Diego A.

Diego focuses on stories from North and South America, from colonial history and pirates to cartels and the modern underworld. He is especially drawn to places where crime, power, and myth collide.

The most recent posts by
Diego
A.

Los Alamos: The Secret City That Built the Bomb

Los Alamos: The Secret City That Built the Bomb

Explore Los Alamos (Site Y), the secret city where Oppenheimer engineered the atomic bomb. Discover the history, geology, and legacy of the Manhattan Project.

Cidade de Deus: The Notorious Favela That Became a Symbol of Rio’s Urban Struggle

Explore Cidade de Deus, the notorious Rio de Janeiro favela that became a symbol of urban violence and resilience. Learn about its origins as a failed public housing project, the rise of drug gangs, the daily struggles of its residents and how the film Cidade de Deus brought international attention to the community.

Medellín’s Comuna 13: From War Zone to Graffiti Paradise

Inside the vertical maze of Comuna 13: A record of Escobar’s sicarios, the 2002 blackout massacre, and the mass graves of a mountain that refused to stay silent.

Barrio Pablo Escobar: The Living Architecture of Medellín’s Most Complex Moral Crisis

A deep dive into the history of Barrio Pablo Escobar in Medellín: the cinderblock fortress built by a drug lord to house the dispossessed and buy a seat in Congress. Explore the neighborhood where the drug lord is still worshipped.

Via Appia: The Mass Crucifixion of the Spartacus Revolt

Explore the harrowing history of the 6,000 crucifixions on the Via Appia. A definitive record of the Spartacus revolt and Rome’s 120-mile-long message of terror.

Montjuïc Castle: The Fortress That Bombed Its Own City

Explore the dark history of Montjuïc Castle, the Barcelona fortress where thousands were tortured and executed during the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship. Learn about the mass graves, the execution of Catalan President Lluís Companys, and the castle’s role as a symbol of political repression.

Lorraine Motel: The Balcony Where the Civil Rights Dream Was Shot

Explore the Lorraine Motel, the site of MLK’s assassination. Discover its history from Green Book sanctuary to the National Civil Rights Museum and sacred ground.

Jonestown: The Dark Legacy of the Peoples Temple and the Largest Mass Suicide in Modern History

Explore the chilling history of Jonestown, the remote Guyanese settlement where over 900 people died in the largest mass suicide in modern history. Learn about Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, the final days of paranoia and violence, and the massacre’s enduring impact on survivors and the world.

Santa Mónica District, Cali: The Gilded Bunkers of the Cali Cartel Gentlemen

Explore the Santa Mónica district in Cali, Colombia—the former headquarters where the Cali Cartel's Rodríguez Orejuela brothers ran a global cocaine empire from fortified luxury mansions.

Diego A.

Persepolis: The Glorious Ruins of the Persian Empire

Ruins of Civilizations

Persepolis: The Glorious Ruins of the Persian Empire

Step into the ancient world of Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Learn about its destruction by Alexander the Great, modern excavations, and the controversies surrounding its preservation.

Krak des Chevaliers: The Unconquerable Crusader Fortress of Syria

Explore Krak des Chevaliers, the legendary Crusader fortress in Syria that withstood sieges for centuries. Discover its history, architecture, and the role it played in the Crusades, as well as its enduring legacy as a masterpiece of medieval military engineering.

Diego A.

The Door to Hell: Turkmenistan’s Flaming Crater of Darvaza

Abandoned & Forgotten

The Door to Hell: Turkmenistan’s Flaming Crater of Darvaza

Discover the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan, a fiery gas crater that has burned for over 50 years. Learn about its origins as a Soviet-era drilling disaster, its environmental impact, and the challenges of visiting this remote desert phenomenon.

Diego A.

Diego A.

The most recent posts byDiegoA.

Los Alamos: The Secret City That Built the Bomb

Cidade de Deus: The Notorious Favela That Became a Symbol of Rio’s Urban Struggle

Medellín’s Comuna 13: From War Zone to Graffiti Paradise

Barrio Pablo Escobar: The Living Architecture of Medellín’s Most Complex Moral Crisis

Via Appia: The Mass Crucifixion of the Spartacus Revolt

Montjuïc Castle: The Fortress That Bombed Its Own City

Lorraine Motel: The Balcony Where the Civil Rights Dream Was Shot

Jonestown: The Dark Legacy of the Peoples Temple and the Largest Mass Suicide in Modern History

Santa Mónica District, Cali: The Gilded Bunkers of the Cali Cartel Gentlemen

Persepolis: The Glorious Ruins of the Persian Empire

Krak des Chevaliers: The Unconquerable Crusader Fortress of Syria

The Door to Hell: Turkmenistan’s Flaming Crater of Darvaza

The most recent posts by
Diego
A.