This article originally appeared on VICE Spain
In October of 2018, the Spanish authorities carried out a raid on a number of drug squats in the Raval neighbourhood of Barcelona. These squats – where drugs, especially heroin, are sold and used – are commonly known as narcopisos. It is estimated that, at the time, there were 60 narcopisos in this neighbourhood alone, with dozens more across central Barcelona.
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The 2018 raids not only led to a rise in the number of people admitted to drug rehab centres in the city, but also to more drugs being sold on the streets of Barcelona at all hours.
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In the months before the operation, photographer Sasha Asensio spent time with regulars of one of these drug squats. They eventually agreed to let him document their day-to-day lives, and the realities of life inside the narcopiso. This was at a time when more and more neighbourhoods in Barcelona were complaining that these squats were causing a rise in violence in what were previously peaceful areas. It was these complaints that eventually forced the police to intervene and close the majority of them down.
There are still a number of narcopisos in Barcelona, but they are nowhere near as prevalent in the city as they were two years ago.
Scroll down to see more of Sasha Asensio’s photos.
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Watch: Barcelona’s Drug Squats
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