Many points on the planet are ideal to visit and enjoy life. But many others are quite the opposite. There are more than twenty countries in war and, if you also include states with high socio-political tension, those with serious environmental problems and where there are conflicts around coexistence or different ways of life , the number soars. Almudena Ariza proposes starting next Wednesday, the 26th, an incursion into these areas through the vision offered by the new format Españoles en conflictos. The first installment of the program, United States: more guns than inhabitants, can also be seen tomorrow Sunday at the BCN Film Fest.
Can this program be defined as Españoles por el mundo but visiting conflict zones?
It's a similar format. These are episodes conceived not as a tourist trip, but rather to learn about the real problems of a country. Our objective is to identify the social, political, economic and environmental conflicts that affect our planet and it is the Spaniards who reside in these countries who explain those conflicts to us, in the first person, how they affect them, how they experience it, what are the causes, consequences, how they see the future... They do it closely and with powerful messages. We achieve two things: fall a little in love with them and better understand some of the world's big problems.
How did the project come about?
After my eight-year stint as a correspondent in New York, I was sent to cover the war in Ukraine, where I spent three months. When I came back, they told me about this project at TVE. And it felt tailor-made to me. Many people identify me with the coverage of conflicts, because it is something I have done all my life, but this program brought new ingredients; it is an informative program but at the same time attractive, easy to understand, educational and very entertaining... and where I am seen in a register that is very different from that of TV news. I continue to do journalism, but I explain things and they explain things to me with more freshness, spontaneity and authenticity in the stories. With some of the protagonists I got to be there for a few days of filming. So, interviewing them was like being among friends, and this is very noticeable in the result.
Which areas have you visited and which topics have been addressed?
In South Africa, inequality and racism; in the United States, armed violence; in Honduras, the maras; in Poland, homophobia; in the Peruvian Amazon, deforestation; in India, pollution; in Mexico, violence, drug trafficking and femicides; in Turkey, the earthquakes; in the Philippines, the sea of plastics; in South Korea, suicides due to the pressure to "be the best at everything". It is a broad, diverse and exciting catalog of subjects.
Does the vision of these Spaniards in conflict help us better understand the situation there?
They are people from different social profiles whom life has taken to countries where some want to be and others don't. But many can no longer escape it. They talk to us very naturally about their life's vicissitudes and their connection with the countries where they live. Some have suffered direct violence, extortion, threats... Others work to help victims or to help resolve conflicts. When they tell us their stories, they tell it as they would tell their family or friends. The "compatriot" factor is also an element of success. It is easier for us to understand the keys and explanations that a Spaniard gives us than someone from another country.
And with your experience, what would you say is the best place in the world to live?
It depends on what everyone is looking for. There are many rankings that measure a number of parameters: health systems, education, security, economic and political stability, etc., to determine which countries are the best places to live. However, the
And the worst place?
Anywhere you can't feed your children or guarantee their safety: countries at war, starving, facing extreme poverty and a lack of basic services. With the program we have traveled to the Philippines, to India... where thousands of families live on the streets, or to the Peruvian Amazon, where you still see people collecting rainwater to drink. It is dramatic to see how the world continues to travel at two speeds: with two thousand billionaires who have more wealth than 4.6 billion people.
