this past week and particularly this weekend, 26 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: there was a there was a large thing that occurred 27 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 2: within the news. You probably saw. It was, I don't 28 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 2: know what you would call it, an argument between the 29 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 2: United States and the country of Colombia about two I 30 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 2: guess they're the huge military planes filled with human beings 31 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 2: that were deported by the United States back to Colombia 32 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: and Colombia refused to take them. At first, the President 33 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, made a statement about that, and 34 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 2: then there was a threat from the American side about tariffs. 35 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: And then it appears today as we record on Monday, 36 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 2: January twenty seventh, that that tariff war or whatever you 37 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 2: want to call it has not occurred and Colombia has 38 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: accepted these deported human beings. I guess we should just 39 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 2: mention just to give the geography here, the Darien Gap. 40 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 2: If you haven't listened to that first episode, do but 41 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 2: it is between Central America and South America. It's a 42 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:53,079 Speaker 2: piece of land that connects Columbia to Panama, right, And 43 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 2: that's why We're bringing this up because Colombia is one 44 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 2: of the primary countries involved here in the Darien app 45 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 2: and it's just I think it's weird for us because 46 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 2: where we live in Atlanta, we talk about this particular 47 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 2: place a sector. I guess if they call it a 48 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 2: what do they call the Buford Highway Corridor, that's. 49 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,839 Speaker 3: What they ca Yeah, a magical corridor. By the way, 50 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 3: if you are ever fortunate enough to be there, just 51 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 3: pick a random restaurant. Don't go for a chain, just 52 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,360 Speaker 3: pick a random restaurant, and then email us some pictures 53 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 3: of the amazing experience you'll have. I have never gone 54 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 3: wrong on Buford Highway, man, I don't think you have either, 55 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 3: not once. 56 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: Not once. And I lived right in the heart of 57 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 2: that area. And there are major as we speak right now, 58 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 2: and over this past weekend, there are major ic ice 59 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 2: operations occurring there where just families are getting torn apart 60 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 2: because one or two people within a household is just 61 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 2: being picked up by agents and shipped off. 62 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, and again this is a crucial part of the 63 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 3: larger context. If you want to get some of them 64 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 3: more up to the minute updates like you're describing there, Matt, 65 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 3: you can folks check out the LA Times They just 66 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 3: came out with us. It's like you said, it's all over, 67 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 3: It's all over the news. The tariff trade war is 68 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 3: on hold in sort of a quid pro quo for 69 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 3: the resumption of those deportation fights. We know this can 70 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 3: be a sensitive subject. As always, our goal is to 71 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 3: navigate these things with accuracy and empathy. 72 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, and the whole reason it's important to this 73 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 2: story is that these are human beings that at some 74 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 2: point took a journey to get to the United States, 75 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 2: right And whether or not they came through the dairy 76 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 2: end gap we don't know on an individual basis, but 77 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 2: we do know that desire to get to the US 78 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 2: somehow is what generally not always pushes people through this 79 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 2: area we're talking about in the dairy end gap. 80 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 3: And there may be an episode in future evening related 81 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 3: to migration overall, especially given the recent moves or signals 82 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 3: in the US domestic sphere of attempts to overturn the 83 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 3: concept of citizenship by birth, which is potentially an explosive thing. 84 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 3: So what about this man? What if we pause for 85 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 3: a word from our sponsors, and then we come back 86 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 3: with a brief recap or a regap regap, all right. 87 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 4: We'll keep it. 88 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 3: We'll keep it, Andrew. If there's a I eroned it. 89 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,799 Speaker 3: So we'll come back and give you a brief recap 90 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 3: of the of the Darien Gap as you had set 91 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 3: up there, Matt, and then we'll dive further into the 92 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 3: conspiratorial side of this story. Here are the facts, all right. So, 93 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 3: as you were saying, if you if you pull up 94 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,559 Speaker 3: your map of choice right, whether that be print, whether 95 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 3: that be you know something online, you can zoom into 96 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 3: the northwest of Columbia as you were describing, Matt, and 97 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 3: you'll see it's connected to Panama via This is myth. 98 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 3: Sounds like a silly word, but it's it's the little 99 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 3: It might as well be a piece of string continent speaking, 100 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 3: continentally speaking, and it connects South America to Panama and 101 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 3: all points north. This is the only land route to 102 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 3: do that. 103 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, everything else is going to be water if 104 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 2: you're if you're trying to get yourself or anything north. 105 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 3: Yeah. And it's called the Darien Gap nowadays because it 106 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 3: is literally a gap. It is the only break in 107 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 3: the in the Great Pan American Highway, which otherwise spans 108 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 3: the like the entire left side of North and South America, 109 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:03,600 Speaker 3: which is a super impressive feat. But for multiple reasons, 110 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 3: the powers that be have simply not completed any stretch 111 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 3: of road through this gap, which is a sixty something 112 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 3: mile region. Some places we'll call it sixty miles, some 113 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 3: will say more like sixty six miles. But it's something 114 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 3: that looks small. I love how you pointed this out 115 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 3: in chapter one. It's something that looks small on a 116 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 3: regional or global map, but when you are walking on foot, 117 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 3: it is huge. 118 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 2: Yes, oh absolutely, that would be that stretch you're talking about, ben, 119 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 2: or that length that would be if you connected where 120 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 2: the last road is in Panama to the last road 121 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 2: in Columbia, or vice versa. 122 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. And this failure to create modern 123 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 3: road system here comes as part of a much larger 124 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 3: historic pattern. You know, for centuries and centuries, outsiders have 125 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 3: tried to establish footholds in this agglomeration of rainforests and mountains, 126 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 3: but because of the weather, you know, the punishing wildlife, 127 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 3: the snakes, the scorpions, the constant threat of very serious diseases, 128 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 3: nobody has cracked the case. The entire time. People who 129 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 3: are living in indigenous communities in the area since time immemorial. 130 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 3: They've watched these outsiders come and go. They live with 131 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,439 Speaker 3: the land. They're not trying to change it. Everybody from 132 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 3: the outside who has attempted a large scale community has 133 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 3: either died or turned back. 134 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, yep. But if you do look at aerial photos, 135 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 2: you will see that there are villages, there are small 136 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 2: pockets where humans live, and again, a lot of that 137 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 2: is indigenous peoples, but some of that is also the 138 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 2: more nefarious side of this area, which is more modern 139 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 2: peoples that have moneyed interest in getting goods, let's say, 140 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 2: which includes humans across that border. 141 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, you'll see campsites. You'll see really sort of 142 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 3: the equivalent of rest stops, you know what I mean, 143 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 3: fulfilling the same function that you might see for a 144 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:21,439 Speaker 3: rest stop on the interstate system here in the United States, 145 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 3: right place to get off the road, to stop traveling, 146 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 3: to eat if you're lucky, pursue medical care in some cases, 147 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,839 Speaker 3: and then you know places safer places to sleep, all 148 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 3: of which come at a cost. And that's that's the 149 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 3: important part. It's incredibly difficult to build any permanent structure 150 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 3: of size in this part of the world, and it 151 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 3: reminds me of our previous conversations years ago on lost cities, 152 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,319 Speaker 3: right when Lydar was really rolling out. The jungle hungers. 153 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 3: It eats all the work of man, you know. And 154 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 3: I mean, if we think about it, even in Mesoamerican 155 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 3: Central American empires of old, they would build gargantuan temples, 156 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 3: you know, these gigantic stone structures, and within a relatively 157 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 3: short span of time, the jungle would take them. So 158 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,559 Speaker 3: that's that's an active thing you're working against. 159 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, we see what sand and wind can do 160 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 2: to structures right now. Imagine if it's living plants that 161 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:37,320 Speaker 2: are just enveloping everything and then the sediment that forms 162 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,559 Speaker 2: and it is nuts not because not only does the 163 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 2: jungle eat the stuff, it buries it. 164 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it. When we say we do literally mean 165 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:51,959 Speaker 3: like cover and digest hmm, all the works of human beings. 166 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 3: So there there are also of course intense environmental concerns, 167 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 3: right because this has such dense biodiversity. Anyway, those are 168 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 3: several reasons no one's built a modern road through this 169 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 3: area and probably won't for the near future, and all 170 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 3: those problems continue in the modern day, but with a twist, 171 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 3: with a horrible twist, because as we record, more people 172 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 3: are visiting the Darien Gap than ever like in recent years. 173 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 3: There is an alarming rise of people, thousands upon thousands 174 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 3: of people, men, women, and children attempting to traverse the 175 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 3: gap on foot most often, and they're taking whatever they 176 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 3: can carry, everything they own. They often have to liquidate 177 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 3: any of their assets from their home country just so 178 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:50,479 Speaker 3: they have cash or funding to make this journey ultimately 179 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 3: to the United States. And we didn't talk about it 180 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 3: too much. We'll get into this in a second, but 181 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 3: there are This is a business. It is a business 182 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 3: that is run by cartels with the aid and approval 183 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 3: of state security forces in some cases. And because it 184 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 3: is a business, they are doing the at least for me, 185 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 3: the intensely aggravating thing that so many businesses do, which 186 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 3: is tiered pricing. Right, you have more money, you might 187 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 3: get a horse, right, or we could even take you 188 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 3: well on a motorcycle, on a motorbike part of the way, 189 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 3: or you know, you could hop on a boat and 190 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 3: try that. I don't know. I resent tiered pricing. I 191 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 3: get it, I get it. I know it's a little 192 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 3: Larry David. But you know, it's like when you go 193 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 3: to buy a computer, just why can't you just sell 194 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 3: one that is the best one. Why do you have 195 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 3: to sell these other ones that are less good? Sorry? 196 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 3: Unrelated related, Yeah, capital, yeah, yeah, no, you nailed it. 197 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 3: That's what it is. And look, the people who are 198 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:02,319 Speaker 3: doing this, they're not wealthy. 199 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 4: You know. 200 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 3: Nobody is waking up and saying, well, I feel like 201 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:13,239 Speaker 3: I've achieved total success in Caracas. I have beaten Venezuela. 202 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 3: So now I'm going to take my millions and I'm 203 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 3: going to just go on a fun little trip. People 204 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 3: are doing this because they feel they must. They feel 205 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 3: that it is a matter of survival. That's an important 206 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 3: thing to always keep in front of mind whenever you 207 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:36,440 Speaker 3: hear conversations about migration or immigration, regardless of personal experience 208 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:37,599 Speaker 3: or political beliefs. 209 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, let's not forget the edge of the Darien Gap, 210 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 2: at least as it is known in the Darien I 211 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 2: think it's the national forest that's right there or national park, 212 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 2: excuse me. And that is a border like that is 213 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 2: a border area. So when you're thinking about those state 214 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 2: security forces that you're mentioning the ones that are let's say, 215 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 2: very likely paid and incentivized to allow certain people across 216 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 2: and then keep others on the you know, from from 217 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 2: traversing through the Darien Gap. It is strange to imagine 218 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 2: the state craft involved. They're mixed in that weird way. 219 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 2: I was going to say, stepped on by the cartels. 220 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's appropriate. Yeah, because the as we 221 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 3: discussed the the Gulf Clan as they're they're typically known 222 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 3: in shorthand in English, they are a huge cartel in Columbia. 223 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 3: They got to the point where they do touch the government. 224 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 3: They step on as you as you said, some things 225 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 3: they're known associates include, you know, kernels, include heads of 226 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 3: security and heads of things like border control or of course, 227 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 3: you know, anybody associated with import export laws and policies 228 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 3: can pop the tea on that one. 229 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 2: That's one of those things I never got as a kid, 230 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 2: when there would be jokes about a joke or an 231 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 2: aside someone makes about being into like oh I'm in 232 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 2: imports and exports or something like that. Oh yeah, I 233 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 2: never understood any of that that was in media, all 234 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 2: these movies that we watched as kids that adults would 235 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 2: like mention it and all the adults around and be like, oh. 236 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 3: I see, yeah, I don't know why. I always assumed 237 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 3: it was, you know, furniture find Yeah, rare spices, stuff 238 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 3: that we associate with other countries. I'm with you there, man. 239 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 3: I even knew like friends' parents who were import export 240 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 3: legitimate business. Well, I think in their defense, as far 241 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 3: as I could tell, you know, I think they were 242 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 3: probably just our dealers. Sure check out our episode on 243 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 3: art and also freeports. I don't know, man, but yeah, 244 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 3: you know what else it reminds me of totally unrelated 245 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 3: and I hope I'm not the only one who has 246 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 3: a knucklehead about this. For years and years, up until college, 247 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 3: I thought that package stores sold packages. I thought they 248 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 3: sold packaging, And I was like, what is the real 249 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 3: business here? Why are these places always so sketchy? I 250 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 3: none of these guys are carrying packages? 251 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, why does dad need so many packages? 252 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 3: Oh that's a joke for fellow dads. Yeah. So again, 253 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 3: there's a lot going on here. There are some matters 254 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 3: of not just historical context, but historical consequence. We learned 255 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 3: that the Darien gap plays a big role in why 256 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 3: Scotland is not independent today. Which was way out of 257 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 3: left field. Do check out our episode our previous episode 258 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 3: for more on that. In the meantime, maybe we begin 259 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 3: with the logical question we ended on previously. With all 260 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 3: this horrible stuff being true, all these dangerous things, why 261 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 3: would you choose Darien at all? Year's where it gets crazy, 262 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 3: all right. People have been trying to get in and 263 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:29,479 Speaker 3: out for centuries very little success. The growing trends that 264 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:33,239 Speaker 3: we're describing fellow conspiracy realists comes from a mix of 265 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 3: desperation and also proven prior success of terrorist groups and 266 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 3: international drug traffickers. They found that this is an effective 267 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 3: way to move their other products, and so they didn't 268 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:50,880 Speaker 3: really do anything new, right, They just sort of expanded. 269 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 3: I don't know, is that accurate? I don't want to 270 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:57,639 Speaker 3: diminish it. Oh yeah, I. 271 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 2: Would agree with you. It's a strain place there because 272 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 2: there are not a bunch like there's not a military 273 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 2: base on the Colombian side or one on the Panama side, 274 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 2: and there's no When you think about who controls those borders, 275 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 2: you do think about some form of official border protection 276 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 2: force that is militarized. 277 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 3: Right, uniforms, a gate, a checkpoint, you. 278 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:26,879 Speaker 2: Know, yes, that does not exist there, and you do 279 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 2: have almost a gradient that exists there from both sides, 280 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 2: going into almost darkness when it comes to security forces. 281 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, well put the gap is one of the 282 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 3: last true what is sometimes called a black zone on 283 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,119 Speaker 3: the planet. It's a shorthand phrase for we love to 284 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 3: say it a liminal space Aaron Manky. Yeah, shout out 285 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 3: to our pal manking Man. The shows are just so good. 286 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 3: And I say that too. It is a liminal space 287 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 3: where the ordinary rule of law does not apply, and 288 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 3: the Columbian authorities and the Panamanian authorities are both going 289 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 3: to admit their problems, and they'll have very different opinions 290 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,719 Speaker 3: on who is responsible for those problems. The closest thing 291 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 3: to rule of law in his lawless place is a 292 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 3: network of drug cartels who are some of the world's 293 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 3: most successful for profit entities up there with banks. 294 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:35,399 Speaker 2: I love your note in the event whatever I said it. 295 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't think we're big enough for them to 296 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 3: come after us. You know, if it was Josh and 297 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 3: Chuck saying that, then maybe maybe someone at Goldman's Ax 298 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 3: would would care. 299 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, they know what they're doing, HSBC Markovia at all. 300 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 3: This is but this is a huge revenue stream. And 301 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 3: I know we've both been reading a lot of these 302 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 3: amazing first hand accounts journalists and in go operatives who 303 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 3: have traversed the gap or visited it at least in part. 304 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 3: And you know one article that stood out, I think 305 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,120 Speaker 3: to all of us is from the Atlantic in August 306 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 3: of last year by Caitlin Dickerson. There's another great one 307 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 3: by Marion Blasberg and Gerald Bermudez writing for Der Spiegel 308 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:37,439 Speaker 3: or Spiegel. I should say, and do check these out 309 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 3: if you have the time, because they have photographs, they 310 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 3: have firsthand conversations with people who are working for the 311 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:51,600 Speaker 3: cartels to facilitate the border or the crossing of the gap, 312 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 3: and then families themselves who are attempting to survive as 313 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 3: well as in Geo's And I've got to say, Dickerson 314 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 3: writes beautifully and has this note where she says the following, 315 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 3: just to give you a sense of the cottage industry here, 316 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:13,879 Speaker 3: everyone who works in the Dairien Gap must be approved 317 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 3: by the cartel and hand over a portion of their earnings. 318 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:21,200 Speaker 3: They built stairs into hillside, outfitted cliffs with ladders, camps 319 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 3: with Wi Fi. They advertise it all on TikTok and YouTube, 320 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 3: and anyone can book a journey online. There many pass through. 321 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 3: The most grueling is the cheapest three hundred bucks USD 322 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 3: equivalent to cross the jungle on foot. Taking a boat 323 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:40,360 Speaker 3: up the coast can cost more than one thousand dollars. 324 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 3: That's social media part man. Ugh, that's rough. 325 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 2: Well, that's weird. It's weird to think that's how you 326 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 2: would find out about it. I don't know. And again, 327 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 2: everything there written there sounds like a similar journey that 328 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,439 Speaker 2: someone might take if they're trying to get across a 329 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:08,439 Speaker 2: border in an unofficial means or buy an unofficial means. Right, Yeah, 330 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 2: you're not going through any kind of immigration you know organization. Yeah, 331 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 2: you're just getting across a border. What what it makes 332 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 2: me think about just with the cost alone, if you're 333 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 2: if you're dishing out three hundred dollars to make the 334 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:29,920 Speaker 2: crazy on foot journey that is perilous because of wildlife too. 335 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 2: By the way, remember this is jungle, this is serious 336 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 2: jungle area. You're going to do that. But then once 337 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 2: you get into Panama, what do you where do you 338 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:43,400 Speaker 2: go from there? Because you know the journey itself, if 339 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:46,200 Speaker 2: you are going as far north as the United States, 340 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 2: or if you are just trying to get to you know, 341 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 2: just across a couple of states to Costa Rica or something. 342 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 2: There's a lot more steps and a lot more money 343 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 2: that you have to pay out. 344 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 3: Absolutely, even that bargain basement price, which does differ depending 345 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 3: on the sources, even that bargain basement price does not 346 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 3: include lodging. It does not include food, nor water, nor 347 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:13,199 Speaker 3: medical care. There's nothing like travel insurance here, you know 348 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 3: what I mean. And it does not include someone maybe 349 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 3: helping you carry stuff. Right that, everything we just named 350 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 3: is an additional series of fees. And when this journalist, 351 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 3: in particular Dickerson, decides to visit the gap in person, 352 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:33,200 Speaker 3: this happens more than once She enter team are well 353 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 3: aware of the immense danger in this pursuit. She spends 354 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:43,360 Speaker 3: some time talking with colleagues who have done similar investigations, 355 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 3: and they're telling her stories of typhoid fever, bandits, robbing people, 356 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:54,439 Speaker 3: sexual assault, death, and even perhaps in some ways the 357 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 3: most ominous and terrifying the fact that hundreds of people 358 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 3: simply disappear in the jungle as if they were swallowed 359 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 3: up in the green. 360 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's unsettling. 361 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 3: I know, right. That's because usually you would expect that 362 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:16,359 Speaker 3: if someone is traveling in a group, and to lower 363 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:20,399 Speaker 3: the likelihood of being attacked by bandits the cartel, at 364 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:22,880 Speaker 3: least on the Colombian side, because most people are traveling 365 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,680 Speaker 3: from the Colombian side to the Panamanian side, they encourage 366 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 3: people to group up. Right, if there are fifty of you, 367 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 3: then you are far less likely to be attacked by 368 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 3: a gang of like five bandits. 369 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, yeah, I also think about let's say you 370 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 2: did want to have personal protection as you went through there. 371 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 2: I wonder what getting a firearm or you know, even 372 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 2: you know, a hand held weapon of some sort, because 373 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 2: it feels like you would need at least, you know, 374 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 2: a machete or something as you're going through the jungle. 375 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 2: I guess that's why you pay your guy, just because 376 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 2: they're the people who have that stuff. And then you're 377 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 2: just a passenger essentially, like you're going on a flight. 378 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, you functionally could describe these cartel operatives, the assistants 379 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 3: as spas, you know, like you would encounter summiting everest. 380 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:25,640 Speaker 3: And if you're listening to this and you have summited everest. Congratulations, 381 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 3: that's great. If you haven't, don't. 382 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 2: Why do sherpas carry ars? 383 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 3: I guess it depends on the sherpa and what kind 384 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 3: of day they're having, all right, I mean, that's that's 385 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 3: a good question. We also know. The tricky thing with 386 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 3: firearms in that kind of situation is it becomes another 387 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:55,719 Speaker 3: liability as easily as nasseat because now you've got this 388 00:25:55,800 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 3: thing that has to be constantly cleaned and maintained. Right, 389 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 3: add that somebody else might also want, so now, you know, 390 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 3: be careful how you sleep and win. It's yeah, it's 391 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 3: not an ideal situation by any means. And Dickerson agrees 392 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 3: with the policy missteps that we touched on a little 393 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 3: bit in chapter one. There is this idea that is incorrect, 394 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 3: but it is a very popular idea. It's the concept 395 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 3: that by making migration harder, you will limit the number 396 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 3: of people who attempt it. It's it's like the art. 397 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 3: It's it's a prohibition argument, is it not. You know, 398 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 3: if we make if we make cannabis illegal, then people 399 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 3: won't smoke it. Now, they'll just they'll go to the 400 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:50,919 Speaker 3: world of crime. They'll find a way to you know, 401 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:55,399 Speaker 3: smoke weed or whatever. And if you make legal migration harder, 402 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 3: that's where it gets confused. 403 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 2: Right. 404 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 3: If you make if you make these migration policies higher, 405 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:05,240 Speaker 3: if you up the barrier for entry, you're not limiting 406 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,080 Speaker 3: the number of people who are still going to attempt 407 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 3: a passage. You are pushing them to shift toward other means. 408 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, Oh, for sure, I don't want to get sidetracked. 409 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 2: But I do wonder what is more dangerous passing this 410 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:27,200 Speaker 2: Darien gap or hopping in a shipping container kind of thing, 411 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 2: which is another form you know, I off getting across 412 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 2: a longer distance to get into the US via that 413 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:36,240 Speaker 2: import export thing, right, I don't know which is worse, 414 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 2: to be honest. 415 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's They're two different flavors of equally terrifying horror, 416 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 3: are they not. 417 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:44,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. 418 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:49,120 Speaker 3: The claustrophobia of the shipping container. You're especially if you're 419 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 3: on a cargo vessel, knowing that you cannot get out 420 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:57,639 Speaker 3: right you have to have the food that you brought 421 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 3: with you from home and more importantly, the water. Anybody's 422 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 3: ever hopped the trade off the books knows that one 423 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:07,919 Speaker 3: of the things you most regret not bringing more of 424 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 3: is going to be water and it's easy to die there. 425 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 2: You know. 426 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 3: It's also equally terrifying to be with your family in 427 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,199 Speaker 3: the middle of the unforgiving jungle. Yeah, and then have 428 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,399 Speaker 3: to figure out beat me here. Ed, you have to 429 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 3: figure out what you're going to tell your six year 430 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 3: old right when they see some things that children should 431 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:37,199 Speaker 3: not see. Yeah, I don't know. I just it's very 432 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 3: it's harrowing, you know, to realize there are a lot 433 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 3: of people doing this and they don't really have a 434 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 3: say because it goes to cartel crimes and crisis. We 435 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 3: found a report by Human Rights Watch in twenty twenty 436 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 3: three that they compiled after visiting the gap four times 437 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 3: between April of twenty twenty two and June of twenty 438 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 3: twenty three. They interviewed three hundred something people on the ground, 439 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:07,800 Speaker 3: and they found that the number of migrants in Latin 440 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 3: America and the Caribbean more than doubled from seven million 441 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 3: to fifteen million. This is more context, that's the largest 442 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 3: global growth for international migrants anywhere in the world during 443 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 3: that time, and the vast majority of these people, We've 444 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 3: said it before, they're not criminals, they're refugees, asylum seekers, 445 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 3: and the largest demographic of people traversing the gap right 446 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 3: now are people whose origin country was Venezuela, and that 447 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 3: you and I talked about that previously in Part one, 448 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 3: because that's I think, by far and away the largest 449 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 3: proportion of migrants. 450 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:53,160 Speaker 2: Right yeah, yeah, at least within that group that was 451 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 2: studied in those numbers that came from the what was 452 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 2: it the International or the International Organization for Migration looked 453 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 2: at those numbers as well and confirmed them, but the 454 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 2: Human Rights Watch those are the findings from them. Yeah, 455 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 2: over four hundred and forty thousand people went from Venezuela 456 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,240 Speaker 2: through Colombia to get to the Gap to then get 457 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 2: in through Panama. 458 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 3: And again a fifth of these are children and adolescents. 459 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 3: And some of these children are born on the journey. Yeah, 460 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 3: and sometimes they're born because maybe an individual discovers there 461 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 3: they're with child, they're carrying a child, and they want 462 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,959 Speaker 3: to take an abortion, but the medical care for that 463 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:41,880 Speaker 3: is not available. 464 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, Yeah. It reminds me of stories that I 465 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 2: heard from a lot of the Cuban immigrants that came over, 466 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 2: but it's not the same at all because they were 467 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 2: basically given the choice. Hey, you stick around, or you 468 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 2: can get out right now and leave everything and just 469 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 2: get out. In this case, you know, a lot of 470 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 2: the folks in Venezuela see the shortcomings of the state 471 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 2: right of the country, where there are the things that 472 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 2: human beings need are no longer in very good supply, 473 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 2: if at all, and you just have to leave because 474 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 2: there's also you know, tensions between the government slash military 475 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 2: and a lot of the groups that would be considered 476 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 2: counter to those folks, even farmers who are just trying 477 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 2: to live and they realize, oh crap, I go, I 478 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:36,160 Speaker 2: gotta get out of here. 479 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, rampant corruption. You know, the police forces that may 480 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 3: be meant to protect you, may demand increasing bribes, may 481 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 3: demand sexual favors, may threaten you and your loved ones. 482 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 3: And then you know the secessionist armed groups of course, 483 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 3: who want to create their own regimes. Some of those 484 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 3: candidly were probably paid by Uncle Sam at some point. 485 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, or they at least they don't care about you 486 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 2: if you are a citizen of the country and just 487 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 2: trying to live and have a family and grow a 488 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 2: business or anything like that. It's just it's not about 489 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:16,040 Speaker 2: you in their eyes. 490 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:20,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, you are a resource and the golf. Okay, so 491 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 3: already imagine making it from a terrible situation in Venezuela. 492 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:29,840 Speaker 3: Now you have reached the area of Colombia where you 493 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:32,840 Speaker 3: need to be to traverse the gap. You run into 494 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 3: the business, the big business of the golf clan. They 495 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:40,440 Speaker 3: hold a monopoly here. They can decide pretty much everything, 496 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 3: which roots can be used by migrants as well as 497 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 3: by locals, because remember, indigenous communities live there. They decide 498 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 3: who can or cannot assist migrants on their journey. So 499 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 3: everybody who is there selling water, selling gatorades, selling Wi 500 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 3: Fi access work for the cartel, and they have to 501 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 3: pay the cartel a pretty significant percentage of their fees. 502 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 2: Yep, yep, you're you're talking about extortion at all the levels. 503 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:15,520 Speaker 2: Sorry to make this connection, but it does make me 504 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 2: think about state local taxes, sales taxes. 505 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, it's a taxation regime. I totally agree with that. 506 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 3: I didn't think about that. But it's structurally similar, is 507 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:36,640 Speaker 3: it not. Yeah, And the the punishments for selling stuff 508 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:41,040 Speaker 3: outside of school without you know, paying your local taxes, 509 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 3: they are harsh because cartels don't have personal improvement plans, 510 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:50,320 Speaker 3: they don't have hr. They don't have, you know, a 511 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:55,560 Speaker 3: court with a hot shot Clarence Darrow lawyer who will 512 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 3: get you off the case. 513 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:07,440 Speaker 2: Horrifying idea I just had, but Cartel Court and it's like, like, uh, 514 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 2: who would not watch that? Yeah? I mean just the 515 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 2: character you'd have to put as the judge. You have 516 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:17,600 Speaker 2: to figure out the character. But it could be pretty compelling. 517 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 3: The judges older. Yeah, the judge has glasses, but not 518 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:24,800 Speaker 3: an eyepatch. 519 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, maybe. 520 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:33,320 Speaker 3: Bifocal glasses or what they call them readers. Yeah, mysterious 521 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:37,760 Speaker 3: tattoo kind of peeking out from the neck of the robe. 522 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:39,800 Speaker 2: Runs of fast food Chicken. 523 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:46,520 Speaker 3: Juliets nailed it, Yeah, okay, yeah, no, it's Gus Freke. 524 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,480 Speaker 3: Gus Freak is the is the judge of Cartel Court? 525 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 2: I think so. 526 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:53,239 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think you nailed it there. Yeah, there's no 527 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:58,080 Speaker 3: way to plea a case. The Colombian military, Now, how 528 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:01,080 Speaker 3: much money does the clan make from just this? This 529 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:04,200 Speaker 3: is only one of their many revenue streams. Well, it 530 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 3: depends upon whom you ask. Panama I will tell you 531 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:11,000 Speaker 3: one thing, Oas will tell you another, The US will 532 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 3: tell you another. The Colombian military will tell you that 533 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 3: the Klan on average gets one hundred and twenty five 534 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 3: dollars per person crossing the gap from twenty twenty two 535 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:28,200 Speaker 3: to twenty twenty three, but that varies widely. And again, honestly, 536 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 3: from everything we've encountered about this, you can't fully trust 537 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 3: the Colombian military on the numbers they're reporting right way. 538 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:44,480 Speaker 3: I mean they seem pretty I don't want to get 539 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 3: in trouble with the Columbian military. Man, what if we 540 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 3: have to go. 541 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:52,359 Speaker 2: We're just saying that somebody along the line probably takes 542 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 2: a little bit off the top two and that's probably 543 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 2: not calculated in. 544 00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, at every levels, like that weird film right 545 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 3: where everybody lives in the tower and the food comes 546 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:08,759 Speaker 3: down this platform. Oh I know that one. Yeah, yeah, 547 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:12,239 Speaker 3: it is the name of the platform. It probably is 548 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:17,160 Speaker 3: no would know, but the Yeah, everybody is taking something 549 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 3: at every single step. It's incredibly important to remember that. 550 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 3: That's why other estimates will say three hundred dollars or 551 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 3: more per person, and no, there are no discounts for elderly, 552 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:35,600 Speaker 3: veterans or children. That means a documented income, according to 553 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:41,920 Speaker 3: the not fully trustworthy Columbian Military, is fifty seven million 554 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 3: US dollars from January to October twenty twenty three, all 555 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:52,440 Speaker 3: profit for the cartel. Almost certainly they're making more money 556 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:52,719 Speaker 3: than that. 557 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 2: Well, because that is just the human trafficking part, right. 558 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:01,239 Speaker 3: Yeah, and this is human trafficking. That's an important note. Yeah, 559 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:04,000 Speaker 3: this is just the migrant money. This is not counting 560 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:10,040 Speaker 3: the cocaine. This is not counting weapons trade, you know, 561 00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:13,960 Speaker 3: this isn't counting any of the other stuff. Wow, and 562 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,919 Speaker 3: that's all before we get to Banniball. Like you said, Matt, 563 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:21,040 Speaker 3: the Panamedian side is even worse. What say we pause 564 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:23,879 Speaker 3: for a word from our sponsors than maybe we take 565 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:26,120 Speaker 3: a hypothetical journey through the gap together. 566 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:28,879 Speaker 2: Oh for sure. By the way, is that fifty seven 567 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:30,719 Speaker 2: million before taxes. 568 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:45,200 Speaker 3: Or we've returned? All right, we're journeying through the gap 569 00:37:45,239 --> 00:37:49,000 Speaker 3: together with you, fellow conspiracy realists. You are with Andrew 570 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:53,000 Speaker 3: and Matt and myself. We're drawing on the experiences of locals, 571 00:37:53,600 --> 00:38:00,080 Speaker 3: of survivors, journalists, doctors, government agents and goos and more 572 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:04,080 Speaker 3: than a few criminals. All right, how do we get there? 573 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:06,319 Speaker 3: First things. First, to get through it, you have to 574 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:06,839 Speaker 3: get to it. 575 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, a lot of people go traversing on foot. You can. Again, 576 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:14,040 Speaker 2: if you're coming from Venezuela and you can afford to 577 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 2: put all of your luggage into a car, then you 578 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:18,880 Speaker 2: would probably do that. Again, a boat is a good 579 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 2: way to get there too. It is super dangerous to 580 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,960 Speaker 2: take that boat ride along the coast on either side 581 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:31,160 Speaker 2: of the gap going from Columbia to Panama. But again, 582 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:34,160 Speaker 2: that's why you pay one thousand dollars per person to 583 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 2: get on a sanctioned boat that's not going to get 584 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:39,719 Speaker 2: shot at or pirated exactly. 585 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:43,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, gosh, it makes you feel terrible for the people 586 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,520 Speaker 3: who just have to get on a boat every day 587 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:50,160 Speaker 3: as part of their livelihood. You know, someone who sells 588 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:54,200 Speaker 3: fish at the at the local coastal market, they have 589 00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:58,719 Speaker 3: probably have to pay multiple organizations or gangs or groups, 590 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,399 Speaker 3: right even counting whatever fishing license they have to get. 591 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:07,040 Speaker 3: It's tough out there. Yeah, And what you're pointing out there, Matt, 592 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:10,879 Speaker 3: is these first steps are in their own ways as 593 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:14,759 Speaker 3: dangerous as traversing the gap itself. At any point, you 594 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:17,080 Speaker 3: could be stopped by bandits, you could be stopped by 595 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 3: corrupt local or state level authorities. You could just have 596 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:25,919 Speaker 3: bad luck, you know, and car breaks down, the weather 597 00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:30,720 Speaker 3: is bad. There are no refunds in this kind of thing, yep. 598 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,160 Speaker 2: And then you finally get there and you get corraled 599 00:39:34,239 --> 00:39:36,520 Speaker 2: kind of like you're shown up at Disney World, just 600 00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:38,799 Speaker 2: exactly not the one you want to be at, but 601 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:40,960 Speaker 2: the one you have to be at, or at least 602 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:42,400 Speaker 2: you feel that you need to be there. You know. 603 00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 2: That's the thing where it's almost like the tour guide situations. 604 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:49,200 Speaker 2: So they tell you who you're gonna go with, who's 605 00:39:49,239 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 2: going to be your guide? Here is here are all 606 00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:55,600 Speaker 2: the supplies that you need. If you don't have them yet, 607 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:57,319 Speaker 2: you're gonna need to pay a little extra to make 608 00:39:57,320 --> 00:39:59,480 Speaker 2: sure you've got enough water for your. 609 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:05,439 Speaker 3: Team, exactly at an exaggerated cost. You're at this point. 610 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:09,120 Speaker 3: We're at a place that would be called Hussienda las Tikas. 611 00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:12,440 Speaker 3: And this is we're pulling a little bit of this 612 00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:17,560 Speaker 3: from from the Spiegel article mentioned earlier. You're hearing the 613 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:21,720 Speaker 3: announcements through a megaphone. This is like going to Disney World. 614 00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 3: It is like the crowd organization is very much like 615 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 3: that or Universal Studios, where they say, okay, you know 616 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:33,080 Speaker 3: this following group file in here, and the groups vary 617 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:36,279 Speaker 3: in size, but they do want larger groups because it 618 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:40,480 Speaker 3: lowers the chances of banditry during the journey, or at 619 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:45,319 Speaker 3: least I should say unsanctioned banditry. Yeah, because I bet 620 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 3: some of those bandits are approved too. I bet there's 621 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:49,520 Speaker 3: a mix of things. 622 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:55,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm sure. And then when you're actually going on 623 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:58,400 Speaker 2: your journey there, it is, at least from the reports 624 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:01,000 Speaker 2: we've seen of human beings who have gone and now 625 00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:04,880 Speaker 2: come back to report on it. There are basically a 626 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:10,400 Speaker 2: series of guide colors, yes, that are taped around trees. 627 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:12,960 Speaker 2: You may have seen this kind of thing before at 628 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,920 Speaker 2: like a national park or something where there are areas 629 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:20,160 Speaker 2: and paths that are you know, sometimes there's signage, other 630 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:22,920 Speaker 2: times it is like color coded, so you can just 631 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,920 Speaker 2: be aware. It's like that, but it's a little more 632 00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:28,160 Speaker 2: complex and probably a little more dangerous. 633 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:32,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah. If you've ever been out in the woods, 634 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 3: you've probably seen some stuff like this. Often here in 635 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:39,680 Speaker 3: this part of the United States, path through the wilderness 636 00:41:39,719 --> 00:41:42,520 Speaker 3: may be marked with just like a strip of plastic 637 00:41:43,239 --> 00:41:45,759 Speaker 3: or spray paint, you know, and if you see this 638 00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:50,520 Speaker 3: spray paint, keep going. This is a system that works 639 00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:53,719 Speaker 3: really well for keeping people on the right track. From 640 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:59,200 Speaker 3: what we understand, generally, blue or green means keep it going, 641 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:02,919 Speaker 3: keep on truck. Red means wrong way, turn around now 642 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:06,239 Speaker 3: quick fast, in a hurry, keep going to your back 643 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:10,160 Speaker 3: on that blue green path. This is all explained to 644 00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:13,600 Speaker 3: you and your group over a megaphone. And while they're 645 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:20,080 Speaker 3: explaining this, they're also allowing the porters or the various 646 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,719 Speaker 3: guides on the Colombian side of the border to come 647 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 3: up to you and ask you if you want to 648 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:29,399 Speaker 3: buy something, if you want them to carry something for you. 649 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:34,960 Speaker 3: And until you get to the Panamanian side, those porters 650 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:39,480 Speaker 3: are with you or they're around. So in addition to 651 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:43,120 Speaker 3: the in addition to the fabric round the trees, fabric 652 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:47,560 Speaker 3: or plastic telling you the right path, you're also going 653 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:50,720 Speaker 3: to see these porters going back and forth, and they'll 654 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:53,920 Speaker 3: they'll additionally do things like kind of clean the path 655 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,640 Speaker 3: or try to you know, they're the ones with the machete. 656 00:42:56,680 --> 00:42:59,719 Speaker 3: They're they're clearing the path out because it will get 657 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:04,239 Speaker 3: over grown so very quickly if it is not constantly maintained. 658 00:43:04,520 --> 00:43:08,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, you're talking like a week. Yeah, I remember overgrowth 659 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:11,920 Speaker 2: in my backyard here in Georgia. I let it go 660 00:43:12,040 --> 00:43:14,279 Speaker 2: a week as I was trying to clear a couple 661 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:18,440 Speaker 2: paths back to where the water is. Basically there's a 662 00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:21,840 Speaker 2: creek back there, and I gave it a week off 663 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:25,960 Speaker 2: and I came back and the vines, specifically the vine 664 00:43:26,280 --> 00:43:28,160 Speaker 2: growth is so intense. 665 00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:29,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. 666 00:43:29,719 --> 00:43:29,959 Speaker 2: Yeah. 667 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:31,960 Speaker 3: And we're home to Kudsu here. Do you have any 668 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:33,040 Speaker 3: cutsoo in your backyard? 669 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:34,320 Speaker 2: Not anymore? 670 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:39,160 Speaker 3: Baby, a nice nice good. No mercy on that stuff, right. 671 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:41,280 Speaker 2: No bamboo either, Screw that stuff. 672 00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:42,920 Speaker 3: You're not bamboo fan. 673 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:47,799 Speaker 2: It's it looks great, but it is evil if you 674 00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:49,360 Speaker 2: don't control where it goes. 675 00:43:49,880 --> 00:43:54,040 Speaker 3: It is an expansionist force. Yes, I love that we're 676 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:58,399 Speaker 3: immediately going to stay craft in military terms with lot 677 00:43:58,440 --> 00:43:58,719 Speaker 3: of care. 678 00:43:59,080 --> 00:43:59,279 Speaker 2: Yeah. 679 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:03,200 Speaker 3: Yeah. I feel like that's a very un brand thing. 680 00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:07,839 Speaker 2: Tunnels underground. You can't you don't know where it. 681 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:12,440 Speaker 3: Is, right, yeah, yeah, you need we should start our 682 00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:18,040 Speaker 3: own lawn care maybe not company, but just our own 683 00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:20,919 Speaker 3: brand of products. 684 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:23,880 Speaker 2: Based in state craft, like terminology okay. 685 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:28,600 Speaker 4: Cool, yes, and added the actual mechanics like get some 686 00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:31,920 Speaker 4: handheld light ard to figure out where that sneaky baboo 687 00:44:32,040 --> 00:44:34,399 Speaker 4: is going, and you. 688 00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:36,000 Speaker 2: See you cut it off and you think you've cut 689 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:38,400 Speaker 2: it off at its source, but no, that's not the 690 00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:41,959 Speaker 2: nature of those root systems that you will proliferate. 691 00:44:42,520 --> 00:44:47,080 Speaker 3: It goes deeper. Yeah. And also one important part for 692 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:51,120 Speaker 3: this journey that people are taking, there is going to 693 00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:55,360 Speaker 3: be I mean, this is a very scary moment for people. 694 00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:57,200 Speaker 3: It's for a lot of folks, it may be the 695 00:44:57,200 --> 00:45:02,560 Speaker 3: most dangerous, like immediately danger thing they've ever done. So 696 00:45:02,719 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 3: there's going to be a prayer. A pastor will climb 697 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:10,720 Speaker 3: up onto a fence so they can address the crowd, 698 00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:13,960 Speaker 3: and then they will pray together and they'll say, you know, 699 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:18,040 Speaker 3: let's not think of the dangers. Let's not dwell on 700 00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:22,080 Speaker 3: the dangers. Let's think of the future ahead. There's a 701 00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:25,720 Speaker 3: reason we are doing this, and God is on our side, 702 00:45:25,880 --> 00:45:31,879 Speaker 3: and the sun rises and the journey begins, and then 703 00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:37,359 Speaker 3: you set off at first the journey. I mean, it's 704 00:45:37,400 --> 00:45:41,800 Speaker 3: very scary, but for some people it doesn't feel that bad. 705 00:45:42,200 --> 00:45:44,800 Speaker 3: You know, I'm not going to say it's a jaunty vibe. 706 00:45:45,120 --> 00:45:49,080 Speaker 3: But for some people, you know, I'm saying, hey, okay, 707 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:52,719 Speaker 3: we can do this, right, We've already come so far. 708 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:56,600 Speaker 3: In many cases that's true, you know, imagine you came 709 00:45:56,600 --> 00:46:00,719 Speaker 3: from China or Pakistan or Cameroon or Angola. This is 710 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:03,560 Speaker 3: just another leg of a much longer journey. 711 00:46:03,719 --> 00:46:06,239 Speaker 2: And this is like the hardest part theoretically, right, And 712 00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:09,200 Speaker 2: if we can get through this, we're good and it's 713 00:46:09,200 --> 00:46:11,439 Speaker 2: not going to be that bad. Is what you're being 714 00:46:11,480 --> 00:46:13,880 Speaker 2: told by the people who just took a bunch of 715 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:14,400 Speaker 2: your money. 716 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:19,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, they are very much going with a used 717 00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:23,319 Speaker 3: car salesman. Vibe no offense to use car salesman. We're 718 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:26,640 Speaker 3: talking about the trope, right, the idea of like, hey, yeah, 719 00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:29,920 Speaker 3: you know, this may not be a brand new Ford 720 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:34,120 Speaker 3: Pinto and yeah, maybe you've heard some things about Ford Pintos. 721 00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:38,160 Speaker 3: But this little guy, you know, he's got he's got heart. 722 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:41,560 Speaker 3: You know, you don't need to change the oil that much. 723 00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:46,840 Speaker 3: It doesn't leak that much, you know, and the tires 724 00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:51,839 Speaker 3: are different ages individually. But that's you know, that's an advantage. 725 00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:55,920 Speaker 2: We've got gatorade. It's only six dollars US per bottle. 726 00:46:55,960 --> 00:46:57,840 Speaker 2: It's fine, which is crazy. 727 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:00,000 Speaker 3: And then also the time how long does it take? 728 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:04,040 Speaker 3: As part of this downplaye of the risk and embellishing 729 00:47:04,239 --> 00:47:08,680 Speaker 3: of the rewards or the odds of success. Migrants are 730 00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:13,040 Speaker 3: often told this is a two day journey. That is 731 00:47:13,440 --> 00:47:15,840 Speaker 3: not the case, and they just mean two day journey 732 00:47:16,360 --> 00:47:20,200 Speaker 3: sort of through the gap up to the Panamanian side 733 00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:25,880 Speaker 3: and the Colombian The Colombian side of the border because 734 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:30,080 Speaker 3: of the regime instituted by the cartel is far more 735 00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:34,120 Speaker 3: heavily regulated. That's that's where you're going to see more 736 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:39,279 Speaker 3: things like the you know, the resting areas if you 737 00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:43,760 Speaker 3: can pay for them, the guides and stuff. But Matt, 738 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:46,360 Speaker 3: I think it's safe for us to say that most 739 00:47:46,440 --> 00:47:49,959 Speaker 3: people are not getting through there in two days. 740 00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:54,719 Speaker 2: No, no, and especially if you consider the amount of 741 00:47:54,719 --> 00:47:57,399 Speaker 2: stuff that you feel that you need to carry when 742 00:47:57,400 --> 00:48:02,239 Speaker 2: you're moving your entire life somewhere, right, And we've seen 743 00:48:02,280 --> 00:48:05,239 Speaker 2: that it's often the case where you know, somebody will 744 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:08,080 Speaker 2: end a journey if they make it all the way 745 00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:11,319 Speaker 2: through with half the things that they brought along with them, 746 00:48:11,480 --> 00:48:15,440 Speaker 2: if not less. It gets down to essentials as it 747 00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:18,000 Speaker 2: gets more grueling, uh out there. 748 00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:21,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, and the weight weighs upon you, right, and you 749 00:48:21,680 --> 00:48:26,040 Speaker 3: don't have the same constant sources of nutrition or hydration. 750 00:48:26,280 --> 00:48:29,680 Speaker 3: You may be dealing with a medical issue. How do 751 00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:33,279 Speaker 3: we put it in our previous recording. The kind of 752 00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:36,200 Speaker 3: in wildlife in general, or in the wilderness in general, 753 00:48:36,480 --> 00:48:39,160 Speaker 3: the kind of thing that you could cure with a 754 00:48:39,239 --> 00:48:43,800 Speaker 3: trip to Dwayne Read or CVS can can spell disaster 755 00:48:44,520 --> 00:48:47,760 Speaker 3: if you don't have access to something as simple as antibiotics, 756 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:51,279 Speaker 3: you know. And then people barter stuff when they run 757 00:48:51,280 --> 00:48:54,040 Speaker 3: out of money, and then sometimes to your point, people 758 00:48:54,200 --> 00:49:00,479 Speaker 3: just the shed the stuff because they have to keep going. Yeah, So, Matt, 759 00:49:00,520 --> 00:49:07,400 Speaker 3: what's the what's the more realistic non salesmany amount of days? 760 00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:10,360 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, they'll sell you on too, and then depending 761 00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:13,640 Speaker 2: on the weather, depending on you know, whatever you encounter 762 00:49:13,719 --> 00:49:16,879 Speaker 2: out there, it might be just three days, it could 763 00:49:16,960 --> 00:49:19,839 Speaker 2: be a whole week, seven days, could be more than that, 764 00:49:19,880 --> 00:49:21,239 Speaker 2: could be like ten days. 765 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:25,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, depend on mobility, the weather, like you said, 766 00:49:26,000 --> 00:49:29,480 Speaker 3: just the luck. And that's why in the age ofbiquitous 767 00:49:29,520 --> 00:49:33,040 Speaker 3: social media, remember, folks, we were disturbed to learn that 768 00:49:33,120 --> 00:49:37,040 Speaker 3: this is widely advertised on TikTok and YouTube and so on, 769 00:49:38,760 --> 00:49:43,600 Speaker 3: because they need those videos to look successful, to look 770 00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:49,600 Speaker 3: aspirational and just like a hike. Yeah yeah. In the 771 00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:56,080 Speaker 3: beginning of the route, these different cartel operatives, the porters 772 00:49:56,160 --> 00:50:01,040 Speaker 3: essentially are going to be filming migrants, even talking to them. 773 00:50:01,160 --> 00:50:05,160 Speaker 3: You know, look at this family boldly strolling toward the future, 774 00:50:05,600 --> 00:50:09,600 Speaker 3: strolling being the key word, right, not struggling. And they 775 00:50:09,719 --> 00:50:12,919 Speaker 3: do that a lot during the first day because it's 776 00:50:12,960 --> 00:50:17,000 Speaker 3: a business and every piece of video that you can 777 00:50:17,080 --> 00:50:21,160 Speaker 3: get showing people that, showing people who appear not to 778 00:50:21,200 --> 00:50:24,120 Speaker 3: be having a terrible time, that brings more people to 779 00:50:24,320 --> 00:50:28,799 Speaker 3: you later. And these guys are not out to kill everybody, obviously, 780 00:50:30,239 --> 00:50:34,760 Speaker 3: they need it to be successful for this massive revenue 781 00:50:34,760 --> 00:50:38,719 Speaker 3: stream to continue. I think what we should instead say, 782 00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:42,040 Speaker 3: to be more accurate, is they have they have some 783 00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:48,160 Speaker 3: kind of internal acceptable rate of attrition. Right, it's okay 784 00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:51,080 Speaker 3: for we don't know what that is, but it's okay 785 00:50:51,120 --> 00:50:54,680 Speaker 3: for a certain amount of people to die, to be robbed, 786 00:50:54,719 --> 00:50:57,400 Speaker 3: to be assaulted, to disappear. 787 00:50:57,760 --> 00:51:00,560 Speaker 2: Well. Yeah, it's tough to go on Yelp and find 788 00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:04,440 Speaker 2: first hand reviews of you know, the group that's gonna 789 00:51:04,560 --> 00:51:08,840 Speaker 2: take you through the Darien Gap, Right, it's tough to 790 00:51:09,000 --> 00:51:13,560 Speaker 2: see a review from somebody who didn't make it. Yeah, 791 00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:17,719 Speaker 2: just saying exactly that doesn't exist. So if you can 792 00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:21,080 Speaker 2: make it look as though everything's easy and safe and 793 00:51:21,160 --> 00:51:25,560 Speaker 2: fun and okay, and the appearance is more. It's going 794 00:51:25,640 --> 00:51:27,600 Speaker 2: to bring you more revenue. And ultimately, this is a. 795 00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:33,520 Speaker 3: Business and while profit driven, the porters themselves are not 796 00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:37,640 Speaker 3: super villains. You can read read reports where they're trying 797 00:51:37,680 --> 00:51:41,279 Speaker 3: to pass information on like please check on you know, 798 00:51:41,320 --> 00:51:44,840 Speaker 3: they're going back the other way right and you're passing 799 00:51:44,840 --> 00:51:47,160 Speaker 3: them and they're saying, hey, please check on this one person. 800 00:51:47,239 --> 00:51:50,520 Speaker 3: We had to leave them at a rest stop or something. 801 00:51:50,680 --> 00:51:52,920 Speaker 3: And I think before we get to the Panamanian side, 802 00:51:53,040 --> 00:51:56,360 Speaker 3: we got to talk about that rest stop. Party stops 803 00:51:56,400 --> 00:52:00,800 Speaker 3: along the route. There are there are camps you can access. 804 00:52:01,600 --> 00:52:06,160 Speaker 3: The porters have brought hot dog stands seriously, refrigerators, even 805 00:52:06,239 --> 00:52:09,080 Speaker 3: pool tables and Wi Fi and you can play with 806 00:52:09,120 --> 00:52:11,800 Speaker 3: all of it for a fee if you are lucky. 807 00:52:12,040 --> 00:52:16,040 Speaker 3: When we stop at this rest up, we may find 808 00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:19,279 Speaker 3: someone from Doctors Without Borders. This is not a thing 809 00:52:19,280 --> 00:52:21,160 Speaker 3: that can happen all the time, but you may find 810 00:52:21,200 --> 00:52:25,320 Speaker 3: those absolute heroes out there and they may be able 811 00:52:25,360 --> 00:52:30,640 Speaker 3: to assist you with the medical condition. We know that 812 00:52:31,120 --> 00:52:34,960 Speaker 3: this is also an opportunity for people to get their 813 00:52:35,160 --> 00:52:38,640 Speaker 3: family and their loved ones in other countries to wire 814 00:52:38,680 --> 00:52:41,799 Speaker 3: them additional funds, so you pay like two dollars for 815 00:52:41,880 --> 00:52:45,560 Speaker 3: Wi Fi access, You get your family member maybe in 816 00:52:45,600 --> 00:52:48,520 Speaker 3: the US, to wire you some more money, and you 817 00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:50,400 Speaker 3: get to check in and let them know that you 818 00:52:50,440 --> 00:52:55,040 Speaker 3: are alive. And then that electronic transfer also has a 819 00:52:55,080 --> 00:52:59,760 Speaker 3: fee about twenty percent, but it's still it's better than nothing. 820 00:53:00,640 --> 00:53:05,239 Speaker 3: And then when you get when you get closer to Panama, 821 00:53:05,640 --> 00:53:09,239 Speaker 3: you make a final payment to the Colombian side, to 822 00:53:09,400 --> 00:53:12,439 Speaker 3: the cartel. And when you make the payment, at least 823 00:53:12,440 --> 00:53:16,440 Speaker 3: in recent years, they give you a wristband just like 824 00:53:16,480 --> 00:53:22,120 Speaker 3: a like a music festival or a dragon con. That 825 00:53:22,280 --> 00:53:25,680 Speaker 3: is your proof that you paid. So now we assume 826 00:53:25,680 --> 00:53:28,400 Speaker 3: we're the worst for wear, but we're alive. We have 827 00:53:28,440 --> 00:53:31,560 Speaker 3: made it. Not everybody has, but we have made it, 828 00:53:32,600 --> 00:53:35,120 Speaker 3: and we approach the Panamanian side of the gap. 829 00:53:36,760 --> 00:53:40,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's tough because once you get to the 830 00:53:40,200 --> 00:53:42,759 Speaker 2: Panamanian side, this is where at least Human Rights Watch 831 00:53:42,880 --> 00:53:48,399 Speaker 2: has reported a lot of nefarious things, maybe increasing let's say, 832 00:53:49,120 --> 00:53:52,080 Speaker 2: or the chances of you know, things like being robbed, 833 00:53:52,480 --> 00:53:59,640 Speaker 2: sexually abused. Yeah, it's it can't again, at least from 834 00:53:59,640 --> 00:54:03,040 Speaker 2: the report, it sounds pretty heinous. It is just really 835 00:54:03,120 --> 00:54:06,719 Speaker 2: tough to maybe square in your mind, because this is 836 00:54:06,760 --> 00:54:10,040 Speaker 2: also where you've got a lot of the indigenous peoples 837 00:54:10,040 --> 00:54:14,680 Speaker 2: that are living right along in this area. So I 838 00:54:14,719 --> 00:54:17,759 Speaker 2: think not even on purpose, especially by reporters, you know, 839 00:54:17,800 --> 00:54:19,520 Speaker 2: who are going out there saying this kind of thing. 840 00:54:20,080 --> 00:54:22,120 Speaker 2: I think it can be maybe put together in your 841 00:54:22,160 --> 00:54:27,439 Speaker 2: head subconsciously, and that is not what is happening. Yeah, 842 00:54:27,440 --> 00:54:28,840 Speaker 2: but I don't know how to say that correctly. 843 00:54:29,120 --> 00:54:32,399 Speaker 3: No, I hear you, because there's a because people want 844 00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:36,359 Speaker 3: to form connections right, observe structures, and there is a 845 00:54:36,360 --> 00:54:40,240 Speaker 3: feedback loop at play that we have seen in some cases. 846 00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:43,879 Speaker 3: We have to remember, for decades and decades before this 847 00:54:44,160 --> 00:54:49,120 Speaker 3: was you know what people call the Migration super Highway, 848 00:54:49,280 --> 00:54:52,080 Speaker 3: it was a drug trafficking super highway. There was a 849 00:54:52,120 --> 00:54:55,239 Speaker 3: lot of crime and weapons trafficking as well, and the 850 00:54:55,520 --> 00:55:02,040 Speaker 3: indigenous Panomanian communities just living their lives were constantly beset 851 00:55:02,120 --> 00:55:07,439 Speaker 3: by drug cartels, by paramilitary groups, by people with firearms, 852 00:55:07,600 --> 00:55:12,680 Speaker 3: and very little in the way of oversight. So over time, 853 00:55:12,800 --> 00:55:17,080 Speaker 3: logically these communities took up arms themselves, they began practicing 854 00:55:17,200 --> 00:55:21,280 Speaker 3: self defense, and eventually, this is I think the pattern 855 00:55:21,320 --> 00:55:25,240 Speaker 3: connection we're talking about here, Matt. Eventually some of these groups, 856 00:55:25,400 --> 00:55:29,759 Speaker 3: a minority also got involved in crime and trafficking, and 857 00:55:29,840 --> 00:55:34,680 Speaker 3: then they became very you know, they were attacking outsiders. 858 00:55:34,719 --> 00:55:39,920 Speaker 3: They became in some ways very similar to the villains 859 00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:43,480 Speaker 3: that they were originally defending themselves against. They became the monsters. 860 00:55:44,200 --> 00:55:47,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. And you can read about that in 861 00:55:47,360 --> 00:55:51,640 Speaker 2: some writing that the International Crisis Group has done. Yeah. 862 00:55:51,680 --> 00:55:54,600 Speaker 2: They cite i think two hundred incidents of sexual violence 863 00:55:54,600 --> 00:55:58,840 Speaker 2: that were reported by various aid groups inside the Darien 864 00:55:58,880 --> 00:56:01,120 Speaker 2: Gap on the Panama side in the first half of 865 00:56:01,160 --> 00:56:02,840 Speaker 2: twenty twenty three. 866 00:56:03,239 --> 00:56:07,960 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah. And the problem with those reports, like anything 867 00:56:08,000 --> 00:56:12,560 Speaker 3: on this road, is that we have to also logically 868 00:56:12,600 --> 00:56:17,160 Speaker 3: assume that the number of reported cases is much smaller 869 00:56:17,200 --> 00:56:22,120 Speaker 3: than the number of actual instants, because you know, there 870 00:56:23,320 --> 00:56:26,280 Speaker 3: we have to say it, a lot of times people 871 00:56:26,360 --> 00:56:30,359 Speaker 3: aren't going to report things because they're worried about being 872 00:56:30,400 --> 00:56:34,280 Speaker 3: the nail that sticks out, you know, being punished for reporting, 873 00:56:35,000 --> 00:56:38,040 Speaker 3: worst of all, being sent back right when you've already 874 00:56:38,040 --> 00:56:42,600 Speaker 3: got this far. So we know that even in the 875 00:56:42,640 --> 00:56:47,280 Speaker 3: state supported migration centers there are rampant accusations of abuse, 876 00:56:47,480 --> 00:56:52,200 Speaker 3: especially against vulnerable women and children. This is a heartbreaking 877 00:56:52,239 --> 00:56:55,279 Speaker 3: thing to note. By this point in the journey. It 878 00:56:55,440 --> 00:57:01,279 Speaker 3: is not infrequent that some travelers, particularly female travelers, may 879 00:57:01,320 --> 00:57:04,680 Speaker 3: be driven into sex work to continue paying for their 880 00:57:04,719 --> 00:57:07,000 Speaker 3: passage or to protect their children. 881 00:57:08,200 --> 00:57:14,160 Speaker 2: Yep, yeah, yeah, you know, we talked about the border 882 00:57:14,200 --> 00:57:18,440 Speaker 2: patrol as a thing that was we didn't say non existent, 883 00:57:18,800 --> 00:57:23,400 Speaker 2: let's say light, but it is. The border is protected 884 00:57:24,520 --> 00:57:27,120 Speaker 2: in some ways. I didn't know about this place, Ben, 885 00:57:27,160 --> 00:57:31,080 Speaker 2: There's apparently one place basically that migrants coming from the 886 00:57:31,120 --> 00:57:35,120 Speaker 2: Colombian side to the Panamanian side can get through or 887 00:57:36,200 --> 00:57:36,960 Speaker 2: maybe I don't know. 888 00:57:37,480 --> 00:57:42,000 Speaker 3: ETRM Yeah, what is this? This is okay? So the 889 00:57:42,040 --> 00:57:47,479 Speaker 3: Panamanian government has strict laws against assisting migrants, no matter 890 00:57:47,480 --> 00:57:50,400 Speaker 3: where they're from, no matter where they're going, very strict 891 00:57:50,480 --> 00:57:54,479 Speaker 3: laws against it. And there's one spot where you can 892 00:57:54,560 --> 00:57:58,520 Speaker 3: assist these migrants coming from the Darien Gap. That is 893 00:57:58,680 --> 00:58:04,600 Speaker 3: the ETRM Ray Reception Center where you can go for 894 00:58:04,640 --> 00:58:07,160 Speaker 3: a minute. Right, that's a safe place you can go, 895 00:58:07,400 --> 00:58:11,440 Speaker 3: you can find assistance. You cannot stay there. You are 896 00:58:11,480 --> 00:58:14,760 Speaker 3: not a Panamanian citizen. This is not your new home. 897 00:58:15,480 --> 00:58:21,000 Speaker 3: You will meet travel agents for lack of a better word, 898 00:58:21,520 --> 00:58:26,360 Speaker 3: all around the CTRM and you pay something like forty 899 00:58:26,400 --> 00:58:28,840 Speaker 3: I think it's sixty dollars. Now these are all US 900 00:58:28,880 --> 00:58:33,760 Speaker 3: prices to ride across Panama on private buses. And the 901 00:58:33,800 --> 00:58:37,320 Speaker 3: private buses also have an agreement or a sanctioned so 902 00:58:37,480 --> 00:58:41,240 Speaker 3: they're far less likely to get attacked than your ordinary 903 00:58:41,480 --> 00:58:44,280 Speaker 3: tourist charter bus. Right, And this is a thing that 904 00:58:44,320 --> 00:58:47,480 Speaker 3: can happen in Central America country to country. If you've 905 00:58:47,480 --> 00:58:49,600 Speaker 3: been there, you know that once you get on that 906 00:58:49,640 --> 00:58:53,600 Speaker 3: private bus, you go across Panama. They take you close 907 00:58:53,680 --> 00:58:57,440 Speaker 3: to the border of Costa Rica. Then you get on 908 00:58:57,520 --> 00:59:01,560 Speaker 3: another set of private buses for a thirty dollars fee 909 00:59:02,240 --> 00:59:06,880 Speaker 3: and you cross Costa Rica to other humanitarian facilities that 910 00:59:06,920 --> 00:59:10,160 Speaker 3: are close to the border of Nicaragua, and then you 911 00:59:10,200 --> 00:59:14,840 Speaker 3: meet the Nicaragua officials. Guess what, They also want money, 912 00:59:15,520 --> 00:59:18,680 Speaker 3: so then you have to pay them. I think it's 913 00:59:18,680 --> 00:59:23,320 Speaker 3: approximately one hundred and fifty dollars to enter Nicaragua. And 914 00:59:23,360 --> 00:59:27,880 Speaker 3: then you continue your journey. And this doesn't this Dairian 915 00:59:27,960 --> 00:59:31,240 Speaker 3: gap stuff doesn't involve any of that. Once you're out 916 00:59:31,280 --> 00:59:36,560 Speaker 3: of Colombia, the golf clan considers your business concluded, and 917 00:59:36,600 --> 00:59:40,880 Speaker 3: now you're interacting with a series of other regimes, a 918 00:59:40,880 --> 00:59:44,720 Speaker 3: series of other traffickers and there are so many other 919 00:59:44,840 --> 00:59:47,800 Speaker 3: dangers posed by trying to move through Mexico before you 920 00:59:47,880 --> 00:59:50,880 Speaker 3: ultimately reach the US border, and a lot of people 921 00:59:50,920 --> 00:59:53,560 Speaker 3: get stuck on the way. They can't go to the US, 922 00:59:54,080 --> 00:59:56,040 Speaker 3: but they can't go back. This happens to a town 923 00:59:56,080 --> 00:59:59,120 Speaker 3: of Venezuelan nationals. I was not aware of this, but 924 00:59:59,160 --> 01:00:02,160 Speaker 3: people can be straight I did in Guatemala or other 925 01:00:02,200 --> 01:00:06,480 Speaker 3: countries because they can't legally re enter Panama even if 926 01:00:06,480 --> 01:00:08,000 Speaker 3: they want to go back home. 927 01:00:09,120 --> 01:00:14,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, because that would be the only way. Wow, that's 928 01:00:14,480 --> 01:00:15,280 Speaker 2: that's terrible. 929 01:00:17,120 --> 01:00:22,680 Speaker 3: It's yeah, it's not an ideal case. And I do think, 930 01:00:22,920 --> 01:00:25,760 Speaker 3: you know, we there's so much more to explore about this, 931 01:00:25,920 --> 01:00:30,560 Speaker 3: but we were talking off air, you and I ABOUTE 932 01:00:30,920 --> 01:00:35,720 Speaker 3: one note that we need to hit terrorism concerns. So 933 01:00:36,000 --> 01:00:39,280 Speaker 3: this pops up pretty often in recent years where someone 934 01:00:39,400 --> 01:00:43,560 Speaker 3: will claim, usually a politician will claim the US border 935 01:00:43,800 --> 01:00:48,480 Speaker 3: is porous and it's a national security threat because terrorists 936 01:00:48,800 --> 01:00:53,120 Speaker 3: are pouring into the country. And sometimes when you look 937 01:00:53,160 --> 01:00:58,600 Speaker 3: at policy papers, you'll see security analysts saying, you know, 938 01:00:58,680 --> 01:01:02,480 Speaker 3: what about the Darien gap. Right, It's much easier to 939 01:01:02,800 --> 01:01:06,560 Speaker 3: visit a country in South America than it is to 940 01:01:06,640 --> 01:01:12,400 Speaker 3: visit the US if you're a no good nick you know, 941 01:01:12,600 --> 01:01:15,800 Speaker 3: if you're coming from a different country that maybe is 942 01:01:15,840 --> 01:01:17,880 Speaker 3: not so friendly with the US, where you would get 943 01:01:18,480 --> 01:01:22,400 Speaker 3: high scrutiny, you know, like if you're and we're not 944 01:01:22,440 --> 01:01:24,640 Speaker 3: trying to pick on anybody. This happens all the time. 945 01:01:24,680 --> 01:01:30,040 Speaker 3: But let's say you're an Iranian national and you ultimately 946 01:01:30,040 --> 01:01:33,240 Speaker 3: want to get to the US, and you know that 947 01:01:33,320 --> 01:01:37,000 Speaker 3: it's going to be a real process right for you 948 01:01:37,080 --> 01:01:41,280 Speaker 3: to land in LaGuardia, So why don't you land in 949 01:01:41,360 --> 01:01:45,680 Speaker 3: Ecuador and then just travel up the gap. That's what 950 01:01:45,720 --> 01:01:47,959 Speaker 3: people are concerned about because they think people are doing 951 01:01:48,000 --> 01:01:53,040 Speaker 3: it for They think that people are utilizing this passage 952 01:01:53,320 --> 01:01:58,840 Speaker 3: for terrorist activities. And it's a shame that's politicized so hard. 953 01:01:58,880 --> 01:02:00,920 Speaker 3: But I think we should talk about it a little bit. 954 01:02:01,760 --> 01:02:06,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, We've got an example via the Justice Department, a 955 01:02:06,160 --> 01:02:11,280 Speaker 2: former Al Qaeda fighter named Shahab Ahmed Shahab Shahab and 956 01:02:11,360 --> 01:02:14,000 Speaker 2: this is in This is from twenty twenty two, So 957 01:02:14,160 --> 01:02:16,880 Speaker 2: just a couple of years ago, this person was arrested 958 01:02:16,920 --> 01:02:22,640 Speaker 2: by the FBI and charged with trying to carry out 959 01:02:23,000 --> 01:02:29,440 Speaker 2: some form of terror based assassination against George W. Bush. 960 01:02:29,960 --> 01:02:33,560 Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, and he really thought he was doing this 961 01:02:33,680 --> 01:02:37,840 Speaker 3: is not someone scoring political points in an election. This 962 01:02:37,920 --> 01:02:41,520 Speaker 3: guy was living in Indiana and Ohio who was residing 963 01:02:41,520 --> 01:02:45,760 Speaker 3: in the US, and he wanted to He wanted to 964 01:02:45,800 --> 01:02:49,320 Speaker 3: bring terrorist forces through the Darien Gap to as you said, 965 01:02:49,360 --> 01:02:55,160 Speaker 3: Matt assassinate former President George W. Bush. This was there 966 01:02:55,240 --> 01:02:57,320 Speaker 3: was a lot of money on the line. You can 967 01:02:57,400 --> 01:03:00,240 Speaker 3: read the can read the full story in detail till 968 01:03:01,200 --> 01:03:06,200 Speaker 3: there's a lot to it. But essentially he got connected 969 01:03:06,280 --> 01:03:11,200 Speaker 3: with undercover FBI and he said, look, I've already smuggled 970 01:03:11,240 --> 01:03:17,120 Speaker 3: into Hasbela operatives over the gap and then and now 971 01:03:17,160 --> 01:03:20,800 Speaker 3: I think we can replicate that process. So we reached 972 01:03:20,800 --> 01:03:27,480 Speaker 3: out to some of his former colleagues in Iraq. They 973 01:03:27,520 --> 01:03:30,480 Speaker 3: had a unit that was once called Thunder in Arabic 974 01:03:31,080 --> 01:03:34,840 Speaker 3: and they they said, okay, maybe we can pay for 975 01:03:36,240 --> 01:03:41,880 Speaker 3: individuals give him forty thousand each to travel to Brazil 976 01:03:42,200 --> 01:03:45,480 Speaker 3: on fake visas, then go up through the gap and 977 01:03:45,640 --> 01:03:49,200 Speaker 3: then you know, enact our plan to kill George W. 978 01:03:49,280 --> 01:03:54,080 Speaker 3: Bush for revenge against what his administration did to our 979 01:03:54,160 --> 01:04:00,840 Speaker 3: country to Iraq and he got caught. He has been 980 01:04:00,920 --> 01:04:05,080 Speaker 3: cooperating with US forces. It seems that other criminal orgs 981 01:04:05,160 --> 01:04:08,400 Speaker 3: are aware of the problems posed by the Darien gap, 982 01:04:08,880 --> 01:04:13,360 Speaker 3: and the increase in overall migration of innocent people makes 983 01:04:13,400 --> 01:04:17,040 Speaker 3: it much easier for the wolves to blend in with 984 01:04:17,120 --> 01:04:19,480 Speaker 3: the sheep. You know, like the point you made, there's 985 01:04:19,560 --> 01:04:23,080 Speaker 3: no passport control. Nobody's even fully out a survey. 986 01:04:23,880 --> 01:04:28,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, the most important part of any transaction is the 987 01:04:28,600 --> 01:04:31,440 Speaker 2: Google survey that occurs afterwards. 988 01:04:31,520 --> 01:04:33,520 Speaker 3: So many surveys, do you ever do them? 989 01:04:34,040 --> 01:04:35,920 Speaker 2: I think I've done a couple to help out a 990 01:04:35,960 --> 01:04:40,880 Speaker 2: business that I really appreciated, like I don't know, helping 991 01:04:40,920 --> 01:04:42,760 Speaker 2: me out or they're really good or a deal, but 992 01:04:42,800 --> 01:04:45,919 Speaker 2: it's only happened, gosh, three times in my entire life. 993 01:04:46,000 --> 01:04:49,880 Speaker 3: Maybe, yeah, I'll do I'll do surveys if I've had 994 01:04:49,920 --> 01:04:53,360 Speaker 3: to go on the phone with someone for something complicated, 995 01:04:54,080 --> 01:04:56,920 Speaker 3: you know what I mean, because we've we've spent time 996 01:04:57,000 --> 01:05:00,920 Speaker 3: together and like, no, Jacob, you have a great week. 997 01:05:01,160 --> 01:05:03,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, well yeah, and you got to shout out that 998 01:05:03,520 --> 01:05:06,960 Speaker 2: in that particular human being because maybe that will actually 999 01:05:07,000 --> 01:05:09,000 Speaker 2: help them on their performance review. 1000 01:05:09,240 --> 01:05:11,800 Speaker 3: We hope. So, yeah, because it's it's tough to be 1001 01:05:11,880 --> 01:05:15,760 Speaker 3: on the phone all day for your job, and anyway, 1002 01:05:15,880 --> 01:05:20,360 Speaker 3: the larger context there's this feedback loop. A government is unstable, 1003 01:05:20,760 --> 01:05:24,160 Speaker 3: Like let's take Katie. A government is unstable, it prompts 1004 01:05:24,200 --> 01:05:27,360 Speaker 3: residents to move. As they move, as they depart legally 1005 01:05:27,480 --> 01:05:31,760 Speaker 3: or not, the labor force gets depleted. That makes it 1006 01:05:31,920 --> 01:05:34,960 Speaker 3: much harder for the economy to recover because now if 1007 01:05:35,000 --> 01:05:37,360 Speaker 3: we have jobs, we don't have people to fill the jobs, 1008 01:05:37,520 --> 01:05:41,040 Speaker 3: which means the economy grows even worse, which means even 1009 01:05:41,080 --> 01:05:41,960 Speaker 3: more people. 1010 01:05:42,280 --> 01:05:47,160 Speaker 2: Leave, and now you need foreign aid from the United 1011 01:05:47,160 --> 01:05:48,360 Speaker 2: States or China. 1012 01:05:48,960 --> 01:05:57,840 Speaker 3: Ding ding ding hmm. Yeah. It's it's a proven system. 1013 01:05:57,840 --> 01:06:00,680 Speaker 3: Try not to make a judgment on it other than 1014 01:06:00,720 --> 01:06:07,760 Speaker 3: saying that it has been proven. Well, okay, you know 1015 01:06:07,800 --> 01:06:09,240 Speaker 3: what we're going long, maybe we. 1016 01:06:09,480 --> 01:06:14,080 Speaker 2: Maybe John Perkins, is that the guy, the economic hit man? 1017 01:06:14,560 --> 01:06:17,360 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. Confessions of 1018 01:06:17,360 --> 01:06:21,560 Speaker 3: an Economic hit Man. He got really into shamanism. Oh cool. 1019 01:06:24,480 --> 01:06:28,600 Speaker 3: So a full ninety seven percent of migrants who are 1020 01:06:28,640 --> 01:06:32,440 Speaker 3: willing to be interviewed by Human Rights Watch by other sources, 1021 01:06:32,600 --> 01:06:35,960 Speaker 3: they all said that despite all of their travels and 1022 01:06:36,120 --> 01:06:39,560 Speaker 3: whatever their country of origin may be, traversing the Darien 1023 01:06:39,600 --> 01:06:42,440 Speaker 3: Gap was by far the most dangerous part of their passage. 1024 01:06:42,760 --> 01:06:46,520 Speaker 3: They can't report crimes to the Panamanian North Columbian authorities. 1025 01:06:47,520 --> 01:06:50,920 Speaker 3: And for now, the upward trend and migration, or the 1026 01:06:51,040 --> 01:06:54,880 Speaker 3: overall trend in migration, is on an upward trajectory. The 1027 01:06:54,960 --> 01:06:58,360 Speaker 3: numbers might fall some years rise from others, but the 1028 01:06:58,520 --> 01:07:03,320 Speaker 3: overall trend is an or curve, and governments keep making 1029 01:07:03,360 --> 01:07:07,760 Speaker 3: politically self serving statements. Innocent people are going to continue 1030 01:07:07,760 --> 01:07:09,920 Speaker 3: to die out there in the jungle hoping for a 1031 01:07:09,960 --> 01:07:13,400 Speaker 3: fair shot at the American treat But how do we 1032 01:07:13,440 --> 01:07:15,520 Speaker 3: fix it? You know what I mean? 1033 01:07:20,320 --> 01:07:29,000 Speaker 2: We decide that every human consciousness is the same, and 1034 01:07:30,080 --> 01:07:32,560 Speaker 2: we don't allow billionaires anymore or not. I don't know. 1035 01:07:32,600 --> 01:07:33,640 Speaker 2: I don't know how you fix it. 1036 01:07:33,760 --> 01:07:38,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, no, I do think I will say it. Uh, 1037 01:07:39,680 --> 01:07:42,760 Speaker 3: I do agree with you. I don't think we should 1038 01:07:42,800 --> 01:07:44,240 Speaker 3: have billionaires. 1039 01:07:44,840 --> 01:07:47,720 Speaker 2: I don't know whatever I feel like. 1040 01:07:47,840 --> 01:07:50,040 Speaker 3: You get how about this? You get have we talked 1041 01:07:50,040 --> 01:07:53,520 Speaker 3: about this? You get a billion dollars, You reach a 1042 01:07:53,560 --> 01:07:57,400 Speaker 3: billion dollars by hook or by crook, whatever, and then 1043 01:07:57,600 --> 01:08:02,480 Speaker 3: you get like that, like that little gold play button 1044 01:08:03,080 --> 01:08:06,040 Speaker 3: they used to give us on YouTube or platinum. You 1045 01:08:06,480 --> 01:08:09,320 Speaker 3: get something like that, and instead of a play button, 1046 01:08:09,400 --> 01:08:12,280 Speaker 3: it has a C for capitalism, Like you have won. 1047 01:08:12,400 --> 01:08:18,360 Speaker 3: Here is your capitalism award, right, and and then you 1048 01:08:18,400 --> 01:08:19,240 Speaker 3: get to start over. 1049 01:08:20,560 --> 01:08:24,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you can use that as capital of some 1050 01:08:24,200 --> 01:08:26,360 Speaker 2: sort just by having the button. 1051 01:08:27,240 --> 01:08:30,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, you get like discounts Dave and Busters. Yeah you 1052 01:08:30,960 --> 01:08:36,760 Speaker 3: get you know, you get better, better seats on planes. 1053 01:08:37,000 --> 01:08:39,559 Speaker 3: But yeah, now you have to fly commercial. 1054 01:08:39,360 --> 01:08:41,439 Speaker 2: And it's a status thing. So you hit that status. 1055 01:08:41,520 --> 01:08:43,320 Speaker 2: Now you can get the really cool stuff that you 1056 01:08:43,400 --> 01:08:46,640 Speaker 2: wanted as a billionaire. But the billions actually get to 1057 01:08:46,680 --> 01:08:49,560 Speaker 2: go out to help, you know, make humanity and the 1058 01:08:49,600 --> 01:08:50,120 Speaker 2: earth better. 1059 01:08:50,680 --> 01:08:53,000 Speaker 3: And you get to keep a couple of million. 1060 01:08:53,240 --> 01:08:55,719 Speaker 2: Well for sure, and you can use it however you want. 1061 01:08:55,880 --> 01:09:00,320 Speaker 3: Do whatever. And I think we've kind of pretty we've 1062 01:09:00,360 --> 01:09:04,640 Speaker 3: solved it. We've solved it because that would help emphasize 1063 01:09:04,400 --> 01:09:07,120 Speaker 3: the fact that a lot of people seem to forget here. 1064 01:09:07,200 --> 01:09:10,519 Speaker 3: These are not souli statistics. These are people they want 1065 01:09:10,720 --> 01:09:14,160 Speaker 3: and deserve all the same dignity we hope all people 1066 01:09:14,240 --> 01:09:18,200 Speaker 3: can enjoy. But what's happening is that elephants are making 1067 01:09:18,280 --> 01:09:21,760 Speaker 3: war for their own reasons. When elephants make war, it's 1068 01:09:21,800 --> 01:09:22,959 Speaker 3: the grass that suffers. 1069 01:09:24,160 --> 01:09:24,439 Speaker 2: Yep. 1070 01:09:26,200 --> 01:09:28,360 Speaker 3: And with that we want to hear from you folks, 1071 01:09:28,720 --> 01:09:31,360 Speaker 3: thank you for taking this journey with us. We hope 1072 01:09:31,640 --> 01:09:37,559 Speaker 3: anyone who has traversed the gap or gone on a 1073 01:09:37,640 --> 01:09:40,960 Speaker 3: similar journey, we hope that you survived. We hope you 1074 01:09:41,000 --> 01:09:43,639 Speaker 3: and your loved ones are safe. If you have personal 1075 01:09:43,640 --> 01:09:47,160 Speaker 3: experience with this, please please please reach out to us 1076 01:09:47,280 --> 01:09:49,559 Speaker 3: in so much as you are comfortable. Let us know 1077 01:09:49,600 --> 01:09:52,280 Speaker 3: what's going on. You can find us online. You can 1078 01:09:52,320 --> 01:09:56,240 Speaker 3: find us for email, telephonic device. We're conspiracy stuff show 1079 01:09:56,280 --> 01:10:02,800 Speaker 3: on Instagram, conspiracy stuff on Twitter and YouTube. And if 1080 01:10:02,840 --> 01:10:05,840 Speaker 3: you don't sip the social needs, stay tuned for our 1081 01:10:05,840 --> 01:10:10,120 Speaker 3: episode about social media. Oh you give us a phone. 1082 01:10:09,920 --> 01:10:13,840 Speaker 2: Call, Yeah, you can't call us, As Ben said, tell 1083 01:10:13,920 --> 01:10:15,960 Speaker 2: us about your stories. Tell us if you know someone 1084 01:10:15,960 --> 01:10:20,439 Speaker 2: who's being affected by the ice stuff and the immigration 1085 01:10:20,760 --> 01:10:22,880 Speaker 2: stuff that's happening in the United States right now or 1086 01:10:22,920 --> 01:10:25,800 Speaker 2: in the country where you live. Just what is that, 1087 01:10:26,520 --> 01:10:28,080 Speaker 2: What is that feeling like to you? What do you 1088 01:10:28,160 --> 01:10:31,360 Speaker 2: see in the future as a lot of countries around 1089 01:10:31,400 --> 01:10:35,000 Speaker 2: the world seem to be set on a more isolationist path. 1090 01:10:36,760 --> 01:10:39,479 Speaker 2: Just tell us your thoughts. Our number is one eight 1091 01:10:39,600 --> 01:10:44,120 Speaker 2: three three std WYTK. When you call in, give yourself 1092 01:10:44,160 --> 01:10:46,200 Speaker 2: a cool nickname and let us know. In the message 1093 01:10:46,240 --> 01:10:48,240 Speaker 2: if we can use your name and message on the air. 1094 01:10:48,680 --> 01:10:50,360 Speaker 2: If you've got more to say then can fit in 1095 01:10:50,400 --> 01:10:53,040 Speaker 2: a three minute voicemail. Why not instead send us a 1096 01:10:53,040 --> 01:10:54,080 Speaker 2: good old fashioned email. 1097 01:10:54,200 --> 01:10:57,680 Speaker 3: We are the entities that read each piece of correspondence 1098 01:10:57,720 --> 01:11:00,559 Speaker 3: we receive. Be well aware, yet I'm afraid sometimes the 1099 01:11:00,640 --> 01:11:06,160 Speaker 3: void writes back for this in particular, folks, please be 1100 01:11:06,240 --> 01:11:09,800 Speaker 3: safe out there. If you have any personal experience, share 1101 01:11:09,800 --> 01:11:14,360 Speaker 3: it with us and most importantly, more importantly, your fellow listeners. 1102 01:11:15,360 --> 01:11:18,320 Speaker 3: It would also be immensely helpful. Again, only if you 1103 01:11:18,360 --> 01:11:22,960 Speaker 3: are comfortable in sharing things that more people contemplating these 1104 01:11:23,040 --> 01:11:27,080 Speaker 3: journeys need to be aware of. From your experience, What 1105 01:11:28,040 --> 01:11:31,200 Speaker 3: do you wish you had known before you cross the gap? 1106 01:11:32,479 --> 01:11:53,560 Speaker 3: Conspiracy at iHeartRadio dot com. 1107 01:11:53,760 --> 01:11:55,839 Speaker 2: Stuff they don't want you to know is a production 1108 01:11:55,920 --> 01:12:00,120 Speaker 2: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradi 1109 01:12:00,160 --> 01:12:02,680 Speaker 2: you app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 1110 01:12:02,720 --> 01:12:03,400 Speaker 2: favorite shows.