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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,840 'I was just off the coast of the beautiful island of Barbados, 2 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:21,960 'at the eastern edge of the Caribbean. 3 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,800 'With glorious beaches and fabulous villas, 4 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,240 'it's the Caribbean of the rich and the famous. 5 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:31,840 'But they still let me visit.' 6 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,040 Flipping heck! 7 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,400 That's what you call super-yachts. 8 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,080 But think of the upkeep. 9 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,160 Think of all the cleaning. 10 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,040 'The island is one of the jewels of the Caribbean, 11 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:53,800 'a proper bit of paradise.' 12 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:55,720 Goodness me! 13 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,040 Welcome to Barbados. 14 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:07,360 'Barbados is a major fly and flop destination for wealthy sun-seekers. 15 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:09,240 'Tourism's the main money-earner here, 16 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,960 'and has made the 285,000 Bajans 17 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,880 'among the richest people in the region. 18 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:16,440 'But an influx of oligarchs 19 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,200 'and movie stars buying homes has caused friction. 20 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,760 'On the best beaches, locals are now almost invisible. 21 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,840 'Many say they've been pushed out by property developers. 22 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,040 'I went to meet one man who's holding out 23 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,240 'against the tide of gentrification.' 24 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,000 All right. Hello, sir. 25 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:36,520 Simon Reeve, BBC. 26 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:38,640 Pleased to meet you. Lovely to meet you too, sir. 27 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:40,760 Yeah, come right in. 28 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:45,160 Neville Ifill lives in a house his grandparents bought. 29 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:46,680 DOG BARKS 30 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:51,800 You're going to show us the beach. OK, after you. 31 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,480 Mr Ifill, this is very nice. 32 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,080 A cool spot. 33 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:00,760 Can I ask, do you know how much money your grandma paid 34 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,520 for this plot of land, for the house originally? 35 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,200 $24? 36 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:09,400 ...four dollars. 37 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,880 And was this a less fashionable... 38 00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:19,520 A cheaper place to buy then? 39 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:20,680 Yeah. Yeah. 40 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,840 In the past, much of this area was swampy mangroves 41 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,440 and only the poorest folk lived by the beach. 42 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,920 Now, this is one of the most expensive, 43 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,600 valuable bits of land on planet Earth. 44 00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:37,000 Ironically, when slavery ended here black Bajans could only 45 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,640 afford homes along what's become the Platinum Coast. 46 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,040 Now, villas are replacing traditional homes. 47 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,360 Paths giving beach access to all are disappearing. 48 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,040 Some locals complain they've been purged from the landscape. 49 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:53,480 Is that how it feels? 50 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,080 Have people come to you and said, "Sell us your home"? 51 00:03:08,640 --> 00:03:09,920 $8 million? 52 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:10,960 US. 53 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:14,760 Why didn't you want to take such a large sum? 54 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,840 Yeah, everybody always says, "Oh, every man has their price"... 55 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,280 Right... but it sounds like you haven't got one. 56 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:33,040 You're not selling for anything! 57 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,920 With crazy sums on offer, it's not surprising many Bajans have 58 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,920 sold their simple beach houses and moved inland. 59 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,400 But it was inspiring to see Neville's dogged refusal 60 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:50,080 to take the cash. 61 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,440 Money's not everything, after all. 62 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:54,920 So a lot of people might think it's completely mad to 63 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:59,560 turn down a multimillion pound offer for what is a fairly 64 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,280 small patch of land, but if you're in love with 65 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,320 a piece of paradise like this, 66 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,800 you can't really put a price on it. 67 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:10,360 Look at that! 68 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,640 'Of course, the seas around the Caribbean 69 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:18,960 'offer much more than just a lovely view. 70 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,880 'Beneath the waves, the coral reef off Barbados 71 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:23,840 'is a haven of bio-diversity. 72 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:28,400 'Like coral reef around the world, it's critical to life in our oceans. 73 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:32,200 'I went to meet Andre Miller, a local marine biologist.' 74 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:33,600 Permission to come aboard. 75 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:35,680 - - Come aboard. - Andre. - Simon. 76 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,080 Hello. Simon Reeve. Hello. Nice to meet you, brother. 77 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,200 Nice to meet you too. Thank you for having us. 78 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,320 'We headed out towards some of the most beautiful 79 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,200 'dive sites on the planet.' 80 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,560 'Coral reefs cover much less than 1% of the ocean floor, 81 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:09,240 'but support more than a quarter of all marine life. 82 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:11,280 'They act as nurseries for bigger fish 83 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,160 'and feeding ground for the larger species, 84 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,520 'so damage to a reef is a huge threat to life in our oceans. 85 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,440 'But now, more than three-quarters of the world's reefs are at risk 86 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,440 'of severe decline, threatened by pollution and our changing climate. 87 00:05:38,280 --> 00:05:41,040 'Here in the Caribbean there's an additional villain. 88 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,200 'It's called the lionfish. 89 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:49,160 'It's a stunning creature with an array of venomous spines. 90 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:54,520 'Lionfish shouldn't be here. Their natural home is the Indo-Pacific. 91 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:57,440 'Scientists think they first got here in the ballast tanks of ships 92 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:00,120 'or after being released from aquariums. 93 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:03,640 'The trouble is, lionfish have a voracious appetite for the 94 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:08,640 'young of almost every other fish, and virtually nothing eats them.' 95 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,400 They have, when grown, no natural predators. 96 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,560 Every single day, they can eat half their body weight. 97 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,960 They can clean up a reef and remove all of the natural fish. 98 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,680 When we dissect these fish we find every species of 99 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:22,480 reef fish inside their stomachs. 100 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,640 Are you really quite worried, then, about what they're going to do here? 101 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:27,160 We are extremely worried. 102 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,840 If we don't do something now, in a few years 103 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,040 we might just be diving and looking at lionfish. 104 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,640 'A few years ago I saw lionfish far to the north in the Bahamas, 105 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,560 'while I was travelling around the Tropic of Cancer. 106 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,240 'Since then, their numbers have exploded 107 00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:47,720 'and they've spread across the Caribbean. 108 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,000 'They pose such a threat to reefs that Andre and other 109 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:58,560 'scientists have decided the only way to stop them is to kill them.' 110 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,520 'He gave me a bit of training and asked me to help. 111 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:08,280 'Conservationists don't enjoy taking life, 112 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:11,240 'but as we've introduced lionfish to the Caribbean, 113 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:13,400 'many argue it's our responsibility 114 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,160 'to stop them destroying this fragile ecosystem.' 115 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,280 Good job, first I must say. 116 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:20,600 Well, thank you. 117 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:22,800 You filled up a container. Good job. 118 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,440 'I continued my journey around the Caribbean Sea, 119 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,520 'heading to the nearby island of St Vincent. 120 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:44,200 'It's part of a chain of islands 121 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,720 'with a population of around a 100,000, 122 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:50,000 'which have only been an independent nation since 1979.' 123 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,600 So we've managed to get the only trolley 124 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,760 in St Vincent Airport, luckily. 125 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:00,440 Who's this gentleman? 126 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:03,440 - Hello. - Hey. 127 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:05,560 - Are you Tari? - Yes, I'm Tari. 128 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:07,640 Hello, Tari. Simon Reeve. Nice to meet you. 129 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:08,800 Oh, Tari, yeah. 130 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:10,960 We're going to be together for a few days, Tari. 131 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,640 OK, that's great. I'm looking forward to that. 132 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,400 'The island is rugged and beautiful, 133 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,840 'with an active volcano to the north that Tari took me to see. 134 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,680 'St Vincent was a British colony on and off for more than 200 years. 135 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,160 'We filled it with slaves and plantations. 136 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:38,880 'St Vincent is poorer than Barbados, with average incomes of less 137 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:42,080 'than £100 a week, and it gets a lot less tourism.' 138 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,920 So this sand isn't the traditional golden sand 139 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,720 that many tourists expect when they're on holiday. 140 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,360 It's not so fantastic for the tourism industry here, 141 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,360 but the volcano 142 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,160 is certainly very good at pumping out nutrients. 143 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:04,080 I mean, the soil here is very rich, very fertile. 144 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,280 'That fertile volcanic soil provides the island with 145 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:12,800 'most of its earnings. 146 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,040 'For decades, bananas were St Vincent's single biggest export, 147 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:19,800 'but not any more.' 148 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:23,320 Oh... 149 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,920 So now we start to climb the volcano. 150 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:28,960 'But we weren't going up to peer in to a crater. 151 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,800 'With the help of the volcanic soil, 152 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,520 'many farmers in this area are turning to a more illicit crop - 153 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:35,920 'marijuana.' 154 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,760 'The US government says St Vincent is the source 155 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,440 'of the majority of cannabis in the Caribbean 156 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,320 'and we were heading to the secret farms where it's grown.' 157 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,480 It's a hell of an effort to get to these plantations. 158 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,000 We don't know what sort of reception we're going to receive 159 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:53,760 when we get there. 160 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:55,360 'As in most of the Caribbean, 161 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,880 'growing or using the drug is illegal here.' 162 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,160 Somebody's helpfully left a rope here. 163 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,040 'The US military has backed raids on farms here 164 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:07,800 'and the destruction of crops. 165 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:09,280 'As I discovered, 166 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,600 'the marijuana plantations aren't exactly hard to find.' 167 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,080 Look, I can see a hut just ahead. 168 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:16,920 And those bushes there. 169 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,000 I think we've reached the plantations. 170 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:21,400 This is where they're growing marijuana. 171 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,480 I can see more acres over there. 172 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:29,720 There's a shack with more marijuana up there in the distance, 173 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,200 up here on the hill, down below over there. 174 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:37,120 It's quite an extraordinary sight. 175 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:41,840 It's a sort of hidden, semi-secret marijuana valley. 176 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,360 'As we got close to another farm, Tari told us to stay back 177 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,000 'and keep our camera hidden.' 178 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:55,800 There's a farmer just up ahead with a field, 179 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,560 and we're hoping we can go and speak to him 180 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,440 but, not surprisingly, 181 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,480 he's not entirely keen that a TV crew turn up. 182 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,960 Tari's just going to have a chat with him, try and negotiate. 183 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:12,920 - - Oh. - Simon. - Yeah? 184 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,640 Let's go, let's go. OK. 185 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:26,040 That's Simon. 186 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,440 Hello, sir. Simon. Very nice to meet you. 187 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:34,880 That's Craig with the camera. 188 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,880 Safe, safe. You're safe, means it's OK. 189 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,320 'They were a bit camera shy to begin with, but it wasn't long 190 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:45,040 'before the farmers produced some weed, and they all began to relax.' 191 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:49,600 'Even farmers coming from other fields didn't seem to 192 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:51,520 'mind our presence.' 193 00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:54,440 Are you all right there, sir? Good afternoon to you. 194 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:56,120 Good afternoon. 195 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,880 Completely different to the reaction we would get 196 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:02,000 if we tried to go to marijuana plantations in Central America, 197 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:06,840 for example, where we would be quite likely to encounter guards 198 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,680 with assault rifles, and possibly would have been shot 199 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,000 twice in the head and dumped by the side of the road. 200 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:13,320 There's none of that here. 201 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,920 This is not marijuana being grown by organised crime, 202 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,200 it's marijuana being grown by farmers. 203 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,360 'After we'd hung out with them for a while, 204 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:24,480 'one of the farmers agreed to talk.' 205 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:26,960 Do you make a lot of money from growing marijuana? 206 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:37,280 Come on, come on. We want to know whether you're a rich man. 207 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,880 This is a T-shirt that's seen better days, 208 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,720 but you might have your Armani suit back at your home. 209 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,920 When you say "a lot of money" how are you...? 210 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:48,440 - How are you defining that? - Yeah. 211 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:49,960 Yeah, fair point, fair point. 212 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,640 I'm presuming you make a lot more money growing marijuana than 213 00:12:52,680 --> 00:12:53,840 you do growing bananas? 214 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:55,120 - Obviously. - Right. 215 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:29,640 But nobody's bought a yacht or a Bentley? 216 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,400 The way you're saying that it's as if it's just another crop. 217 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:53,040 A green gold. 218 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:55,040 It is. It is. 219 00:13:56,680 --> 00:14:01,040 'There are thought to be up to 3,000 cannabis farmers on the island. 220 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:05,240 'Many are hoping their trade in green gold will soon be legal. 221 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,600 'There's a global trend towards decriminalising the growing 222 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:10,640 'and use of marijuana. 223 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:13,600 'Farmers here think they're well placed to export to the US 224 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:15,840 'and the rest of the world.' 225 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:18,600 'It's a key issue across the Caribbean region.' 226 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:33,040 If it's legalised, you'll be allowed to legally export it 227 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:36,200 from St Vincent. You could make a lot of money from that. 228 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:39,280 How? 229 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,240 'Think of the Caribbean and you think of islands, 230 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,600 'but my journey was taking me around the Caribbean Sea, 231 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:02,840 'and its waters also lap the beaches of South and Central America. 232 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,480 'My next stop was Venezuela.' 233 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:06,520 Ah! 234 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:09,400 So we've arrived in Venezuela. 235 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,080 You might be wondering why I'm here. 236 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:13,960 It's not traditionally thought of as being a Caribbean country, 237 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,360 but it is. And, in fact, 238 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:21,120 it's got the longest Caribbean Sea coastline of any nation. 239 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,160 So we're in the car, we're heading in to Caracas, the capital. 240 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:34,320 We've got Virginia, who is going to be guiding us around Venezuela. 241 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:35,560 Hi. 242 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:39,120 Did you just say "hi" in a sort of shy, camera way? 243 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:40,960 Sort of. I'll get better. 244 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:45,520 Look at that. You suddenly emerge into the city. 245 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:50,560 'Venezuela should be one of the richest countries on Earth. 246 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,800 'It has the largest proven oil reserves in the world and has 247 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,440 'earned more than a trillion dollars from oil in the past 20 years. 248 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,960 'Until a few years ago it was led by the charismatic left-wing 249 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,320 'firebrand, Hugo Chavez. 250 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,360 'He'd been elected partly as a reaction against America's 251 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:10,320 'meddling in South and Central America. 252 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,640 'Chavez used some of the oil money to reduce extreme poverty 253 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:15,960 'and said he'd create a socialist utopia. 254 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,720 'There is government funded housing for some, 255 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,760 'yet because of gobsmacking economic mismanagement 256 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:27,000 'one in three people in oil-rich Venezuela are poor. 257 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:31,200 'Since Chavez died in 2013, things have gone from bad to worse. 258 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:33,720 'Venezuela's now a country in turmoil.' 259 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:37,840 We need to be a little bit careful filming out on the street, 260 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:39,960 I think I'm right in saying. Don't we, Virginia? 261 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,560 Yes. The first time I came here, neighbours kept on telling me 262 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:46,080 to put my camera away because I was going to be shot from... 263 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:47,720 You know, by people from above. 264 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:49,960 - Shot? - Shot. 265 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:51,000 Bloody hell. 266 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,600 'Caracas is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. 267 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:02,160 'We were heading into a notorious building called the Tower of David.' 268 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:05,720 What's with the motorbikes? 269 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,240 They're going to drive us 270 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:12,000 up to the 7th or 8th floor just to sort of make the hike shorter. 271 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:14,120 OK. 272 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,880 This is a sort of unfinished car park by the look of it, 273 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:28,720 multistorey car park. 274 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:36,640 And this is where we get out. 275 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:43,920 Virginia, what is this place? 276 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,560 Well, it was originally meant to be a bank, 277 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:51,040 one of the leading sort of banking institutions of the country, 278 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:55,840 but after it went broke it was abandoned and then taken over by... 279 00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:00,680 I don't know, close to 200 people that turned it in to their homes. 280 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,000 So it's an abandoned skyscraper? 281 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,400 It's a squatters' skyscraper, yes. 282 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,000 'Driven by poverty and a lack of proper housing, 283 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,480 'the number of squatters here quickly grew.' 284 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:16,760 Oh, my God, look at that! 285 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:19,440 'Almost 3,000 people have been living here. 286 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,680 'Families have raised children in the tower, 287 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:23,920 'carrying everything for their flats up by hand.' 288 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,000 That's astonishing! 289 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,720 'The tower has had a fearsome reputation. 290 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,600 'Violent drug and kidnap gangs operated from here.' 291 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:35,160 My God, look at this. 292 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,960 'And there are stories of people being pushed to their deaths 293 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:39,840 'tens of storeys below.' 294 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,880 Imagine bringing children up right next to this. 295 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:53,600 I think it shows the level of desperation, really. 296 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:55,920 That families have been prepared to do this. 297 00:18:55,960 --> 00:19:00,520 This is not, by a long stretch, a safe environment 298 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:04,760 to raise your youngsters in the sense that, you know, 299 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:06,360 they could fall down the stairs, 300 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,720 they could fall off the edge of the building! 301 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:12,240 Look, just over here, they could fall through a gap. 302 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,400 Look. 303 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:15,840 This is not good. 304 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:20,000 And yet, for the people who live here 305 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,680 it was better than life outside. 306 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,440 Safer here in this shanty town in the sky 307 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:28,400 than out there in the city. 308 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:30,640 'I found the tower astonishing. 309 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,480 'In the absence of government help, people got on with organising 310 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:35,960 'things themselves, even opening businesses.' 311 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:37,720 There's a little shop there. 312 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,720 'From barbers' shops to nurseries, 313 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:43,960 'the tower was like a vertical high street.' 314 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,200 What's going on here? 315 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:49,160 People are making cookie cutters. 316 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,440 That's a whole production line. 317 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,000 Making cookie cutters! 318 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:56,520 Goodness me. 319 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,800 'Despite an intermittent supply of electricity and water, 320 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,160 'there's even industry in the tower.' 321 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:04,280 Wow. 322 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:07,360 You've got a whole factory going on in here. 323 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:10,640 We've interrupted you during lunch. I'm very sorry. 324 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,440 It looks as though you're doing pretty well. 325 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:23,720 How many cookie cutters are you making? 326 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:29,000 25,000 a week! 327 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:30,360 That's... 328 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,320 His fingers went... Thumbs went up like that. 329 00:20:32,360 --> 00:20:35,320 Could you have achieved this if you hadn't been living in the tower? 330 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:59,160 Look. Wilmer here has just given us business cards. 331 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:00,760 He's such a businessman. 332 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:04,880 I think he's thinking about exporting to the European Union. 333 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,280 We might be able to go in to business together importing 334 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,240 cookie cutters into the UK, maybe. 335 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,200 'People are currently being rehoused out of the tower, but residents 336 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,560 'have taken an enormous pride in the place, 337 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,360 'creating order out of chaos... 338 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,320 There's a beauty parlour on this floor. 339 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,440 'They have committees to keep charge of cleaning and security, 340 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:32,320 'a real community.' 341 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:36,000 It's truly inspiring that they were able to build not only, 342 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,840 you know, houses out of bricks, but also build a sort of strong 343 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:42,320 community with a strong sense of solidarity among them. 344 00:21:42,360 --> 00:21:45,160 You know, they really do look other each other's neighbours. 345 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,800 In a way, this speaks of a more successful 346 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:52,600 system of organising than most Venezuelans have outside. 347 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,840 'Next day, we left Caracas and headed towards the Colombian border, 348 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:02,680 'in Venezuela's Wild West. 349 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:07,760 'We were heading in to a tricky area, so we'd swapped hire cars 350 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:11,080 'for more discreet local wheels, 351 00:22:11,120 --> 00:22:13,600 'complete with a shag pile dashboard.' 352 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,480 We're going to hop out. Honestly, this is quite interesting. 353 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:31,720 But he does it right to the top, doesn't he? 354 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,480 OK, so he's put 68 litres in. 355 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,120 How much is that costing you? 356 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:40,080 It cost 6 Ps to fill up the tank right now, 357 00:22:40,120 --> 00:22:42,360 so that close to a US dollar. 358 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:45,480 One US dollar? To fill up a 60 litre tank, yes. 359 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:50,160 'And many well-connected people here can fill a tank even cheaper.' 360 00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:55,680 What you pay for a litre is what I pay a whole year to fill 361 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,080 up my tank once or twice a month. 362 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:01,640 An entire year? 363 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:02,920 Yeah. 364 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,680 My yearly budget for petrol is what you spend in one litre. 365 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,520 This is extra, extra, extra bonkers, isn't it? 366 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,640 'Petrol here is the cheapest in the world 367 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,360 'and is sold for far less than it costs to produce, 368 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,640 'thanks to a government subsidy introduced decades ago.' 369 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:27,720 'The cost of subsidising fuel is gradually bankrupting 370 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,320 'the country, but no government has been brave enough 371 00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:34,200 'to raise prices, even though the subsidy benefits the rich, 372 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:37,000 'who have more cars, rather than the poor.' 373 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:47,120 Look. There's a nodding donkey just here in this suburban neighbourhood. 374 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,400 There's a gentleman just over there. Could we just ask him 375 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,680 how often, does it pump all the time? 376 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:09,120 Do you see the benefits from it? 377 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:34,600 I don't understand where the money's gone. 378 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:37,280 This has been pumping for years. 379 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,600 Venezuela, it's the biggest... 380 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:42,880 One of the biggest oil producers in the world. 381 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,440 Where does it go? Where does the money go? 382 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:01,920 'It's extraordinary. Venezuela and Venezuelans should be rich. 383 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,880 'It's unclear where the country's oil wealth has gone. 384 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:08,200 'Much has been stolen or lost through inefficiency and rampant 385 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,840 'corruption, and vast sums have been siphoned off when petrol is 386 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,360 'smuggled across the border to Colombia, where I was headed next.' 387 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,240 What's going on here? 388 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:22,240 Well, basically, the kids are bringing over gas 389 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,080 and they're going to do a quick refill for this guy. 390 00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:29,000 'Because of Venezuelan subsidies, petrol costs a hundred times 391 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,560 'more across the border in Colombia, 392 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,080 'so profits for smuggling are huge. 393 00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:37,240 'There are supposed to be controls and restrictions on petrol sales 394 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,160 'near the border, but we saw countless drivers filling 395 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,960 'huge tanks they would take to Colombia and sell. 396 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,440 'Our route to the border was a smugglers' highway.' 397 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:54,040 Look, they're turning off. 398 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,000 They're just going to go down... 399 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:58,120 Well, a little track down to the side... 400 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:05,240 ...which probably means there's a checkpoint just up ahead. 401 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,480 Yeah, I can even see it! 402 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:09,440 'We went through numerous checkpoints 403 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:10,680 'on the way to the border, 404 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:13,280 'but they were clearly not much of a deterrent.' 405 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:22,360 They've obviously just gone round the checkpoint to get away 406 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:24,520 with whatever it is they're smuggling. 407 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,880 'Guns, drugs and food, as well as petrol, are smuggled here. 408 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:29,640 'Huge profits are at stake 409 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:32,360 'and the border region has become extremely dangerous.' 410 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,360 Oh, it's, like, an army convoy. 411 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:37,960 It was a contingent of the National Guard. 412 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,280 I just heard there was actually a violent confrontation yesterday, 413 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:46,680 and a shoot-out between smugglers and the National Guard. 414 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,080 'Gangs, the police and politicians are all said 415 00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:51,120 'to be involved with the smuggling. 416 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,520 'As we got closer to the border, it seemed everyone was at it.' 417 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:55,960 And all those there! 418 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:04,240 Amazing! We're just off the main road away from the checkpoint 419 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:06,840 and this is all completely illegal here. 420 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,960 It's like a square mile of black market illegal madness. 421 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:18,320 Everybody is trading fuel here. 422 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,480 'It's been officially estimated that roughly £30 million worth 423 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:27,840 'of fuel is smuggled out of Venezuela every single week. 424 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:30,640 'But the government here has been a bit hopeless at preventing 425 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:33,160 'the national coffers being bled dry.' 426 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,880 We were spotted by one of the guys, so we can't do a drive around again. 427 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,400 OK, the locks just went down, is that because he's worried for us? 428 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,480 Yes. It might get a bit aggressive. 429 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:49,080 We were spotted as foreigners or as TV people? 430 00:27:49,120 --> 00:27:50,920 TV people. 431 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:52,320 OK, not good. 432 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:58,720 'The fuel subsidy here costs more than government spending 433 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,120 'on education and health care combined. 434 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:03,880 'As we headed towards the border, our driver admitted 435 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:05,480 'he was also a smuggler, 436 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:08,480 'and even he was angry and worried about the state of the country.' 437 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:13,680 So how often will you do a run across? 438 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,000 TRANSLATION: Once or twice a day. 439 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:20,640 And how much money can a person make with a car like this? 440 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:28,280 It's very lucrative for doing almost nothing. 441 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:30,400 And it's easy money. 442 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:39,360 Normally, I can sit here driving for two or three hours 443 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:42,280 and I can make as much as a professional in this country 444 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,280 makes in a month. 445 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,320 Where do you think this country will be in five years' time? 446 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:56,360 Every day, I think about what this country used to be like 447 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:58,200 and what it's like now. 448 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,920 From top to bottom, everything is bad. 449 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:04,920 It's difficult to see a future for Venezuela. 450 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:12,760 We're getting close to the border with Colombia now 451 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:15,680 and I'm coming to the conclusion that Venezuela is 452 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:20,080 one of the worst-managed countries that I have ever visited. 453 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:24,280 I've been in poorer places and I've been in war-torn countries, 454 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,240 but I don't think I've been in one which has got quite this much 455 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:31,400 natural wealth, and yet is being so badly run. 456 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,440 What a completely lawless situation. 457 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:43,440 Right at the V that marks the end of Venezuela. 458 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,760 'It's a beautiful country with so much going for it. 459 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:50,080 'But, to be honest, the muppetry of the government here meant 460 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,040 'I wasn't sad to move on.' 461 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:55,000 Here we go, Colombian immigration right here. 462 00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:59,520 There's a cop here smoking a fag. 463 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,960 Virginia, thank you so much. May we have a little...? 464 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:13,800 Of course. Good luck. 465 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,560 'We headed west, along Colombia's Caribbean coast, 466 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,640 'towards an area officially called "the Banana Zone".' 467 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:36,200 Look at all of them! 468 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:42,480 'Bananas are one of the five most important crops in the world.' 469 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:45,640 We've arrived. 470 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:49,840 'In the UK we eat an astonishing 5 billion bananas a year. 471 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,040 'A quarter come from Colombia.' 472 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:54,760 Mathilde, what's with the blue bags? 473 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,480 TRANSLATION: There's a pesticide which protects the bananas, 474 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:01,760 so we can produce perfect bananas. 475 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,840 'Around 80% of people in this part of Colombia are involved 476 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:08,240 'in the banana trade.' 477 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:10,240 OK, thank you, Mathilde. A very sharp knife. 478 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:11,840 'Time for me to join them.' 479 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,320 - Take the leaves off first? - Yeah. 480 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:18,960 Sorry. 481 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:22,040 'Much of the industry here has signed up to the Fair Trade scheme.' 482 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:23,080 Bueno? 483 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:26,240 Now hang on, that's got the bananas on. 484 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:28,600 'It ensures workers receive better wages 485 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:30,760 'and improved working conditions.' 486 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:33,920 Ah! 487 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:35,600 Bloody hell, that's heavy! 488 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:46,000 This bloke's a train engine. Bueno. 489 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:55,520 'Some of the farm workers here, including Mathilde Castro, 490 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:58,440 'used to be farmers themselves. 491 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:00,680 'They were part of a co-operative that owned 492 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:04,000 'and ran its own banana plantation. 493 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:06,920 'But they were sucked in to the violence of Colombia's civil 494 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,080 'conflict, when guerrilla groups fought 495 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:11,200 'against the national government 496 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:14,520 'and the country descended into near-chaos. 497 00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:16,760 'The conflict tore their lives apart.' 498 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,800 TRANSLATION: Some men came and killed my partner 499 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:28,080 and his two brothers. 500 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,280 We were threatened and told if we stayed we'd be killed, 501 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:35,600 so we had to leave. 502 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:39,520 Who did this? 503 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:42,920 The paramilitaries. 504 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,560 So these are the right-wing paramilitaries who were often 505 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:51,800 started by corporations, I think, weren't they? 506 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:55,760 And they came and murdered your husband and stole your land? 507 00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:00,080 Some of them have admitted to the crimes they committed. 508 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:03,120 Why did they do it? For the land, that's why. 509 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:23,000 'During the worst years of fighting here, corporations 510 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:26,640 'and businesses often connived with or even established violent 511 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:29,320 'paramilitary groups to protect their interests 512 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:31,880 'and even kill their enemies and claim more land. 513 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:36,680 Some of the banana corporations who've been operating here 514 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:40,640 have got questions to answer about their role in 515 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,320 what's afflicted this country. 516 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,640 One of the big banana multi-nationals, Chiquita, 517 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:50,480 they were fined and given a multimillion pound fine just 518 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:52,560 a few years ago because they confessed 519 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:57,040 they had been supporting, funding paramilitary groups here 520 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:01,520 that were targeting banana farm workers and trade unionists. 521 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:06,600 'Colombia's violent reputation continues to put off foreign 522 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:09,400 'visitors, but it's a stunning country. 523 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:13,640 'I headed along the coast towards the last destination on this 524 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:16,040 'part of my journey around the Caribbean. 525 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:20,320 'My route was taking me in to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 526 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:22,880 'the highest coastal mountain range in the world. 527 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:25,760 'It's home to an ancient people.' 528 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,680 We're heading in to the land of the Kogi people. 529 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:37,520 Now, the Kogi are the most intact surviving civilisation 530 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:41,440 from the time before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. 531 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:47,240 'When the Spanish invaders first arrived here, most of the indigenous 532 00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:51,680 'people of the Americas were wiped out, often by the gun or the sword. 533 00:34:51,720 --> 00:34:56,240 'But tens of millions died from diseases they had no immunity to. 534 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:59,320 'But the Kogi retreated high in to the Sierra Nevada, which is 535 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:00,920 'where they've remained.' 536 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:04,720 Look at this. 537 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:08,160 We're arriving on the edge of a community, a village, it looks like. 538 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:13,800 'There are roughly 20,000 Kogi people in these mountains. 539 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:15,200 'They hunt and gather, 540 00:35:15,240 --> 00:35:16,960 'but they're also a settled community, 541 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,080 'who have farmed here for centuries. 542 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:24,760 'Unlike many indigenous communities around the world, the Kogi 543 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:28,480 'are choosing to remain largely isolated from the modern world. 544 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:31,160 'There wasn't even a football T-shirt in sight. 545 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:36,840 'It's extremely rare for the Kogi to allow a TV crew into their world. 546 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:39,680 'They let me visit for a simple reason - to show us 547 00:35:39,720 --> 00:35:42,480 'how they live and to warn that their way of life 548 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:43,920 'is now being threatened.' 549 00:35:45,240 --> 00:35:49,240 This is right up there with the most incredible places I've ever been. 550 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:53,440 'The Kogi wanted to show me what was at stake, so they took me into 551 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:57,960 'their back garden - the pristine forests of the Sierra Nevada. 552 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:05,960 'These misty mountains are home to extraordinary bio-diversity, 553 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,160 'including the most important concentration of threatened 554 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,080 'mammals, amphibians and birds on Earth.' 555 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:20,880 TRANSLATION: We don't damage the hills, the caves or the trees, 556 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:22,400 because they give us life. 557 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:28,640 These are the laws that Mother Nature has given us. 558 00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:39,280 'The Kogi believe the Sierra Nevada is the heart of the world.' 559 00:36:40,720 --> 00:36:42,040 Look at this! 560 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:47,960 Absolutely spectacular. 561 00:36:53,720 --> 00:36:56,720 OK. Ooh. 562 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:15,240 So it turns out that the village we were in is more of a gathering 563 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:19,760 place for farmers to assemble, farmers from the community. 564 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:25,400 So each of the people we've met has a little farm like this, 565 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:28,800 but they go to meet outsiders down in the village. 566 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:49,720 This is a job made for me. OK. 567 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:55,920 Which one? 568 00:37:57,240 --> 00:37:58,760 Ah. 569 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,760 Ooh. Flipping heck. 570 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,000 Have you little ones seen tall foreigners before? 571 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:14,280 Lemonade, Kogi style. 572 00:38:18,240 --> 00:38:19,800 Wow, it smells incredible. 573 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:24,520 Mmm. 574 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:28,560 I don't think it's alcoholic. 575 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:30,040 - Any alcohol? - No. 576 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:35,120 I know I mustn't drink it all, but it is very good. 577 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:51,160 So this is home tonight, the village school. 578 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:57,240 We've got inflatable mattresses inside and mosquito nets to keep 579 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:02,240 out the buzzing mozzies, but also we're going to tuck them underneath 580 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:06,320 the mattresses and hopefully that will keep out the snakes, as well. 581 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,040 THUNDER RUMBLES 582 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,920 COCKEREL CROWS 583 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:36,000 It wasn't a horrific night but things - 584 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:37,520 COCKEREL CROWS 585 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:41,720 cockerels started crowing next to our heads 586 00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:44,560 at about quarter past three. 587 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:46,040 I hate cockerels. 588 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:52,280 'The Kogi call the rest of us their younger brother, 589 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:54,840 'and they believe we're threatening their very existence. 590 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:58,960 'I went to talk with Mamo Luntana, a Kogi elder.' 591 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:05,640 What I want to know is how younger brother expects us 592 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:08,840 all to live when you come from the other side of the world 593 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:13,200 and destroy Mother Earth so that multi-national companies can profit. 594 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:18,800 Younger brother has caused so much damage. 595 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:22,640 River levels have fallen, the rains don't come when they should. 596 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:24,920 Crop seasons are changing. 597 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:28,960 Only when younger brother stops can this life carry on as normal. 598 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:37,760 'We're used to being warned about our changing climate by scientists, 599 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:40,280 'but it's shocking to hear this first-hand 600 00:40:40,320 --> 00:40:44,200 'evidence of profound change already happening from the leader 601 00:40:44,240 --> 00:40:48,360 'of a remote people in a remote part of the planet.' 602 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:50,480 'And this is something I'm hearing more 603 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:52,440 'and more of on my travels around the world.' 604 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:56,520 I'm nearly at the end of my journey, 605 00:40:56,560 --> 00:40:59,360 but we're heading back down to the coast to the sea. 606 00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:03,240 It's not far, well, not that far anyway as the crow flies. 607 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:05,480 It takes a bit of time on these roads. Ah-ah. 608 00:41:06,720 --> 00:41:09,320 And we've got a vehicle behind that's bringing 609 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:10,640 some of the Kogi with us. 610 00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:15,080 'The Kogi have a series of sacred sites around the area 611 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:17,880 'connected by what they call the black line. 612 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:20,240 'It's part of their belief system. 613 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:23,880 'Many of their sacred sites have been damaged by development. 614 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:28,520 'They've now launched a desperate campaign to protect what's left. 615 00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:31,880 'They took me down to the beach and back to the Caribbean Sea.' 616 00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:41,160 When you see this power station, what do you think as a people? 617 00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:03,760 You live in the mountains, 618 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:06,240 but I sense the sea is very important to you. 619 00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:35,680 'The Kogi believe our natural world is being destroyed by us.' 620 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:39,440 Do you think younger brother will ever listen? 621 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,160 'There's a desperation in their plea. 622 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:08,760 'The Kogi have noticed our world is changing, not by measuring it, 623 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:10,320 'but by living in it.' 624 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:25,080 It's been an incredible journey, 625 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:30,120 from the beaches of Barbados to the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. 626 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:34,800 But this is the end of this leg. 627 00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:37,080 On the next leg, my final leg, 628 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:39,880 I'll be travelling up the Caribbean coast of Central America 629 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:43,440 and finishing my journey around the Caribbean Sea in Jamaica. 52579

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