Sparrow Media - William Wroblewski

13/02/2025

My latest for Rest of World about Bolivia's black market for and the country's challenges to staying connected in the coming years.

https://restofworld.org/2025/bolivians-smuggle-starlink-to-escape-china-backed-internet/

05/09/2024

Another project on the books with Business Insider and their series. This time I was joined by the always-amazing Pablo Castro of Intelygente Comunicación Creativa from Bogota.

We (barely) survived three days following a Colombian Special Forces unit as they carried out intense training at the massive Tolemaida Army Airfield to see how the Colombian military prepares their elite fighting units for seriously dangerous missions.

I also sat down with former Colombian Vice President Óscar Naranjo, who as head of the national police has been credited with taking down P*blo Esc*b*r and the M*dellín C*rtel. He was also a chief government negotiator during peace talks with the FARC.

Colombian special forces deal with the country’s most dangerous threats, like the illegal co***ne trade. We followed how top soldiers train for some of the d...

24/07/2024

In Bolivia, rural communities are learning to co-exist with wild Andean bears, as climate change is forcing behavioral and migratory changes among both wildlife and livestock.

A few months ago, I traveled to the mountains north of Cochabamba to shoot this piece for the BBC and its series about Quechua communities adapting to this new reality.

(Bear footage courtesy of WCS Bolivia.)

Drought forces the real Paddington Bear into deadly conflict with cattle farmers in the Andes.

02/05/2024

I spent this past weekend filming with an old friend. Samuel Flores is a leader of Bolivia's Qhara Qhara indigenous nation, spearheading an international battle to recognize the Andean origins of Spanish silver and gold from the times of the Conquest.

With recent news of Colombia's commitment to explore the wreckage of the Spanish galeón San Jose, sunk by English pirates off the coast of Cartagena over 300 years ago, Samuel is seeking recognition of the history of the treasures submerged there. The ship contains up to USD$17 billion worth of precious metals, stolen under the whip of slavery from indigenous nations of the New World.

Samuel has researched archives to prove that much of this treasure was taken from his and other peoples at the famous silver mine at Cerro Rico, in Potosí, Bolivia. His work has proven fruitful, as interested countries have invited him and the Qhara Qharas to the table as exploration of the wreckage begins in the coming weeks/months.

09/04/2024

"I Can Ruin a Person’s Life for $1000: 10 Questions with a Bolivian Witch"

A little piece I co-produced with a small team from VICE while we worked on a few other things.

And no, I did not come up with the questions...

Oscar Arteaga is a brujo (witch) based in La Paz, Bolivia. Revered for his knowledge in black magic, Oscar claims he can break relationships, cause illnesses...

26/03/2024

My latest for Agence France-Presse on the threats deforestation brings to Bolivia's valuable tropical nut industry.

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w/ Esther Mamani and Aizar Raldes Nuñez

Vital Muñoz se interna la Amazonía boliviana, en busca de las últimas castañas de la temporada. Como él, miles de recolectores están inquietos por el avance ...

15/03/2024

Priorities in Muyupampa

Photo No. 1: luzysombra.info

08/03/2024

A report from on people's efforts to recover from the worst flooding in memory across parts of this amazonian city.

I traveled with Agence France-Presse earlier this week to capture these stories.

Damaris Hidalgo no sabe por dónde empezar. La ropa, los documentos de su casa, los electrodomésticos, todo está cubierto de lodo. Como el resto de los habita...

26/01/2024

Filming inside the notorious San Pedro prison in La Paz with Agence France-Presse.

w/ Esther Mamani

Photo: Jorge Bernal