Rafa, a leader of the powerful Barrio 18 gang in El Salvador, was one of the few ringleaders who had managed to flee the country after the crackdown against them by Nayib Bukele’s government under a state of emergency. Rafa wanted to go back to being a nobody, to keep a low profile, but in 2023, a phone call changed all his plans. The police needed something from him, and if they didn’t get it, his family would pay for his crimes. This is the first part of the story. You can listen to the second part here. Find the English transcript of “El palabrero. Part 1: The Secret Agent” here. Or check out the Spanish transcript here. This story is a co-production with the Salvadoran digital newspaper El Faro. This podcast is the property of Radio Ambulante Studios. Any copy, distribution, or adaptation is expressly prohibited without prior authorization. ► Subscribe to our newsletter. It’s our favorite place to stay in touch with our community. Get an email every Tuesday with the newest Radio Ambulante episode and one every Friday with 5 recommendations from our team. ► We have good news: our partners at Jiveworld have launched a new app to learn and practice English by listening to real stories from fantastic podcasts that have inspired us, such as This American Life and Radiolab. Plus, Radio Ambulante listeners get a 50% discount on their subscription! Just go here. ♥ If you value our work, join Deambulantes, our membership program. 

This is the second part of El palabrero. If you haven\'t listened to the previous episode, you can do it here. In this episode, Rafa devises a daring plan, risking everything to free his sister. Find the English transcript of “El palabrero. Part 2: The Plan” here. Or check out the Spanish transcript here. This story is a co-production with the Salvadoran digital newspaper El Faro. This podcast is the property of Radio Ambulante Studios. Any copy, distribution, or adaptation is expressly prohibited without prior authorization. ► Subscribe to our newsletter. It’s our favorite place to stay in touch with our community. Get an email every Tuesday with the newest Radio Ambulante episode and one every Friday with 5 recommendations from our team. ► We have good news: our partners at Jiveworld have launched a new app to learn and practice English by listening to real stories from fantastic podcasts that have inspired us, such as This American Life and Radiolab. Plus, Radio Ambulante listeners get a 50% discount on their subscription! Just go here. ♥ If you value our work, join Deambulantes, our membership program.