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VICE News

Rosario: Violence, Drugs, and Soccer

In one of Argentina's largest cities, drug dealers have infiltrated all levels of society, especially the supporter clubs, or "barras bravas," of the city's two soccer teams: Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys.

In Rosario, Argentina's third most populated city, slums known as villas miserias are beset with poverty and crime. As narcotics use has grown among the city's population, it has spawned a violent drug war that is little known outside of the country.

Local drug dealers have managed to infiltrate the police, Rosario's economy, and its society, especially through the supporter groups, known as "barras bravas", of the city's two soccer teams: Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys. And in the villas, the gangs have setup fortified kiosks, known as bunkers, where drugs are sold at plain daylight all over the city.