[ Francisca ]Often when there's too much violence going on,
'Comandos de Salvamento' are the ones to help victims,
frequently with gunshot wounds.
We respond the fastest.
That's why Salvadorians trust us.
[ Orci ]It was an experience that I'll never forget.
It's been two years now, but I still remember it.
My son died instantly from a gunshot to the head.
He was one of many innocent people who die from violence in our country daily. 00:01:35.624 00:01:44.743 [ VO ]That night the police dispatcher received a phone call and Orci together with his group responded. Little did he know he would arrive at his son's murder scene.
[ Orci ]If that time I knew he was there…
It was awful. I could have saved him.
My son was a mechanic.
I guess he was involved with the wrong people,
and ended up in the wrong place.
He lived in an area controlled by one gang,
and was killed in an area controlled by another.
I believe that was the reason. 00:02:30.652 00:02:34.652 [ VO ]Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 are the two major warring gangs. 00:02:35.828 00:02:40.508 Not only do their members clash with each other, they also fight over recruiting new members.
Could you introduce yourself?
What do you do for a living?
My name is Juan Flores, I'm 33.
Which gang were you in and what was your role?
Barrio 18.
- What did you do? - I'd prefer not to say.
[ Juan ]Gangs are steeped in legend, as many things are.
But there are myths and there's reality.
A myth you often hear is that
gangsters kill for the fun of it, for the sake of killing.
It's not true.
They only kill their enemies and rival gang members. 00:03:41.692 00:03:50.971 [ VO}Today Orci is shift leader. Every day at 8pm they hold an evening muster - nighttime is when the most trouble occurs in San Salvador.
Attention! Greetings.
The 'Comandos de Salvamento' prayer.
Dear Lord! Help me to ease the pain of our neighbours...
- ...carrying out my voluntary mission. Amen! - At ease.
[ Francisco ]We have over 3,000 volunteers on our team.
Many of them come here in their free time.
Some have jobs, some are students, some are market traders.
Do your legs hurt?
No, they don't.
- Any dizziness? - No.
I saw him only when he was close. Then he honked.
- And then? - He just ran into me.
[ Orci ]I've saved the lives of children, elderly people, youngsters...
Some people touch my hand and say, 'Please, don't let me die'.
It doesn't matter to me if they're criminals or not.
My job is to save lives.
I find many great things in God.
I find faith, support...
He saves me from a lot of danger.
I don't think of my son as being dead because he's among us.
And, thank God, he's like an angel to us.
I don't know what might happen,
but I do know that I must carry on living,
working, providing for my family,
and my children who are still in school.
God willing.
[ Carlos ]I'm Carlos Fernando Argueta Crispin.
I've worked in Central America for 9 years.
I was one of the founders of Mara Salvatrucha in our country.
If you want to join a gang now, you must kill someone.
It wasn't like this before.
The prospective member only had to demonstrate
that he was really keen to join the ranks
and prove his undying love for our brotherhood.
[ Francisco ]Murders happen every day. Women, children are being killed.
Dismembered bodies are found in bags.
All this makes El Salvador one of the most dangerous countries in the world.
[ Salvador ]We're talking about ensuring your safety and security.
I believe waiting for the grass to grow is not an option for us.
We must act.
We can't afford to take baby steps,
we must hurry to ensure a decent life for these young people.
[ Arnulfo ]When the first calls started coming in,
we rushed to the site and administered first aid to nine victims.
Brigade 50 took them to the Rosario and Seguro city hospitals.
Later, more groups arrived and took four more people.
One of my colleagues accompanied them to Seguro.
Then four or five more people were taken to Rosario Hospital.
Are there more ambulances going to Seguro?
There's only one now.
I don't know if it's going to Seguro or Rosario.
[ Arnulfo ]Whenever I was pressured into joining Mara Salvatrucha,
I'd come and stay here at 'Comandos de Salvamento'.
Once I camped out here for 6 months.
I'd sleep and eat here, it was my home.
I even brought clothes.
After a while, they'd lose interest and I'd move back in with my parents.
Whenever any Mara members invited me to go out,
I'd say I couldn't because I had an image to uphold,
and if I was to be seen hanging out with the likes of them,
it could be problematic.
[ Francisco ]There's a small group, 12 to 20 at most,
that sleeps here every night because they've received threats.
It's important to understand that working on the rescue team
helps these young people to escape delinquency.
[ Juan ]It would be fair to say that they don't have a choice,
because gangs are the reality that young generations grow up in.
[ Arnulfo ]We were taught how to release a person trapped underneath a vehicle,
how to crawl under,
slide in the gear, stretchers and first aid kit,
how to release a trapped person, and transfer them to the ambulance.
[ Francisco ]We've signed a non-aggression pact,
which allows us to enter areas controlled by street gangs.
It's extremely dangerous,
and some rescue workers have lost their lives,
but that doesn't stop us.
[ Marlon ]My friend was saying, 'No, no, please, no!'
After the first shots were fired,
my friend fell down on the floor over there.
Then he started firing rounds non-stop,
until he 'finished him', as they say.
I clearly remember he wore a motorcycle helmet that covered his face.
Without saying a word he produced a firearm,
and started shooting our friend.
I was shocked and remained seated over there.
I only had time to cover my head and body with my hands.
[ Juan ]Someone could be executed over a disagreement or transgression,
but not for simply being who he was.
[ Carlos ]Many people were killed by their own comrades or brothers.
People you think of as kin may kill you.
[ Salvador ]You are aware of the results achieved by our civil police,
who are doing everything possible to promote peace in our country, this district.
[ Woman ]He wanted to hug me, but I turned around and ran away.
'Hah! In your dreams!'
Then I whispered, 'That's fine, go ahead, darling…'
Later, during a call out he came up to me,
and I pretended not to know what he was talking about!
Don't move, or I'll tell them you're not supposed to be in here.
Don't touch it!
- Were you hit with a stick? - Yes...
I was collecting empty bottles.
- Collecting bottles? - Yes...
Then I lay down and took a few sips.
That explains it! You were easy prey.
[ Carlos ]People turn on their TVs, watch the news,
and hear that children have been killed.
That's someone's son or family member.
And no one does or says anything.
A human life costs nothing in El Salvador.
Tesalia, let's go!
Christian, time to go home!
[ Arnulfo ]In all, six of us live in this house.
There's my father, who's here somewhere,
my mum, my brother's wife, two children and myself.
My brother – their dad – will join us soon.
He'll be living here with us.
This is our parrot, Paco.
This is the laundry room, where we wash our clothes.
He's loud.
This is where we cook.
I must iron my clothes for work tomorrow.
When they're ready, I'll relax.
Usually I play on my phone.
- Hi, Mum. - Hi.
- I'm sorry. - That's ok.
- I'm getting ready for tomorrow. - Sure.
[ Arnulfo ]What does happiness mean to me?
It's being able to help my family.
And being able to cook.
That's really important to me, because
when we have a party and people come over, try my cooking,
they say, 'Wow, that's delicious!'
That gives me so much satisfaction.
You can tell by their faces that they really enjoyed it.
I'd like to win a Michelin star for cooking.
I'd like to be known in this country as the guy with the Michelin star.
A Michelin star would be a big deal in El Salvador.
To serve to the best of our ability.
Teach me! To ease people's pain!
Attention!
- At ease. - Let's go!
[ Fernando ]Yes, I live here. We can go there if you like?
Hey, calm down!
Sacha!
Calm down!
This is where I live.
This is my bed, and this is my colleague's.
This is where we nap after work when our shift is over.
The day shift ends at 6 pm, the night shift at 8 am.
Those responding to calls, please contact base.
[ Fernando ]We're on our way to a traffic accident.
We're in a hurry, that's why we have the siren on.
If we do anything else, his blood pressure will surge.
Yes, it's already too high.
[ Fernando ]Since I was a kid I've enjoyed walking
along the beach and collecting sea shells.
You can make a butterfly out of shells.
But you need shells of a certain shape...
For example...
I use them for decoration and give them to people
who've never seen anything like this before.
This is the box that I'd like to decorate
and give to her as a present on her 15th birthday.
I've been invited to her party this Sunday.
[ Fernando ]We studied together, but then many quit school,
grew distant and gradually became gangsters.
They spoke to me, said there's no problem,
that anyone can choose their own path,
it's all about freedom and so on...
They wanted me to run errands for them,
like traffic drugs or weapons.
But I never did anything like that. 00:21:27.312 00:21:33.232 [ VO ]A few days later, Fernando decided to check on his family home. It's at the seaside, 2 hours drive away. 00:21:33.232 00:21:38.275 He warns us he's not going to visit his parents. It’s safer for them that way.
[ Fernando ]It's three months since the last time I was home.
The reason was to see my family.
I was born and raised here.
I spent most of my time here when I was little.
I grew up here and it used to be safe.
There was no crime or delinquency in the area.
My home's in that part of town.
My whole family lives there.
We grew up together, went to the beach all the time.
We learned to swim and played ball games on that beach.
When I come, I leave again almost straight away.
I can't stay long because there are
lots of guys who get together and fight.
It shouldn't be like this.
Sometimes when we get together, the police come.
Then more gang members appear, and it all ends in a shootout.
So I prefer to drop by, say hello, then leave.
When we manage to release someone who's trapped,
my heart fills with joy because I've saved another life.
Not everyone can be as lucky as me,
because some people faint at the sight of blood.
It's not for everyone.
I'm very happy to work here, it's the reason I became a rescue worker.
I don't know what I would have become if I had stayed where I used to live. 00:24:40.081 00:24:47.361 [ VO ]Today, the rescue workers are celebrating "Quinceañera" – it's a coming of age party. One of their colleagues has turned 15. 00:24:47.361 00:24:53.771 In Latin America, this age is believed to be the end of childhood and the beginning of adult life.
[ Juan ]I left the gang after finding Jesus, I'm a Christian now.
I was a lost cause, but I asked God for forgiveness.
I said, 'If you have a new way for me,
and can change my life, please forgive me.'
[ Arnulfo ]I occasionally work as a waiter.
I'd like to become a chef, that's why I must work.
Yes, the uniform is different from a rescue worker's,
but I really enjoy this work.
[ Carlos ]I'm often told people want me dead because I have reformed.
But I know where I'm going and where I came from.
And I'm never going back!
[ Orci ]We're not giving up.
We'll continue our work saving the lives of people shot by gangsters.