Adventure Tourism in the Darien Inspired a Social Media Firestorm: and Misinformation

Adventure Tourism in the Darien Inspired a Social Media Firestorm: and Misinformation

Author: Pirate Wire Services June 19, 2023 Duration: 7:56

Last week a German tourism company that offers $4000 USD tours of the Darien Gap —the most dangerous migration corridor in the Americas— elicited a firestorm of criticism.

Some journalists erroneously claimed that the company, which provides guides and helicopter evac in case of a medical emergency, was profiting from and exploiting migration, which has expanded radically in recent years and has claimed hundreds of lives.

In order to examine the dynamic further, we invited Jordan Stern, a photographer who has crossed the gap and long covered migration from various countries in South and Central America, to explain what he thought.

From his point of view, the programs say more about the criminalization of migration in general and the governments who have forced migrants into life-threatening situations than it does about the insensitivity of European tour companies.

But that’s not the say the dynamic isn’t without problems.



Get full access to Pirate Wire Services at www.piratewireservices.com/subscribe

Hosted by Joshua Collins, Pirate Wire Radio delivers original journalism focused on the complex realities of Latin America. This isn't a surface-level recap of headlines; it's a deep, narrative-driven exploration of the forces shaping the region. Each episode moves beyond the news cycle to connect political shifts and economic currents with the deeply human stories unfolding on the ground. You'll hear about crime, the drug trade, cultural movements, and societal changes, all presented through rigorous reporting and firsthand perspectives. The podcast aims to provide context often missing from mainstream coverage, weaving together analysis of current events with documentary-style storytelling. For anyone seeking to understand the true texture of life and power across Latin America, from boardrooms and government palaces to street corners and rural communities, this show offers an essential, unvarnished listen. Tune in for a compelling and nuanced portrait of a dynamic part of the world, delivered directly through your preferred podcast app.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 35

Pirate Wire Radio
Podcast Episodes
How Paraguay became a paradise for the global New Right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:54
Paraguay often doesn’t get a lot of attention outside of South America, but that’s been changing in recent years — especially for members of the global “New Right.”How did this idyllic country in the Southern Cone become…
Is a penguin revolution in the cards in the Falklands? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:29
The Malvinas! The Falklands! The Malvinas! The Falklands! Argentinian President Javier Milei has been a tear lately over Argentinian ownership of the islands, which have been a source of controversy and contention for de…
Understanding Oligarchs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:38
This week at Pirate Wire Radio, we speak with David Lingelbach and Valentina Rodríguez Guerra, from the Center of the Study of Oligarchs, about Oligarchy in the Americas. From the Char Clan, which helped put new Colombia…
Journalists in Colombia fear a return to right-wing persecution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:45
Colombia holds elections Sunday May 31. Ultra-right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella has a history of supporting paramilitary forces as well as legal intimidation of journalists who do not give him flattering cove…
Mining in LATAM: Is it even possible to do ethically? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:26
With the US about to enter a mining sector in Venezuela dominated by criminal armed groups, and in the heart of the Amazon Rain Forest, many experts are focused on profits.But mining in Latin America has long been fraugh…
The US wants you to know they're coming after Petro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:34
The US Drug Enforcement Agency leaked ongoing investigations into Colombian President Gustavo Petro to the press this week alleging ties to drug trafficking in the country. The accusations come two months before Presiden…
Borders are meant to kill [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:45
As the United States grapples with a surge of authoritarianism under Donald Trump, much of Europe is putting up new barriers to migrants. The two issues, xenophobia and rising autocracy, are deeply related. Our modern bo…