Man visits 'most inhumane place on earth' where 'snipers kill you' if you stop in area for too long
A bloke who braved a visit to a terrifying town which he dubbed the 'most inhumane place on Earth' explained it was the 'hardest' thing he has ever done.
And after seeing what harsh realities of life in La Rinconada, Peru, the YouTuber was confronted with during his trip, you'll understand why he isn't in a rush to return.
Content creator 'Zazza the Italian' is on a mission to explore some of the most 'dangerous neighbours in the world', hence why he headed on a mini-break to the run down gold mining town.
Sitting at 5,100 metres above sea level, the town is the highest permanent settlement in the world - so as well as watching out for unsavoury characters, you've got to be wary of the altitude too.
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Zazza made a three-hour journey to the area from the city of Juliaca, telling viewers he had been warned his destination was 'dangerous' and 'off-limits' to tourists - and soon after arriving, he found out exactly why La Rinconada has such a fearsome reputation.
As well as the fact that he immediately found it 'hard to breathe' due to the altitude, Zazza explained that the freezing temperatures were 'devastating'.
Sharing his initial thoughts on the town, the social media star told the camera: "It’s practically an entire, immense slum.
"I’m feeling dizzy. We’re over 5,000 meters, and they say that [above] 5,000 meters is no longer suitable for human life.
"But over 50,000 people live here. It’s incredible."
As he began to explore the Peruvian town, Zazza explained that the majority of the children who live there don't attend school as they are 'forced to work from a very young age'.
Men in La Rinconada work in the mines, extracting gold from the rocks with mercury, while the women are usually left looking for scraps or forced to turn to prostitution.
He continued: "Until 2003, it was a small village without miners. Starting that year, there was an incredible gold rush.
"Many people started moving here until today, reaching about 50,000 inhabitants, of which 70% are men, and the rest are women."
In the footage from his visit to La Rinconada, a young woman was then seen holding hands with an older man before they both entered a public bathroom.
Zazza gasped: "Did you see it? What you just saw was a girl prostituting herself. She went into the bathroom with a guy.
"She approached him saying: 'Hi love, how are you?' The guy was quite drunk."
According to the YouTuber, the streets of the town were littered with 'mountains and mountains of garbage' and 'human excrement'.
He also explained that he had been advised to wear a balaclava to both protect himself from the cold and to provide a degree of protection from the excessive air pollution.
Locals weren't too keen on Zazza thrusting a camera in their faces, with one person explaining: "It’s just that here, the work is somewhat... illegal."
Fair enough - especially as the job prospects in La Rinconada are so dire.
The majority of people work in the mines, but are made to work without pay for 30 days - before they are then granted 24 hours to themselves where they get to keep any gold they found.
"These are people who work very hard, very hard, 10-12 hours a day," Zazza said. "And the only way to escape this hell, so to speak, is to drink."
After growing concerned for his safety as nightfall drew closer, Zazza was then accompanied by a pair of police officers, who shared some more information about life in the town.
The duo explained that there is a lot of crime in La Rinconada, saying: "Everything, armed robbery, assaults. There’s a territorial issue inside the mine, and that’s where they clash, or have disputes over control. They rob pedestrians, steal belongings that workers earn in the mines, then leave and hide."
But finding these criminals is ridiculously difficult as the cops explained that because people are 'bundled up' with layers because of the cold, it is difficult to identify perpetrators.
"If I think of hell... I believe this place comes pretty close," Zazza said, before explaining that the officers then took him to 'one of the most dangerous areas in all of Rinconada'.
"Right now, you can pass through," he said. "But at night, it’s not advisable, not even for [police]. It’s the most apocalyptic scene I’ve seen in my entire life."
The officers explained that the area is patrolled by private security, who are authorised to carry firearms - before Zazza then stumbled on a sinister sign close to what he believed was an abandoned gold mine.
It displayed a stern warning which read: "Private property, metallurgical mining cooperative. Shoot-to-kill order, do not stop."
Zazza explained: "If you stay at this spot in the late afternoon or evening for too long, a bullet will reach you. Just like that. And they warn you."
According to the officials, snipers are constantly keeping lookout and are ready to take aim if they spot any trespassers.
"You can’t enter, you can’t make a mistake," one said before Zazza noted that the 'shoot-to-kill order' wasn't government sanctioned, but was, in fact, a policy that was invented by the mine owners.
When asked if it was 'illegal to kill someone for stealing', one of the officers said it was, adding: "Taking a human life, no matter the reason, is illegal."
Reflecting on his visit to La Rinconada, Zazza said it had been the 'hardest video' he has ever filmed, 'by far'.
"I wanted to stay at night...but I’m too different, I draw too much attention, even if I dress like this," he said.
"They wouldn’t let me enter anywhere, and it would be too dangerous. [But], it’s been an experience I’ll remember all my life."
Topics: Crime, World News, YouTube, Environment
Olivia Burke