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Once again, with political assassination back in the news, Colombia is overwhelmed with violence. Pelton knows the country well and thought it timely to revisit one of his films made 25 years ago. Not much has changed.

Creating a documentary is tough. Creating one on the fly, without a script, across a large and dangerous nation is even more challenging. When Discovery asked Robert Young Pelton to turn his bestselling book into a TV series, he drove a hard bargain: he would decide where and when to film, and Discovery would air it on the brand-new Travel Channel.

Pelton chose Colombia in spring 2000—the height of its war with leftist guerrillas, right-wing death squads, and narco-traffickers. On top of that, Men’s Journal sent famed adventure writer Tim Cahill and a photographer to profile Pelton during the shoot.

In just a few weeks, Pelton gained extraordinary access. He interviewed FARC leaders (a world exclusive), met AUC death squads, went into the jungle with smugglers, joined anti-drug operations and Marine patrols, and even immersed himself in Special Forces training. He spent time with Bogotá’s then-mayor, who cut a heart-shaped hole in his ballistic vest, and visited kidnapping victims. He also witnessed a murder firsthand—and prevented another over breakfast.

The result was a raw, multi-layered portrait of Colombia’s violence and resilience. Pelton documented morgues, funerals, and the toll of daily brutality, yet also highlighted how Colombians survive and strive to rebuild. His message remained clear: amid chaos, people fight to hold their country together.

Discovery aired the documentary uncensored, and Cahill later published his classic profile, The Most Dangerous Friend in the World. Though skeptical at first, he became close friends with Pelton—until his own near-death rafting experience “one-upped” even Pelton’s war stories.

📺 Watch the full Inside Colombia documentary

Further reading:

• Tim Cahill’s profile
• Pelton’s work

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.

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A powerful and timely conversation between Robert Young Pelton, one of America’s leading conflict experts, and interviewer Reza Allahbakshi.

They dive into the anatomy of coups, insurgencies, and the fragile state of democracy in America today. Sparked by the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, the discussion shows how violent events are manipulated into polarization and narrative warfare—a tactic used for centuries to destabilize nations and now visible at home.

Drawing on experiences in more than 50 war zones, Pelton outlines the hidden doctrines of U.S. Special Forces and the CIA’s regime-change playbook. From ideological division to tribalization, violence, and authoritarian consolidation, he maps how societies slide into chaos. A rare look at the “Robin Sage” exercise reveals how guerrilla leaders are cultivated, governments overthrown, and moral lines blurred.

The lessons are chilling: rhetoric becomes policy, chaos sparks demands for strongmen, and democracy erodes under the guise of order. Yet instead of fear, viewers are urged to take a “hilltop view”—to see manipulation clearly and resist being drawn into chaos. This is not just history; it is a warning and a call to defend democracy with awareness and resilience.

Further Reading:

• How Democracies Defend Themselves Against Authoritarianism
• Army Special Operations Forces Unconventional Warfare
• Unconventional Warfare Pocket Guide
• A Leader’s Handbook to Unconventional Warfare
• Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare
• Patterns of Regime and Leadership Change in the Third World

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.

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Robert Young Pelton and Rory Nugent are kindred spirits. Nugent first made his name by crossing the Atlantic solo four and a half times—the “half” voyage inspiring the new book he’s now writing.

A boatbuilder, sailor, writer, and journalist, Nugent began with the perfection of open space—the union of wind, sail, boat, and sea—before steering toward darkness: African swamps, war’s deep shadows, vanishing traditions, and fragile human memory.

Pelton and Nugent explore pure adventure—the rewards, penalties, and balance between home and the unknown. They talk of McGuffins, curiosity, insanity, silence, and the tools of their trade: magazines, books, even typewriters.

Nugent’s work has appeared worldwide and in three acclaimed books: The Search for the Pink-Headed Duck (1991), Drums Along the Congo (1993), and Down at the Docks (2009). Born in New York in 1952, he studied history at Williams College, built radical boats, and at twenty-four became the youngest entrant in the Observer Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic Race. He completed four solo crossings; his fifth ended in shipwreck and rescue after five days adrift.

Turning from ocean risks, he hunted the possibly extinct pink-headed duck through India, tracked Mokele-mbembe in the Congo, and chased rare flora in Morocco. Water guided him down the Brahmaputra River, Nile, Uele River, and Sobat River; across the Great Western Erg and Great Sand Sea; and high into the Himalayas.

In 1992, Nugent shifted to journalism, covering war zones and failed states. He wrote for Spin and others, producing lauded series on the Sudanese civil war, the IRA, and the rise of radical Islam—including the widely read My Lunch with Osama bin Laden (Rolling Stone, 2001). After years in Iran and Iraq, he returned to the U.S. to chronicle America’s working class, resulting in Down at the Docks.

Today, Nugent continues writing on disappearance, survival, and the thin line between myth and reality—ever chasing what endures and what is vanishing.

More at www.rorynugent.com

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.