Trained for War, Used for Crime (Entrenados para la Guerra, Usados por el Crimen)

As a soldier in Latin America, what happens when you retire? One could think that each state would have a great retirement plan for each soldier who has risked their life for their nation: a decent home, a dignified compensation, health benefits... but this couldn't be further from reality.

The reality is that soldiers are practically discarded - thrown aside, left to fend for themselves in a job market that has no interest in hiring men and women who were trained for violence... and this is where the Cartel steps in.

In this story, the latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we listen to the story behind Julián Ramírez, a soldier who, after dedicating his life to protecting Colombia from the guerrilla and illegal armed forces, is simply cast aside, shortly before he is tricked into becoming a member of the Cartel in Mexico... and all of the tension, dilemmas and internal chaos that this will soon cause him.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/4703