Diego A.

Diego focuses on stories from North and South America, from colonial history and pirates to cartels and the modern underworld. He is especially drawn to places where crime, power, and myth collide.

The most recent posts by

Diego

A.

Prisons & Fortresses

Chapultepec Castle: The Only Royal Throne in North America

Discover the tragic history of Chapultepec Castle, the only royal throne in North America. Explore the 1847 Battle, the Boy Heroes, and the doomed empire of Maximilian.

Portrait of a male author wearing a cap and backpack, smiling with a city skyline at sunset in the background.

Ciudad Juárez: North America’s Most Violent Border City

Dust, drones, and the Lord of the Skies. Step into the iron gate of Ciudad Juárez, where the global supply chain meets a high-tech cartel war. A raw look at the city that never stops fighting for its soul.

Tijuana: The Bloodiest Battleground of Mexico’s Cartel Wars

Where the American Dream hits a steel wall. An investigative record of Tijuana’s cartel history, the digital border crisis, and the human cost of reinvention.

Diego A.

Carthage: The Erased Metropolis of the Mediterranean

Ruins of Civilizations

Carthage: The Erased Metropolis of the Mediterranean

For 600 years, Carthage was the most dangerous city on Earth. It took Rome three wars, a continent-crossing army, and an act of pure spite to finally silence it.

Bodie, California: The Ghost Town of The Most Violent Gold Rush Site

Step back into 1880 at Bodie State Historic Park, the largest unrestored ghost town in the West. Wander through deserted streets and uncover the brutal history of the West's most lawless boomtown and the 'Bodie Curse' that ensures nothing ever leaves.

Nouadhibou Ship Graveyard: The World’s Largest Maritime Cemetery

Investigating the Nouadhibou ship graveyard in 2026. Discover how 300 ghost ships became a monument to corruption and corporate neglect in Mauritania.

Diego A.

Hadrian’s Wall: The Roman Empire’s Most Expensive Military Machine

Ruins of Civilizations

Hadrian’s Wall: The Roman Empire’s Most Expensive Military Machine

Explore the brutal history of Hadrian’s Wall. A deep dive into the Roman Empire's 73-mile scar of paranoia, the life of a legionary, and the cost of empire.

The Mauritania Iron Ore Train: A 700-Kilometer Corridor of Human Endurance

Ride the backbone of the Sahara on the world's longest train. The definitive guide to the Mauritania Iron Ore Train (SNIM), covering route logistics, survival gear, and the brutal beauty of the journey from Zouérat to Nouadhibou.

Diego A.

Plaza Vieja, Havana: The Epicenter of the Spanish Caribbean’s Human Auctions

Tragedies & Disasters

Plaza Vieja, Havana: The Epicenter of the Spanish Caribbean’s Human Auctions

Discover the hidden history of Havana's Plaza Vieja, once the Spanish Empire's primary slave market, now a restored tourist hub of Old Havana.

Guantánamo Bay: America’s Legal Black Hole and the War on Terror’s Darkest Legacy

Explore the physical reality of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Beyond the headlines, discover the 1903 lease history and the architecture of indefinite detention.

Diego A.

Hotel Nacional de Cuba: From Mafia Playground to Cold War Fortress

Tragedies & Disasters

Hotel Nacional de Cuba: From Mafia Playground to Cold War Fortress

Explore the dark history of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba: From the 1946 Mafia summit to the 1962 Missile Crisis tunnels, discover the site where history was made.

La Cabaña Fortress, Havana: From Spanish Military Stronghold to Revolutionary Prison

Discover La Cabaña, the colossal stone shield that dominates Havana’s skyline. Built as an impregnable defense against the British, it transformed into Che Guevara’s headquarters and a grim execution ground in 1959. Find out why this fortress remains the most haunting site in the Caribbean.

Diego A.

Diego A.

The most recent posts by Diego A.

Chapultepec Castle: The Only Royal Throne in North America

Ciudad Juárez: North America’s Most Violent Border City

Tijuana: The Bloodiest Battleground of Mexico’s Cartel Wars

Carthage: The Erased Metropolis of the Mediterranean

Bodie, California: The Ghost Town of The Most Violent Gold Rush Site

Nouadhibou Ship Graveyard: The World’s Largest Maritime Cemetery

Hadrian’s Wall: The Roman Empire’s Most Expensive Military Machine

The Mauritania Iron Ore Train: A 700-Kilometer Corridor of Human Endurance

Plaza Vieja, Havana: The Epicenter of the Spanish Caribbean’s Human Auctions

Guantánamo Bay: America’s Legal Black Hole and the War on Terror’s Darkest Legacy

Hotel Nacional de Cuba: From Mafia Playground to Cold War Fortress

La Cabaña Fortress, Havana: From Spanish Military Stronghold to Revolutionary Prison

The most recent posts by

Diego

A.