Inside feared neighborhood in Honduras to find its human story | Barrio Pedregal, Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳

Many Hondurans told me not to go to Barrio Pedregal, one of the most feared neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa. It’s too dangerous, they said. After all, the local media called Pedregal “synonymous with violence” and referred to it as the birthplace of one of the most violent gangs in Honduras.
During my visit to the capital, one of my followers invited me to spend the night in the neighborhood. She wanted me to meet the people, try street foods, and show you that the neighborhood offered much more than its stigmas and labels. When she told me about the martial arts dojo for disadvantaged children that she ran in Pedregal, I knew I had to go.
My guide for Pedregal, Cinthia Canales, is a judo black belt and national champion. Her judo academy, Pequeños Gigantes, despite having to train on concrete due to lack of resources, has produced national and international champions. After we walk through the “most dangerous” streets of Pedregal and play a game of soccer, we enter her dojo where I must face off and duel with multiple opponents, including national champion Francisco Lopez.
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Contact information
Cinthia Canales
Facebook: / marcelita.canales.1
Instagram: / marcelitacanales
Francisco Lopez
Facebook: / francisco.lopezgro
Instagram: / franciscolopez73kgs
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