A BBC journalist was threatened with abduction and even having his genitals chopped off as he confronted a violent gang leader while filming a documentary in Venezuela.
In Ben Zand's BBC iPlayer series The World's Most Dangerous Cities, he travelled to Caracas where he met the leader of a feared 'Colectivo' gang set up by the late president Hugo Chavez to protect socialism.
The Iranian-British journalist and filmmaker from Liverpool asked the commander Robert a question about Chavez, and he fumed at the journalist before miming a knife-cutting action.
Ben told the cameras: 'He's going to cut my penis off.'
In another encounter with a kidnap gang who boasted of killing 14-year-old girls, members also warned Ben that he was worth taking hostage for a ransom, leaving him in fear that he wouldn't make it out of the country.
'I was nervous, kidnapping was a common theme and I wasn't sure I was going to be making it back,' he said, admitting it was one of the scariest interviews of his life.
Scroll down for video
The journalist from Liverpool met with a commander of a community who got agitated over Ben's line of questioning and mimed something to Ben that he inferred was about cutting off his genitals
Ben had a chilling visit with one kidnap gang where they revealed exactly how they go about kidnapping people with one member saying that as a journalist he would be a potential victim
Ben Zand visited Caracas - one of the most dangerous cities in the world - where he met with killer kidnap gangs who explained exactly how they carry out their crimes
The country is in economic and political turmoil with hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans already having fled the country, where food and medicine are in very short supply and crime is out of control.
It's become nearly impossible to enter Venezuela as a journalist so Ben, 27, sneaked in on a tourist visa to interview the leader of one of the Colectivos, the powerful 'January 23rd' community in Caracas, where he was confronted with bodies lying on the streets.
Meeting the leader Robert, who claimed he was just a builder and spokesman, he asked whether Chavez's leadership was responsible for the country's current plight.
But the question didn't go down well and the leader, who became agitated: 'Of course Chavez has had a negative impact on capitalist society.
'Caracas will be dangerous for as long as wild capitalism is allowed off its leash. It is possible you are here to try and antagonise us.'
'We regard the BBC to be an antagonist of the interests of the commune because they are constantly seeking to present a line that is all about crimes,' Robert continued before knocking the camera signalling the end of the interview.
Ben also went to interview a killer kidnap gang, but the crew had their phones, watches and cameras taken away from them to keep the gang's location secret.
'We were taken to a house on the back of motorbikes. Searched at gunpoint for tracking devices and told we had ten minutes to film,' Ben said.
Iranian-British journalist and filmmaker from Liverpool sneaked in on a tourist Visa in order to interview the chief of the community group that had assumed a lot of power in the country
The men, who had their faces covered in bandannas during their meeting with the documentary maker, waved their guns around and threatened the cameras for getting too close.
Worried that he looked 'devious' like a police officer, Ben had to reassure them that he was just a reporter.
The masked man then sneeringly said: 'A journalist, that's better for us to kidnap you.'
They explained to Ben exactly how they would carry out a kidnap saying that businessmen can fetch them between $1,000 to $2,000 ransom money depending on how rich they are.
During his meeting with Robert, who claimed he was a builder and spokesman for the community, Ben commented: 'He is quite a scary guy I'm not going to lie to you, I don't want to get on the wrong side of him'
The kidnap gang didn't want their location revealed and took extreme measure to protect themselves before explaining to the reporter how using guns and killing people is the only way to bring home food for their family
Ben was shocked at the state the country was in and how willing people go about committing crimes, afterwards he said: 'I was pretty shaken after the trip, the interview with the gang was one of the scariest I've done'
Ben travelled to Caracas where he was confronted with dead bodies discarded on the side of the roads, seemingly a regular occurrence for the locals who seemed unfazed by the sight of murder victims
'First we study them for two or three weeks, then we get a car and snatch them up.
'Then we tie them up and ask for the ransom, it depends how rich the businessman is, $1,000 or $2,000.'
One of the gang members said of the reasons he carries out the crime: 'In order to survive you have do it using this [holds up gun], this is our way.
'This is how we get food for our families. By dealing drugs and kidnapping. I've killed fourteen-year-old girls, fifteen-year-olds. Whoever messes with us, we will kill them.'
Ben asked them what it feels like to kill somebody and they said: 'At the start you are gonna get upset, you'll be scared but eventually it becomes routine.
'This is our life, there is nothing else you can turn to.'
Afterwards Ben said: 'I was pretty shaken after the trip, the interview with the gang was one of the scariest I've done.'
Ben visits Caracas in the first episode of World's Most Dangerous Cities with Ben Zand, available on BBC iPlayer now
Link article
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/07/journalist-threatened-to-have-his-penis-cut-off-while-filming-doc/
Main photo article A BBC journalist was threatened with abduction and even having his genitals chopped off as he confronted a violent gang leader while filming a documentary in Venezuela.
In Ben Zand’s BBC iPlayer series The World’s Most Dangerous Cities, he travelled to Caracas where he met the leader...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Femail HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/09/07/13/4FBD297900000578-6134745-The_journalist_from_Liverpool_met_with_a_commander_of_a_communit-a-53_1536323658037.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий