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Shadowing practice: I Spent a Day in Haiti's Most Dangerous Slum

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  1. Haiti is on the verge of the abyss.0:00
  2. The U .S.0:02
  3. on Thursday issued the highest level of warning for Haiti.0:03
  4. It's heavily armed gangs expand their control.0:06
  5. US authorities now warning all Americans to get out now.0:08
  6. This is my most ambitious trip to date.0:11
  7. I'm going to Haiti, where 80 % of the capital is controlled by ruthless gangs.0:14
  8. We've been taken around by a bunch of gangsters, and they're all armed with two guns in their pants.0:18
  9. Draw boys.0:22
  10. Militias roam the neighborhoods and terrorize, raping women and capturing foreigners for ransom.0:23
  11. What's the worst that could happen?0:28
  12. What?0:30
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  1. Kingdom, dawg.0:30
  2. It's gonna be a little worse.0:32
  3. In the past 12 months, more than 2 ,400 people have been killed in Port -au -Prince, the capital city where I'm heading all by myself.0:33
  4. What is it like inside gangster -controlled slums, and how difficult will it be to film on these streets?0:40
  5. Hey, stop it!0:45
  6. I think I'm gonna go to the toilet.0:47
  7. Okay, okay, okay.0:49
  8. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.0:53
  9. We'd like to welcome you aboard American Airlines Flight 2.0:55
  10. We're here.0:59
  11. How are we doing, man?1:00
  12. Nice to meet you.1:01
  13. We're good.1:03
  14. How are you doing?1:03
  15. This is Sean, my guide as we attempt to enter Haiti's biggest slum.1:04
  16. Let's do it.1:08
  17. So, what happened?1:10
  18. There was a lot of war going on.1:12
  19. They decided to execute one of the chiefs.1:14
  20. Today?1:17
  21. That happened two nights ago.1:18
  22. Crazy situation out here.1:20
  23. It's a jungle.1:22
  24. Before we do anything, I have to exchange US dollars on the street for local currency because Haiti is a cash -only society.1:23
  25. I've been told that the gang leaders are expecting tips from me if I plan on filming in the slums.1:30
  26. Alright, we're gonna distribute the cash.1:35
  27. Don't film it.1:41
  28. Yeah.1:43
  29. Look at the police car.1:43
  30. Holy s***, that's a big car.1:45
  31. Man.1:48
  32. Alright, here was supposed to be our palace.1:50
  33. It was damaged in 2010 by the earthquake.1:53
  34. Haiti's catastrophic earthquake in 2010 took the lives of 200 ,000 people.1:56
  35. In the slums, it took nearly two weeks for any aid to arrive.2:00
  36. Gang members escaped from prison, resulting in confusion over who was in charge.2:04
  37. It breaks my heart to witness the leftover devastation from a disaster that occurred over a decade ago.2:08
  38. But it adds to my understanding of why Podol Prince is the most dangerous city in the world.2:13
  39. You have a gang group that took our way from the palace.2:17
  40. In Zoom.2:21
  41. Papa?2:24
  42. For you.2:28
  43. You got your passport?2:29
  44. Yeah, yeah, yeah.2:29
  45. Alright.2:30
  46. American.2:32
  47. American?2:34
  48. Yes.2:35
  49. You like Haiti?2:35
  50. I like Haiti.2:37
  51. Why?2:38
  52. Nice people.2:38
  53. That was insane, dude.2:40
  54. Full police stop, massive guns, they had masks on, bulletproof vests, and they were like, what are you doing here?2:42
  55. Are you a journalist?2:47
  56. In the asses.2:48
  57. This guy have a passport?2:49
  58. I'm glad I have it.2:50
  59. Oh yeah.2:51
  60. This is the area.2:52
  61. You heard of the gang group five seconds.2:54
  62. These are five seconds.2:56
  63. So this is the area that we're here.2:57
  64. I feel like we've just entered into a war zone here on this street.3:00
  65. Oh yeah.3:03
  66. Holy s***, man.3:04
  67. So I'm guessing it's not too safe around here.3:06
  68. Not really.3:08
  69. You sure we're okay on this street?3:10
  70. Oh yeah.3:11
  71. This is a bank.3:13
  72. Capital bank.3:15
  73. Clothes because of gang activity in the town.3:16
  74. Look at that.3:19
  75. Bank of clothes.3:20
  76. I've been a lot of places in this world and I don't think I've ever seen streets like Port -au -Prince.3:21
  77. I'm serious.3:26
  78. The smell of that trash burning is horrific.3:26
  79. Look at all the chickens in the trash.3:30
  80. So the chickens eat the trash and then we eat the chickens.3:32
  81. Do we eat the chickens?3:34
  82. Yeah.3:36
  83. I'm getting worse and worse every day and they're not cleaning it.3:37
  84. But what happens when you take the garbage and remove it from certain area and dump it in another area.3:40
  85. So it's like they never actually remove the garbage and put it in the place where it should be.3:46
  86. You can see the road conditions here are pretty poor.3:52
  87. We've got to go over through the hot holes like that.3:54
  88. We are rolling up to some street markets here and it is so chaotic.3:57
  89. Total madness out here.4:01
  90. Total madness.4:02
  91. In the middle of the street market is just piles of trash.4:03
  92. And then there's people selling on both sides of it.4:06
  93. I'm going to open a little market for you.4:09
  94. I'm going to open that.4:11
  95. You're popular my friend.4:14
  96. Oh yes, Shari.4:16
  97. This guy is sharpening a knife on the side of the street.4:20
  98. I don't want him to come after me with a knife.4:25
  99. See he's coming to the window.4:29
  100. Yo, what's up?4:32
  101. Once it's six o 'clock you won't see none of them in the streets.4:35
  102. It's all empty.4:38
  103. They go home.4:39
  104. They will believe that maybe they might get kidnapped or something.4:40
  105. Walking around these streets is absolutely mental to be honest.4:45
  106. There's so much commotion, so much attention with the camera.4:48
  107. Constantly having to hide in the back corner and stay away from gangs.4:51
  108. We're inching closer and closer to the real gang territory.4:54
  109. But first we have to fend our way through a busy street market.4:57
  110. A lot of shit going on on these streets.5:00
  111. And Sean says hi to everybody.5:02
  112. Hop up!5:03
  113. Yeah, yeah, yeah.5:04
  114. That's why we call it red food.5:05
  115. And that's the food that they use to provide to the slaves.5:07
  116. I like her headband.5:10
  117. That's like a West African thing.5:12
  118. Now this is crazy here.5:15
  119. Gridlock traffic.5:18
  120. Are these buses?5:19
  121. No, that's called Top Tops.5:20
  122. The Top Tops is a pickup truck.5:22
  123. And then this part is made here in Haiti.5:25
  124. This is crazy dude.5:28
  125. All around me right now is just chaos.5:31
  126. Now we are on the middle of the street.5:34
  127. We're going to a police man.5:35
  128. What's your name?5:39
  129. Abad Daniel.5:41
  130. Abad Daniel.5:42
  131. Nice to meet you.5:42
  132. Nice to meet you.5:44
  133. Hallelujah.5:46
  134. Hallelujah.5:47
  135. Hallelujah.5:48
  136. What the hell was that about, man?5:50
  137. Look at the street.5:52
  138. The only city in the world that's close to like this is Mogadishu, Somalia.5:53
  139. What's your name?5:57
  140. Dru.5:59
  141. This lady was calling me on the side of the road.6:00
  142. So we're trying whatever she's selling.6:02
  143. Same thing.6:04
  144. I'm just going to have this.6:06
  145. This is my hand style.6:07
  146. I'm trying the breadfruit.6:10
  147. Is it good?6:13
  148. No.6:13
  149. It's kind of sweet.6:15
  150. Really good.6:16
  151. It literally tastes like bread.6:17
  152. But apparently it's a fruit.6:19
  153. So breadfruit.6:20
  154. We are not going to take motorcycles to get across town.6:21
  155. It's been pretty intense.6:23
  156. That's all I got to say.6:24
  157. I'm just standing here in the blistering hot sun trying to figure out what's going on.6:25
  158. You know, the last time I did this was in Chad.6:32
  159. Now this is my local friend.6:34
  160. We took two motorbikes and I jumped out of one that was stolen and I was in a police state.6:36
  161. So I kind of stopped doing motorbikes.6:40
  162. But here we are in the world's most dangerous city on another one.6:42
  163. Saba?6:45
  164. Yeah, Saba.6:46
  165. Merci, merci.6:47
  166. We are getting like inches away from cars and people.6:49
  167. Like, an inch.6:51
  168. Not an inch, one inch.6:53
  169. The smell of exhaust, trash and getting tilted in the face with dirt is un -comforting.6:54
  170. Damn, dude.7:01
  171. You did it.7:01
  172. Holy s***, thank you.7:04
  173. I can't even see because of the dirt in my eyes, bro.7:05
  174. Only two bucks to pop for the motorcycle.7:10
  175. Not bad.7:12
  176. Woo!7:13
  177. To better understand Haiti, we have to talk about slavery.7:14
  178. The island of Hispaniola is divided into two nations.7:17
  179. The Spanish -speaking Dominican Republic to the east and the French Creole -speaking Haiti to the west.7:20
  180. Haiti once accounted for more than one -third of the entire Atlantic slave trade.7:24
  181. Around the time of the American Revolution, the Haitian Revolution became the only successful slave revolt in human history.7:28
  182. This revolution freed the colony from the French and sent aftershocks across the Atlantic world.7:35
  183. As cruel as it was, it's amazing to see how Haiti's West African heritage plays out in traditions like Voodoo.7:40
  184. These guys have been drawing for like 15 minutes.7:46
  185. I thought it was just going to be a simple cross, but it's like a whole design.7:48
  186. This ritual has a specific intention as the family prays for their son to be freed from prison.7:51
  187. Can you explain how the people of Haiti retain their roots of Africa?7:56
  188. We believe we're the only country in the Americas that actually connected to our roots.8:00
  189. They also believed Voodoo was the religion that freed them from slavery.8:06
  190. Learning about slavery helps me better understand how Haiti got here.8:11
  191. But now I need to prepare myself mentally because we are about to enter Cetis Soleil, the most dangerous slum on Earth.8:15
  192. And this whole area here is repassing and controlling by gang.8:21
  193. Hey, stop it!8:26
  194. Hey!8:27
  195. So what happens if the gang finds out that I'm here?8:27
  196. Nothing would happen.8:30
  197. You with me?8:32
  198. It's very empty these roads, man.8:33
  199. That's why, because who would go down there?8:35
  200. The only cars and motorbike you see going down there, they've come to Cetis Soleil area.8:38
  201. I don't want to get caught by that.8:44
  202. Should we go back?8:47
  203. No.8:48
  204. Mama's not going to say anything, bro.8:50
  205. You're going to be fine, right?8:51
  206. Yeah.8:53
  207. In this very moment, I spot eight gangsters with masks on and massive automatic weapons strapped around their chest.8:55
  208. Are these normal people or gang members?9:04
  209. These people.9:06
  210. Stop.9:06
  211. We picked up a bodyguard in case Sean is unable to protect me inside the slum.9:21
  212. Are you sure we're good?9:26
  213. Yeah, yeah, we're good.9:26
  214. Don't worry.9:27
  215. Okay, man.9:30
  216. Hey, bro.9:30
  217. What's your name?9:31
  218. Name?9:33
  219. No, no camera.9:34
  220. That was the only checkpoint, right?9:35
  221. It was the best.9:37
  222. Oh, there was a lot.9:37
  223. I don't know if I can handle this.9:39
  224. Are you sure we're going to be okay, man?9:40
  225. Yeah, we're going to be okay.9:42
  226. Don't worry.9:43
  227. I'm just going to stay calm, but those guns are f***ing huge, bro.9:44
  228. Where is our destination?9:49
  229. We're here.9:50
  230. Oh, we're going to walk around?9:51
  231. Yep.9:53
  232. F***, okay.9:54
  233. I literally see only big guns and like crazy dudes like bandits, like rebels.9:56
  234. Not like normal looking dudes.10:02
  235. Don't feel yet.10:04
  236. Okay, keep it in my pocket.10:05
  237. Hiding my camera, I shake hands with the chief who is a gangster himself that rules the community.10:06
  238. I slap a hundred bucks in his hand and he appoints six more bodyguards to protect us as we walk around the chaotic streets.10:11
  239. Through this fence is a hospital or was a hospital.10:17
  240. We're going to go check it out.10:20
  241. It seems like the hospital is not even functioning.10:22
  242. People are functioning.10:25
  243. There's nobody here.10:26
  244. See what happened?10:27
  245. The nurses and the doctors does not leave in Salo City so late.10:29
  246. So they come early in the morning.10:34
  247. They receive a certain amount of patients and after that they left about noon one o 'clock.10:37
  248. So it does work in the morning.10:43
  249. Because of the insecurity, they're not able to stay here.10:44
  250. So what if somebody gets shot right now?10:48
  251. You have to put something else.10:50
  252. Or die.10:53
  253. Or die.10:54
  254. Empty in here.10:55
  255. Nothing.10:56
  256. Nothing in this hospital.10:56
  257. So sad.10:58
  258. As we are leaving the hospital, our guard tells us to stop talking and stop filming because the chief is walking by.11:00
  259. I nearly crap my pants.11:06
  260. Put the camera down.11:07
  261. Okay, okay, okay.11:08
  262. And that's your question.11:10
  263. What would happen if we didn't call the chief and we just showed up randomly?11:12
  264. I like calling them because I need to let them know that they're coming.11:15
  265. Just in case anything would happen.11:19
  266. But I'm quite welcome to do so.11:22
  267. There we are.11:23
  268. Gotcha.11:24
  269. Because of...11:24
  270. They know you.11:25
  271. Yeah, they know me.11:26
  272. Who are the dudes following us?11:28
  273. All of those are true.11:29
  274. How often do you think they actually use their guns?11:32
  275. Often, often.11:35
  276. Quite often.11:37
  277. They always do that.11:38
  278. To shoot people?11:39
  279. They shoot each other.11:41
  280. They would even shoot any person in the area that does not bow to their orders.11:43
  281. We are bowing to their orders, right?11:52
  282. Yeah.11:53
  283. You'll get a shot in your leg.11:54
  284. Jesus.11:56
  285. I see that happen, Mufo.11:56
  286. I don't want to make them upset with me either.11:58
  287. Of course.12:00
  288. Of course.12:01
  289. We're literally walking on trash.12:03
  290. Yes, and you see all of those?12:05
  291. This is part of people living.12:07
  292. There's no running water, no AC, no proper toilets.12:09
  293. No electricity.12:13
  294. No electricity.12:14
  295. And there's like 400 ,000 people living in one.12:15
  296. Now it's probably less because of the rival gang fight.12:18
  297. Many of them have been dislocated to different areas.12:21
  298. So these are just the local people here now?12:24
  299. Like the people living here?12:26
  300. And there are some people who can afford to leave the area so they don't leave.12:28
  301. Can't cross.12:33
  302. Really?12:34
  303. Sweet.12:35
  304. All right.12:37
  305. Oh, s***.12:39
  306. Yep, me too.12:41
  307. Now my shoes are completely soaked in mud.12:43
  308. Smell it.12:46
  309. Smell it.12:47
  310. This area that we're in is controlled by one gang, right?12:50
  311. Actually, City of Sola is controlled by two different gangs.12:54
  312. This part is controlled by a shitpip.12:57
  313. Yep.12:59
  314. And the other side is controlled by another gang member called G9.13:00
  315. So do they kill each other?13:07
  316. The two gangs?13:08
  317. Just recently, six of them got killed.13:09
  318. And they were killed by the police.13:13
  319. They were killed by the same members.13:15
  320. Every slum I've been in around the world, they still have a little shop where you can buy food and water.13:18
  321. But here I haven't seen any of that.13:22
  322. There is no shops.13:25
  323. There is not even a small restaurant.13:26
  324. You can call where they can eat.13:28
  325. Nothing.13:30
  326. There is pretty much nothing.13:31
  327. Thank God we found water.13:32
  328. I've been looking for the last like two hours.13:33
  329. And bags of water.13:35
  330. No place to find water, but we got bags of water.13:36
  331. Thank you.13:38
  332. Can I drink this?13:39
  333. Yeah, you can.13:40
  334. It's pure, yeah?13:41
  335. It's pure fight.13:42
  336. I don't know if this is something we're sick or not, but I'm so fucking thirsty.13:43
  337. Oh, so good.13:48
  338. I'm keeping my camera down everywhere because you don't know who you can meet or who you can piss off with your camera here.13:50
  339. How's your bag of water?13:57
  340. Bag of water.13:59
  341. That doesn't taste too good, man.13:59
  342. That's okay.14:01
  343. It actually doesn't taste good.14:01
  344. It definitely has a taste.14:02
  345. And water shouldn't have a taste.14:04
  346. Try to look at him.14:05
  347. He's opening milk with a gun.14:09
  348. What's a hammer, too?14:14
  349. Yes, my knee.14:15
  350. What is he doing?14:17
  351. Making a drink?14:18
  352. Yeah.14:19
  353. He mixed it up with a whole -wheeled energy drink.14:20
  354. That's cool, man.14:24
  355. The energy drink.14:25
  356. You get strong.14:27
  357. What happens when you mix guns and energy drinks?14:28
  358. Haiti.14:31
  359. So there is one shop this lady's selling.14:33
  360. What is this stuff?14:35
  361. Now they have hot dogs.14:36
  362. Oh, pure dogs, aye.14:38
  363. They don't look very clean, bro.14:39
  364. No.14:42
  365. This is sweet potato and this is great food.14:42
  366. Would you eat that?14:47
  367. I don't know.14:49
  368. You just took a hot dog.14:51
  369. Dude, homie just took a hot dog.14:53
  370. No.14:54
  371. I gotta try it.14:55
  372. Try it, try it.14:56
  373. Good or bad?15:01
  374. Pretty good?15:03
  375. It's nasty.15:04
  376. It's nasty?15:06
  377. Yeah.15:07
  378. I guess all the gangsters are eating now.15:12
  379. We got them some food.15:14
  380. Once you start eating, they all start eating.15:16
  381. Yeah.15:18
  382. How much was all that?15:19
  383. That was for 250 gus after pushing them in with three dollars.15:21
  384. For all that.15:24
  385. We lent food to the ghetto.15:25
  386. This is a house here, but it's completely empty.15:28
  387. I mean, you can see it was a house.15:31
  388. Now it's just sh** on the ground.15:33
  389. I think that's actually literally sh** that bag.15:34
  390. And also, you can see a lot of bullet holes in it.15:37
  391. People have everything.15:41
  392. Bullets, guns, handcuffs, drugs.15:44
  393. Guys working with a bag of bullets.15:48
  394. That bag that you see, and that bag is full of bullets.15:52
  395. And a bullet to vest.15:55
  396. See, why when bullets move, they're always fighting.15:58
  397. What is the bullets?16:02
  398. We need them.16:03
  399. We actually need more.16:03
  400. This is the street life, man.16:05
  401. And the ironic thing is we're right by the airport.16:07
  402. It's much safer in the city or no, it's still sh** up.16:10
  403. This is way more dangerous in here.16:14
  404. This is way more dangerous.16:15
  405. Okay, that's what I thought.16:16
  406. It's okay.16:17
  407. Oh, look at that.16:18
  408. Oh, God.16:19
  409. That's a much sh**.16:21
  410. A lot of us just abandoned.16:24
  411. Like abandoned churches.16:26
  412. That's a little park we street on.16:27
  413. That's why they usually chill.16:29
  414. That's a park.16:30
  415. Where they actually sometimes do their little program.16:32
  416. They have their little band that would play.16:36
  417. It would be happy to live.16:38
  418. Now it's nothing.16:40
  419. It's not excluded.16:41
  420. The trash is a huge problem here.16:42
  421. And if nobody cleans it up, it's going to get worse.16:44
  422. It is.16:46
  423. It's getting worse every time and every year.16:47
  424. It's getting worse and worse.16:50
  425. So the goat has this thing around his body because they didn't want him to go into anyone's house.16:51
  426. So that way he can't fit in the house.16:56
  427. We're on a mission right now to go meet some people.16:58
  428. Try to document the local life happening here.17:00
  429. Let's see if this is like...17:03
  430. Every single house here is completely in pieces like this.17:04
  431. Poverty is not even a word to describe this place.17:08
  432. I mean, look at this little house that I'm in right now.17:10
  433. Hold on to this.17:12
  434. Don't do it too hard or it's going to break.17:14
  435. Oh, hello.17:17
  436. Someone's in there.17:18
  437. Someone's like just laughing at us as we try to walk through here.17:20
  438. Man, it's crazy walking here.17:26
  439. Oh my God.17:28
  440. That's our rice with nothing in it.17:30
  441. Just rice?17:33
  442. Just rice.17:34
  443. As soon as there is no oil and the feed is feeding that to the baby.17:35
  444. At least it's something.17:41
  445. It's something, yeah.17:42
  446. But it's just hardly leaving.17:44
  447. Can I take a peek?17:46
  448. Yeah.17:47
  449. This is one of the houses here.17:49
  450. We just got a few beds and some cups.17:51
  451. Hole's in the roof.17:54
  452. Someone at Reigns.17:55
  453. All the houses get destroyed.17:56
  454. And here, they make liquid here.17:58
  455. To wash, washing clothes.18:02
  456. She made them.18:05
  457. It's pretty sweet.18:06
  458. Does she sell it?18:08
  459. Bro, you're so sweaty.18:11
  460. I know.18:13
  461. Look at your arms, bro.18:16
  462. It's like water.18:17
  463. Can you tell me what it's like to live in City Soleil?18:18
  464. I don't know.18:21
  465. It's not too bad at all.18:24
  466. That's where she was born.18:25
  467. Are you scared of all the gang activity and guns around here?18:27
  468. She's not afraid.18:33
  469. She's used to it.18:35
  470. Can I see inside of his bag?18:37
  471. What do you show me?18:39
  472. I don't know what it is.18:39
  473. Those are all bullets?18:43
  474. Damn.18:45
  475. Wow.18:47
  476. Where do you get these from?18:49
  477. You see that, sir?18:50
  478. Don't translate.18:52
  479. I'm a munition.18:54
  480. You're a munition.18:57
  481. That's about revenge.18:59
  482. Oh, my friend.19:01
  483. Congratulations.19:02
  484. He said he won't be able to peace end, but he would hold him to get shot.19:03
  485. Of course.19:11
  486. He said those would not hold him.19:12
  487. Smith and Wesson.19:16
  488. Springfield, Massachusetts.19:19
  489. From the USA.19:20
  490. How long have you been living here?19:23
  491. It's been four years since you took over this area.19:26
  492. What gang are you a part of?19:29
  493. WL.19:31
  494. How do you become a member of the gang?19:32
  495. My friend.19:36
  496. He started fighting with his bare hands, and then after that they gave him that gun.19:37
  497. And then he managed to do even more with that small gun which he had in his hands.19:42
  498. And now he has an AK -47.19:47
  499. How do you feel that you walk around the streets armed with guns?19:49
  500. He said he feels comfortable.19:54
  501. He feels great because they don't bother anyone.19:58
  502. And all they do when it's controlling their own neighborhood and their own area, make sure that it's safe.20:01
  503. They are not involving kidnapping.20:07
  504. And they're not stealing people's belongings.20:09
  505. Security.20:12
  506. So he feels that he feels good.20:13
  507. I appreciate you keeping me safe because I'm coming in here as a tourist and I feel comfortable with you.20:15
  508. We'll be here some day.20:20
  509. That's why we're here.20:22
  510. Do you hope some day that you won't have to carry a gun that it will be safe some day?20:25
  511. We can start events today when we take the guns.20:30
  512. If we have to put the guns down, we will.20:35
  513. How do you feel about the police?20:38
  514. It's like if they come here.20:39
  515. They already know that the police are a legal entity and they have to respect them.20:43
  516. And they're going to come.20:50
  517. They're going to put themselves aside and allow them to do their work.20:51
  518. There's no battle with you and the police.20:55
  519. No, never.20:57
  520. Hey, thanks for keeping me safe.21:00
  521. Seriously.21:01
  522. You too.21:03
  523. I knew coming here would be intense, but I never expected it to be like...21:06
  524. These are real gangsters.21:10
  525. Real bandits with guns.21:12
  526. There's way more of them than us.21:13
  527. It's just me and Sean.21:15
  528. If anything went south quickly, we would probably be shot.21:16
  529. It's a really scary feeling.21:20
  530. To say that I'm shaking is not even one -one -hundredth of how I feel right now.21:22
  531. That's why I'm behind the wall.21:27
  532. Everyone is our, everyone.21:29
  533. Multiple guns in their pockets.21:31
  534. This is so intense.21:32
  535. What's the worst possible thing that could happen right now?21:34
  536. Like we just hear a bunch of gunfire.21:36
  537. The worst thing that could happen is if another group attacked them.21:38
  538. That we will probably get in between the force fire.21:44
  539. Where do we go?21:49
  540. Just in a bit?21:50
  541. But we will be fine.21:50
  542. If that happens, what would we do?21:52
  543. Just go in someone's house?21:54
  544. We'll go into someone's house and stay there until everything calms down.21:56
  545. There's only one way in here and one way out.22:01
  546. That one's free.22:04
  547. It gives me goosebumps when I think about it.22:04
  548. Just walking around and just hear banging sounds.22:07
  549. Everybody's working.22:10
  550. They're doing something.22:11
  551. They're banging away.22:12
  552. You can see some positivity.22:13
  553. They don't stay idle.22:16
  554. They're staying busy.22:18
  555. But how much money do you think they make per day in dollars?22:20
  556. Probably ten to fifteen dollars per day.22:24
  557. Most people living here, they don't leave the community.22:30
  558. They don't go through that checkpoint.22:32
  559. Let's say mostly those that are involved in the gang activity.22:35
  560. If they leave, they might be killed.22:39
  561. They might get killed by the enemy or even by the police.22:40
  562. Or even arrested.22:45
  563. And that happens all the time.22:46
  564. That happens, yes.22:48
  565. They often.22:49
  566. Let's say a lot of people cannot go about their businesses because of why we're a gang fight.22:50
  567. As you can see, we go around.22:55
  568. Everyone has guns here.22:57
  569. Multiple guns.23:00
  570. Yes.23:01
  571. The only people I don't see are the guns.23:02
  572. They're old women.23:04
  573. What needs to happen for all of this mess to be safe?23:05
  574. They should start arresting those people that are arming this gang.23:09
  575. Who's going to arrest them?23:12
  576. The police?23:13
  577. I don't think the police are going to do it because they are already bribed by those oligarchs and the politicians that are arming those young people and the ghetto.23:14
  578. All these guns make it easy to believe how the government is in shambles here.23:24
  579. On July 7th, 2021, the world stood still as a president of Haiti was assassinated.23:27
  580. Foreign militants stormed his home in the Upskia part of Port -au -Prince, riddling his office with bullets and shooting him 12 times all over.23:33
  581. It was not only sharding.23:40
  582. I mean, they threatened him like he was some type of a criminal, the way he was killed.23:42
  583. His calls were broken.23:48
  584. Arm was believed to be broken.23:50
  585. The way that they assassinated this man, it was worse than a criminal.23:53
  586. Meanwhile, a manhunt ensued.23:56
  587. Crowds of Haitians gathered at the U .S.23:59
  588. Embassy as Joe Biden deployed the Marine Corps.24:01
  589. Suspiciously, none of the president's bodyguards were killed during the ambush.24:04
  590. So who's the new president?24:07
  591. We don't have a president.24:08
  592. You don't have a president?24:10
  593. Two years from now, we don't even have a president.24:11
  594. There's no president of Haiti.24:13
  595. I thought we had a president with all those gangs around.24:14
  596. This might be the only UN country without a president.24:17
  597. We're ahead of state.24:19
  598. It has to be.24:20
  599. How's that?24:21
  600. You're entering a house here.24:23
  601. Oh, that's how it is.24:24
  602. Hello.24:27
  603. This is a vegetable called lalo in Haiti.24:27
  604. It's very well known.24:30
  605. And they consume it a lot.24:32
  606. It's like spinach?24:34
  607. Uh, sort of.24:35
  608. So what's it like to live in this community?24:37
  609. I'd say we're not living a good life here because it's hard to eat.24:40
  610. We don't have access to money.24:45
  611. I asked her how long she's been living in the city, so she says 10 years.24:47
  612. 10 years?24:50
  613. How come you don't want to leave and go somewhere else?24:51
  614. She won't want to leave here because this is the only place she has to live.24:55
  615. How often do you hear gunshots here?25:00
  616. She's not here.25:02
  617. Yeah, very often.25:03
  618. She's not here.25:05
  619. She's not here.25:06
  620. She's not used to it now.25:07
  621. Let's go.25:09
  622. This is the kitchen?25:14
  623. Yes, this is the kitchen.25:15
  624. Not much food in here.25:16
  625. There is no much.25:18
  626. There is no food at all, as I can see.25:20
  627. The kitchen, as I'm watching as well, the tent sheet, there's a lot of holes in it.25:22
  628. And also there is a major hole in here.25:28
  629. I'm just thinking when it's raining and the condition that those people must be living.25:31
  630. This might be struggling.25:36
  631. It rains here a lot, right?25:38
  632. It rains a lot.25:39
  633. And just imagine those holes that you can see.25:40
  634. Yeah, it's a...25:45
  635. I just asked her when it rains how it happened.25:46
  636. It says it's all fluted.25:49
  637. It's sad that this is the kitchen but there's nothing in it.25:51
  638. And these living conditions are really rough, man.25:54
  639. Oh yes.25:56
  640. I can imagine how they are able to live in a condition like this.25:57
  641. What did you give her?26:01
  642. A few dollars?26:02
  643. I give her a thousand, five hundred goods, which is approximately ten US.26:02
  644. That's good, man.26:09
  645. That's pretty good.26:10
  646. Oh!26:13
  647. Mama!26:14
  648. Oh no, what happened?26:15
  649. Look at that!26:16
  650. Oh no!26:18
  651. It's fluted!26:18
  652. Wow, that's deep.26:21
  653. What happened?26:23
  654. It's not delma, please.26:24
  655. What did she say?26:27
  656. She said that's what happened.26:28
  657. So water that's coming from the top of the mountain, like Fitchfield and Villan delma area.26:30
  658. It rains?26:35
  659. It rains.26:35
  660. Even though it doesn't rain down here but once the water comes down.26:37
  661. So the house is all defluted.26:41
  662. So that's what happened.26:43
  663. Oh my God.26:44
  664. I'm so sorry.26:45
  665. Oh man.26:46
  666. Her whole house is flooded, man.26:50
  667. At least a foot deep.26:52
  668. I want to help this lady.26:54
  669. I feel so bad.26:56
  670. Why doesn't she want to leave to another house?26:57
  671. She wouldn't love to have another house but she doesn't have the need.27:01
  672. Oh, it's really sad, man.27:07
  673. It's deep.27:09
  674. Look how deep it is.27:09
  675. The feet.27:10
  676. Yeah, it is.27:10
  677. Behind me, this man is slurred.27:14
  678. They're slaughtering a pig for this whole community and they're all watching him.27:16
  679. When was the pig dead?27:19
  680. Ah, it was a moment ago.27:20
  681. Everyone's surrounding around here as they're about to cut open the pig.27:22
  682. We're watching him slaughter the pig in front of us.27:36
  683. Everyone's reacting here.27:39
  684. What is it?27:55
  685. Oh.27:59
  686. There's a couple of kids here hanging out.28:01
  687. Sabah?28:05
  688. Sabah?28:08
  689. Let me see your American handshake.28:18
  690. American handshake like this.28:20
  691. Yeah.28:23
  692. You got it?28:23
  693. Again.28:24
  694. Yeah.28:26
  695. Sean is telling me that they're going to close the border soon and we won't be able to leave the slum.28:27
  696. We rush back to the checkpoint with no time to even think about what is happening.28:31
  697. Are we sure we're going to get through the checkpoint?28:36
  698. We are going to.28:39
  699. I will just inform the close every six o 'clock.28:40
  700. This dude in the green hat is the one that escorted us earlier.28:44
  701. He's coming on the outside.28:47
  702. Yes, yes, sir.28:49
  703. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, bro.28:50
  704. Yay.28:55
  705. Come on, guys, do it all.28:57
  706. Coming up to the checkpoint.28:58
  707. This checkpoint is super.29:01
  708. This is the most intense checkpoint in the world, I think.29:03
  709. Thank you.29:05
  710. You're welcome.29:08
  711. Thank you.29:11
  712. You're welcome.29:12
  713. You're welcome.29:12
  714. You're welcome.29:13
  715. You're welcome.29:13
  716. You're welcome.29:13
  717. You're welcome.29:14
  718. That was it?29:14
  719. We got through?29:19
  720. Yeah, yeah.29:19
  721. Damn.29:20
  722. They all want money, huh?29:21
  723. Oh, that's telling you.29:22
  724. Oh, now we're on the empty road again.29:24
  725. Damn, dude.29:27
  726. We got out.29:29
  727. We got out.29:30
  728. That's crazy.29:30
  729. I just got to my hotel room and I just want to say that I am completely exhausted, mentally messed up in the head by what I just experienced.29:32
  730. This is by far, by far the most dangerous place in the world.29:41
  731. I thought Mogadishu Somalia or Kabul, Afghanistan had the crown, but Port -au -Prince Haiti is messed up.29:47
  732. And of course, I'm grateful for the life that I live.29:53
  733. And if you're watching this video, be grateful for the life that you live because it is not easy for everyone around the world.29:55
  734. Thanks for watching this video.30:01
  735. I need to go to bed.30:03
  736. I'm just completely messed up in the head right now.30:04
  737. Yeah, nothing else to say.30:06
  738. And that, guys.30:08
  739. See you in the next video.30:09

American accent training in a fast, B2 level Haiti travel narration

This clip opens Drew Binsky's report from inside Haiti's biggest slum, and it does not slow down for you. It runs at 224 words per minute, faster than most of the catalogue, so it is a solid target for english speaking practice once the vocabulary is no longer the problem and keeping pace is.

The B2 narration switches registers fast: a news bulletin voice for lines like "on Thursday issued the highest level of warning for Haiti," his own first person narration setting up the trip, and short bursts of dialogue with his guide, Sean, once he is on the ground. Shadowing all three back to back is good american accent training, because real conversation never stays in one register for long.

It also happens to be a story worth following: an earthquake ruined city, armed militias, tips paid to gang leaders just to film. That gives you a reason to listen past the first sentence, which is half of what makes shadowing stick.

The reductions in this slum narration worth catching

A few lines here are worth slowing down on before you try them at full speed.

  • "It's gonna be a little worse." said right after "What's the worst that could happen?", a two beat exchange where "gonna" swallows "going to" the way it does in real speech, not textbook speech.
  • "I think I'm gonna go to the toilet." another gonna, and a good line to practise pronunciation on because the whole phrase runs together at speed instead of word by word.
  • "There was a lot of war going on." plain and flat, useful for hearing how a native speaker underplays a serious sentence rather than dramatising it.
  • "It breaks my heart to witness the leftover devastation from a disaster that occurred over a decade ago." a long, single breath narration line, good for testing whether you can improve your english accent on a sentence that does not give you a pause to reset.

How to shadow this Haiti slum narration line by line

Work through the clip in this order rather than jumping around.

  • Start on line 1, "Haiti is on the verge of the abyss." Short and clean, it lets you check your accent against his before the pace picks up.
  • Take the news style block, lines 2 to 5, as one unit. It is delivered like a bulletin, so match the clipped rhythm rather than your normal conversational one.
  • Shadow "This is my most ambitious trip to date." on its own. It is the pivot from newsreader voice to his own narration voice, and hearing that shift helps with english shadowing practice on register changes generally.
  • Pair the two gonna lines, "It's gonna be a little worse." and "I think I'm gonna go to the toilet." Say each slowly first, then at his speed, so the reduction lands rather than getting skipped.
  • Finish on "It breaks my heart to witness the leftover devastation from a disaster that occurred over a decade ago." as a fluency check: if you can say it in one breath at his pace, you are ready to move to the next segment of the video.
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