Criminal Planet on ZDF Info on October 11, 2024

The Latin American El Salvador has a major problem with gang violence and organized crime. The criminals rely on a business model that is as cruel as it is lucrative. Reporter Mónica Villamizar sheds light on how gangs like MS-13 or Barrio 18 make profit through kidnappings and extorting companies. With simple rules: If you don’t pay, you die. In conversations with gang members, police officers, victims of protection rackets and investigative journalists, Mónica Villamizar explores how gang violence has a stranglehold on the country. But also how politicians are trying to get the problem under control. It becomes clear: Although the government is taking a supposedly tough course against escalating crime, President Nayib Bukele is cooperating with the gangs behind the scenes. Teams of reporters around the world are researching new varieties of organized crime. Her conversations with victims, perpetrators and investigators provide exciting insights into criminal environments.