
While the world is full of spectacular cities that draw tourists in their millions, at the other end of the scale are settlements that won't be found on many people's bucket lists anytime soon. One such city is a slum-like mining city in South America. Located high in the Peruvian Andes, some 3.2 miles above sea level, lies La Rinconada, the highest permanent settlement in the world.
Home to just under 30,000 people as of last year, La Rinconada has become notorious for its high rates of crime, including murder and sex trafficking, as well as its crippling poverty and deadly pollution. As such, it has become known in Spanish as "la ciudad sin ley del Perú, or "the lawless city of Peru". On top of all this, the centre of the settlement sits at some 16,000 feet above sea level, making it extremely hard to breathe, leaving both visitors and locals feeling dizzy. In La Rinconada, there is about half the amount of oxygen in every breath taken than at sea level, and the town has become the global capital of chronic mountain sickness (CMS). At least one in four residents is estimated to suffer from the condition, which, if left untreated, can lead to heart failure and death.
However, one brave traveller, known for visiting some of the world's most dangerous places, was not put off. YouTuber visited La Rinconada earlier this year and dubbed the dark, filthy city the closest thing to hell he had ever come across.
Even travelling to the city was a nightmare. He visited from the nearby city of Juliaca on a three-hour minibus ride to make what he called "one of the most challenging recordings of my life." When he arrived, it was snowing and he described the extreme cold as "devastating." His first impression as he walked along the rubbish-strewn streets was that they resembled "an entire, immense slum," The Mirror reported.
In April 2019, seven people were shot dead inside a gold mining tunnel in La Rinconada, all found with bullet wounds to their heads.
He said he saw kids cooking at the side of the road and revealed that less than 30% attend school because they are forced into work from a very young age. Many wander the streets and are forced into child prostitution.
Zazza spoke with a local medical worker, who employs and impressive number of staff due to the rife sickness in the city: "Here they kill each other... in shootings because they're often drunk and angry," she said.
Within an hour of being in La Rinconada, her words ring true as the YouTuber heard gunshots. Wearing a bulletproof vest for protection from weapons as well as the cold, he ventured back outside and attempted to talk to locals, who gave one-word answers to his questions or turned their backs. He was told by a market trader that the people are very closed off and there's a "terrible vibe... brutal". He was also advised against recording because of rampant theft.
Before 2003, La Rincondada was just a small village. However, that year there was a gold rush, which drew people to the area in their thousands. Today, about 70% of its inhabitants are men, many of whom work in the mines. Zazza came across men hacking at the soaking wet soil in the hopes of finding tiny fragments of gold to sell in exchange for food for their families.
In addition to all this, pollution has become a real problem. Mercury, which was used to treat the ore, has contaminated a nearby glacier and the drinking water piped around the town. It "drives people mad," a local told Zazza.
"The only way to escape the hell is to drink, that's why it's so dangerous because they don't even know what they're doing," the YouTuber added.
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