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Escaping Barrio 18
THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023 BY INSIGHT CRIME EN

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s serving time in a maximum-security prison that his homeboys control. Leaving the gang means death.

The investigation was republished in full by many outlets, including Colombian newspaper El Espectador, Mexico’s La Lista, Central American narrative journalism platforms Divergentes and Contracorriente, as well as No-Ficción in Guatemala. The piece was included in the newsletter of the Global Investigative Journalism Network, while renowned journalists including Wilfredo Miranda Aburto and Sonja Peteranderl also shared the article.

Read the investigation here >

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