Ecuador, Quito
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He says he was 18 when he first joined the Ecuadorian gang 10 years ago. The man, now a senior commander with a wife and children, barely casually admits that he is contributing to the deadly drug trade that is plaguing the country.

“Yes, I’m part of the problem,” he tells CNN’s David Culver, agreeing to talk, but darkened, away from the crowd, disguising his face.

“They gave me everything,” he said of the gang, claiming he joined them out of despair. Ten years later, he says he won’t quit, saying, “It’s a huge economy and no one wants to let go of a good business.”

Ensuring such a conversation meant running on a compact, tightly tuned crew, including CNN producer Abel Alvarado, research producer Barbara Arvanitidis, photojournalist Alex Platt and security coordinator Crendon Greenway. Together they sailed through gang territory, military raids and far-flung seas, capturing the story in new documentaries.

In Esmeralda, a coastal province where cocaine is often imported from Colombia, he spoke to authorities and residents about how violence has overturned everyday life. In Los Rios, a region that produces many of Ecuadorian banana exports, after leaving the farm, drug traffickers often visited plantations to learn how to slide cocaine into fruit containers. In the coastal city of Manta, they were on military ships to see how authorities worked to stop smugglers at sea before they arrived in the US or other countries. And in the Galapagos Islands, they quietly saw an ecotourism hotspot that became a “gas station” for drug boats.

The executive, a documentary produced by Susan Chun, rarely sees how Ecuador has become a super highway for Narco. It airs Sunday at 9pm on CNN’s “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper.”

Below, Calver and Alvarado, from Ecuador, discuss their report. Their answers are compiled for clarity and brevity.

What drew you to the story and ultimately forced you to produce this documentary?

Culver: We’ve been covering Ecuador together in early 2024 from this surge in violence. That was actually my first trip to Ecuador. And I was caught off guard at that moment and seeing what looked like such a normal and relevant society caught me off guard.

How does the country go from such a paradise, island of peace to a chaos? And from the outside, it all seemed to have happened in a day. But then, when you start pulling the thread, you start to realize there is a lot to get into.

Alvarado: I’ve been to Ecuador more for stories than I recently visited my family. And these stories have continued to grow and grow over the past few years. I remember the first story I featured for CNN. It was a protest. It was very internal. Certain groups, the national sector, were angry at the government. But then, when the crime begins, we begin to realize that it never happened there.

A presidential candidate was murdered a few years ago. That was very unprecedented. And I was there for that. Then, a few months later, in January 2024, we fled from prison, the gang leader, the main crime leader. The next day we saw the President retaliation against him for declaring a state of emergency… in my case it was very difficult to see the spiral in this country where I grew up – this beautiful place, very peaceful – in my case. And for this documentary, our goal was to capture this situation and follow the chain of what is happening in this country.

While reporting there, what was the biggest surprise you had?

Culver: Considering the Galapagos, it is clearly linked to Finch and evolution and (Charles) Darwin, but another kind of evolution is beginning to happen.

It has become symbolic in a very dark and very dark way what is happening to the people of Ecuador. And one of the things we did intentionally is to simplify and humanize the story. And we open a documentary with the couple in their home, and they have clearly not been exposed to the media, let alone the previous international media. And here they are in a very fragile moment, in a very frightening moment, but in a very hopeless moment, trying to explain the son’s loss of disappearance, and the documentary flows out of it.

AlvaradoEcuador always had this feeling, especially the military – “We have this, we trained soldiers.” That was always the case. But they were very honest about their needs…and it comes with this new reality that the country is experiencing.

One general (Clever Guaitarira, commander of Manavi’s Joint Task Force) was very open, like “We need all the help we can get.” They wanted to show us some of the equipment they use. And when we got there they’re like, “Oh, in fact, it’s not working.” There is a lack of work equipment, a lack of resources they have.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in creating this story?

Alvarado: I think it started even when we were planning. It’s a small country…but still, it’s not easy to get from point A to point B. And there is always this risk factor for us… and we can match our eras during the raids with the authorities during the raids, so that we can open these gang leaders, drug runners, to us.

We asked ourselves: “Why do they talk? Why do they put their safety at risk? They are not afraid of the police. They are afraid of other gang members snitching. Why do they do that?”

And the gang members were revealed to us. Because he wants to explain how the domestic situation leads all these young people into that world… David asked him, “Why did you enter this?” He says, “They gave me shoes.”

Have you ever faced security concerns while you were there?

Culver: I think it was probably the most uncertainty when we entered Choneros (gang) territory. And we are in the middle of a meeting to show how fast things move. This happens at least twice, and usually involves talking to the Navy and military and high-level officials.

At the border of two rival gangs: CNN meets top commanders deep in Ecuadorian gang territory

At the border of two rival gangs: CNN meets top commanders deep in Ecuadorian gang territory

3:11

Alvarado: Even in quiet moments in certain areas, I was sometimes nervous. Cameras, foreigners can attract the attention of locals. And in those quiet moments, I was like I was keeping my eyes open. In Guayaquil and many parts of Latin America, it’s easy to get away, so you know that hit men are usually operated on motorcycles. So they’re just going in and they’re like zigzagging inside the car. So there was a moment when I was driving. I’ll see all these motorcycles in the rear view.

And that’s what I feel when I get back. Sadly, every time I arrive in the country, I have this tension in the air. And that’s because you feel you can’t trust anyone.

Culver: You don’t leave much space for idle time there. And it’s kind of intentional. The fact that I was learning this from Abel – some of his family even changed their routines so much that they were too unpredictable in their daily lives.

What have locals told you about the challenges they experience every day and how to overcome them?

Culver: Just like in the US, it depends on who you talk to in such a situation. This means that the parents of the young man who disappeared can know that they are in poverty and that they really have little resources. They are trying to raise four other children. Dad is a security guard and his mother is trying to keep the house. It’s incredibly understated. And I think there’s just a real struggle to provide to families in these types of situations.

But then you’ve seen that you’re middle class and in Esmeralda, there are people who want to go out to restaurants on Friday nights and enjoy music and warm weather. And they just seem to have accepted, OK, this is what you live in a war zone, but you’re still going to try and live within that war zone, right? You are still trying to find joy in moments of relaxation.

Alvarado: My childhood friend Joaquin spoke in this documentary. We wanted to include that too – what does it look like for the people who live here? Joaquin is someone who has the resources to live in the United States. He works for a US-based company. He makes good money. He may be here, but he chooses to be there for his family, parents, and siblings.

What would you like viewers to take from this documentary?

Culver: You begin to realize that the interconnectivity of this crisis is immeasurable. That’s why we see the US increasingly involved in what’s going on there. And I was based there until 2009, with the existence of the US military.

I think our intention is to put this on the map in a broader way. Because we’re certainly late and faster to hear that the US is becoming more and more involved. As an audience, you will start to understand why it is for this Narco SuperHighway, which contains drugs, but how could this end if Ecuador doesn’t get the help they are pleading with.

Alvarado: I put this little country on a map and make people understand what life is like there. Ecuador’s internal problems are also driven by drug consumption in the US, Europe and many other places.

If people learn about the situation there, I’d be happy (and) understand: Ah, amazing. It’s not just Ecuador. Other countries have something to do with this. But apart from that, I am also happy that people learn the possibilities. And there’s more to it after this violence and drug trafficking to recognize that Ecuador is the Amazon, the Andes, the Galapagos and the Pacific coast.

London
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It is a quiet and modest path with stone throws from some of London’s most famous landmarks.

However, if there are plans to build a new “super banknote” in the area, it is likely that they will be looking through the windows of Chinese embassy staff balconies.

China is moving forward with design That new The diplomatic post base at Royal Mint Court, in the heart of London, near Tower Bridge, a large plot in the Tower of London. The impressive building, now empty, was once home to a facility that produced British currency.

As the proposal moves on, China will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in building transformation and remake it as Europe’s largest embassy. China bought the historic land in 2018 for around $312 million.

The plan raised fears of espionage and rattled locals in the tense area This comes when bounty is issued from Beijing for their personal safety and for the British Hong Kongers. The UK was a popular destination for many migrations A former British colony and now a semi-autonomous Chinese city, Beijing has cracked down heavily with opposition over the past five years.

Barry, an insurance broker Those who did not provide their last name to CNN I work at Royal Mint Court The area sold crown jewels, comparing the Chinese acquisition of the site with the British government.

“The building is a very British monument… it was a royal mint. So it’s a bit of a joke to give it all that is happening at the moment by foreign governments, especially the Chinese,” he told CNN.

“Our office is just facing it. We’re one unit in a block of 2,000 employees working there. I’ve never heard anyone say one good thing about it.”

After many government conflicts, British deputy prime minister and housing secretary Angela Rayner is expected to make a final decision by September 9th on whether to lighten the controversial plans green.

Last week, Rayner gave China two weeks to explain why some of the blueprints offered to the vast embassy site have turned black.

The letter, seen by the UK’s PA Media News Agency, sets an August 20 deadline to give inferences on compiled information.

CNN has We contacted the Chinese Embassy in London for comments.

Previous applications for the Beijing embassy were initially rejected in 2022 by the local Tower Hamlet Council for security reasons. Beijing resubmitted its application last year Just a few weeks after Labour came to power in the UK, we hope that the new government led by Kiel’s Stage will more than accept the demand.

The empty Royal Mint Court was scheduled for redevelopment Before China can make a purchase, it will be in a complex with shops, offices and leisure centres. Since then, around 100 homes in the area have been categorized into Chinese–Owned land.

If the embassy plans go further, these assets remain on Chinese land, but do not fall under embassy territory.

Locals in West Cart Light Street apartment block You will notice that it is adjacent to the embassy staff’s residential area. CNN understands that the balcony, which is purposefully built for diplomatic staff, is visible from the rear window of the block.

Royal Mint Court Residents Association, representing approximately 300 people living nearby He is engaged in a long-standing battle between buildings and plans. They say they are afraid of how China can use its power as a landlord after the embassy is built next door.

Mark Nigate, 64, the association’s treasurer, lives on property just a few meters from the site. The block’s parking lot is separated from the embassy site proposed by what Nygate calls “soft borders” by a simple wooden fence.

Speaking to CNN, Nygate is concerned that Chinese landlords could perform a random search of property, or residents could face a spy accusation. He said, “I like taking photos. I have assignments. I take photos of it, but in reality it flows along the border.”

Nygate continued. “It’s so easy to take a picture of something and they’ll think you’re spying.

“They own our land, so they are our landlords and therefore they can be sure they will check us out if they find something they are not satisfied with.”

London metropolitan police have also expressed concern over the large-scale demonstration at the embassy, warning that it could interfere with traffic, spill over roads and affect tourist destinations.

Meanwhile, protesters and rights groups fear that the new embassy building will promote espionage and Beijing’s “long arm” law enforcement, putting UK Beijing’s opponents at risk.

One resident who lives near the embassy told CNN that the plan should not be allowed to move on. “It’s too close to the Tower Bridge,” he said. A man who refused to give him his name. He also cited concerns about Hong Kong’s lost bisaults.

China has previously been accused of effectively using its post base as an overseas police station to monitor Chinese citizens overseas and force them to return home.

One such incident occurred in the UK in October 2022. Hong Kong democratic protesters were dragged into the grounds of the Chinese consulate in Manchester and beaten at an event filmed on camera.

China then removed six diplomats from Britain, where police wanted to question questions in connection with the alleged assault.

However, others with important interests in the Royal Mint area have dismissed the fear of spy and bounty as “Scarmongeling.”

Mark Rahiff, a local real estate developer who serves as managing director of Malaysia-based IJM’s UK subsidiary, supported the establishment of the embassy at a government hearing held in London in February.

“This autonomous borough, Tower Hamlet, is one of the poorest boroughs in the UK,” Rahiv, whose IJM project includes Royal Mint Garden’s Apartotel, told CNN. “It is a big investment for the People’s Republic of China to invest in this autonomous region. The site in particular has been empty since 2008.”

He continued. “It’s a listed site in the strategic part of London, next to London. We’ve seen it corrupt for decades.

However, Nygate rejects the notion that Chinese investment is advantageous The area says redevelopment will come at the expense of residents who currently live there.

“I’ve been opposed to the embassy from the start,” he said. “It’s ultimately about all fame, as they (the Chinese) want to outperform the US embassy.”