Content warning: robbery, armed robbery, gun violence, domestic violence, extortion, and corruption.

Maya is a teacher, artist, and multi-crime survivor from Los Angeles. After finishing her undergraduate degree in Spanish in 1996 (at the age of 22), Maya found herself seeking direction. But it was only a couple months after her graduation that she experienced a life-changing armed robbery. Not long after that, she would travel to Argentina and forge a new life for herself far from the San Fernando Valley. However, she would be faced with even more tumult and trauma when financial, political, and socioeconomic crises in her new home increased crime rates, exposing her to the harsh reality of a nation’s unrest. The Broken Cycle Media team is so grateful Maya was willing to share all that came next for her as a her multi-crime survivor, and Amy is especially, personally grateful for her because she’s one of Amy's best friends and cousin.

Argentina Crime Rate & Statistics 2001-2025 | MacroTrends. (2025, April 30). https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/ARG/argentina/crime-rate-statistics

Bank robber sues bank - UPI Archives. (1987, August 12). UPI. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/08/12/Bank-robber-sues-bank/1575555739200/

Bernstein, S. (2019, March 5). Armed Robbers hit Tarzana Bank - Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-06-29-me-19764-story.html
Cutrona, S. A. (2017). Violence And Public Policy In Argentina – Analysis. Eurasia Review. https://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/news/030617.Argentina-EurasiaReview.pdf

Donati, L. (2022). A Detailed Description of Corrupt Events in Argentina’s History: The role of corruption in Argentine politics, 1966 to 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2025, from https://jewlscholar.mtsu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/b3b8ee0d-a748-4af8-99cd-5a540ffa0808/content

IBM Contends with a Scandal in Argentina. (n.d.). New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/09/business/ibm-contends-with-a-scandal-in-argentina.html

Refworld - UNHCR’s Global Law and Policy Database. (2025, April 15). Human Rights Watch World Report 2000 - Argentina. Refworld. https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/hrw/1999/en/22985

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, January 1). Historical exchange rates of Argentine currency. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_exchange_rates_of_Argentine_currency

Wikipedia contributors. (2025b, May 4). List of heads of state of Argentina. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_heads_of_state_of_Argentina

For a list of related resources and non-profit organizations that can help, please visit http://www.somethingwaswrong.com/resources