victorhugofj.bsky.social
Passion for storytelling is my superpower. Creativity is my compass. It can combine opposites or innovate, the key is knowing what to do when. I research, cultivate sources and pitch stories that get millions of views.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-hu
46 posts
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Oh I wanna to try those Russian avocadoes
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This design—this dynamic between inmate and guard, both imprisoned in their relationship—revealed something deeper about humanity to me: how messy and chaotic it truly is. More questions remain, let’s see what the future brings.
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As Orlando Ruiz said in a private conversation, what I filmed will never do justice to what I saw with my own eyes, what I sensed in the surroundings, or what I smelled in that place.
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Despite receiving two release orders from judges, his case remains suspended in legal limbo, as correctional officers appear to wield more authority than judicial decisions.
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Thanks to a local journalist, I was able to meet with Ms. Marcela Alvarado Noria, a farmer and mother of Duval Mata Alvarado, who is currently detained at CECOT.
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This event, known as the Route 47 Massacre, occurred during the administration of leftist President Mauricio Funes and marked a turning point when Barrio 18 was designated as a terrorist organization.
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Three days earlier, I met with a lifelong brother and fixer, Edwin Cerritos, who took me to a street in the Mejicanos area where members of Barrio 18 doused a microbus with gasoline, set it ablaze with passengers inside, and gunned down those who tried to escape with automatic weapons.
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In a way, I understand how this hyper-structure somehow compensates for the nonsense violence of the gangs, but this is not the end of the story.
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In a very accelerated tour to CECOT, I could cover the morning routines, creating the visual puzzle, grabbing the story by fragments, analyzing, deconstructing and reassembling everything in an almost 6 hour almost surreal conversation with CECOT's director, Belarmino García.
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The real challenge was going alone, being the videographer, trying to manage the stamina, trying to keep a fresh mind while Simone was producing a story in Iraq, but the adrenaline took control and fed me what I needed.
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Since December, I had been in contact with a communications consultant that I had met some 16 years ago when I was working as a communications consultant for the municipality of Sucre in Caracas, Venezuela. It worked.
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Eleven months later, I wake up at 1:00 a.m. and prepare to be picked up by the team from the Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia de El Salvador. Just 8 hours earlier, I wasn't sure if this was going to happen.
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It was my second interview there and it was a complex one, but it was finally published in the context of Nayib Bukele's presidency, the state of emergency implemented two years ago and extended until today, and his approach to public safety.
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It all started with Steven Dudley's book, MS-13: the Making of America's Most Notorious Gang, when I learned about Alex Sanchez, one of the witnesses and members in the creation of the gang, and I asked him to be interviewed for How Crime Works at Business Insider.
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So far, I think I've come full circle very quickly with MS-13 and El Salvador in a first iteration. But Barrio 18 remains elusive.
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It's a good idea to recognize the privilege of covering the MS-13 story. A lot of journalists have the experience where one day we choose a story, and every other day the story chooses us.
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which, as you know, is a maximum security prison that is the current response of the Salvadoran government and, I would say, society, to find answers to the criminal organizations Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18 (18th Street).
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I also had the good fortune to meet Simone Guida, one of their presenters, and we began the process of co-producing an episode about the Center of Confinement of Terrorism or CECOT,
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Two weeks ago, I had the good fortune to travel to El Salvador thanks to an assignment from Nova Lectio, a YouTube channel that features documentaries on global and European affairs.
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Fascism is written with F of Frivolity
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8/ Please watch this episode of How Crime Works on FIFA corruption with Bonita Mersiades. (For some reason, my professional website has received some visits from Russia lately.) youtu.be/9Eytw2xGx1I
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7/ I'd have loved to do all the fact-checking and commenting, but I think it was something Cynthia got some enjoyment out of. youtu.be/9Eytw2xGx1I
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6/ I had to get off the train in the middle of the journey and leave the story to be completed by Ju Shardlow, Dylan Brzezinski, and Cynthia Liu. My total appreciation to the BI team. youtu.be/9Eytw2xGx1I
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5/ It was a great realization when the interview ended in the distance. The logistical challenges, building trust with Bonita, and finding a common language to describe her experience were big achievements for me. youtu.be/9Eytw2xGx1I
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4/ This one was tough because I was finishing my fellowship at Business Insider, and uncertainty was and is on the horizon. youtu.be/9Eytw2xGx1I
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3/ Bonita's account of Australia's journey as an underdog to host the World Cup helps us understand the influence of billionaires, superpowers, and geopolitics at play in one of the simplest and most passionate games. youtu.be/9Eytw2xGx1I
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2/ In less than 30 seconds, Ian directed me to Bonita Mersiades, and oh boy! Bonita is one of two whistleblowers in the shady dealings surrounding Qatar's bid to host the 2022 World Cup. youtu.be/9Eytw2xGx1I
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And avocados