The first time that Salvador Camacho thought he was going to die he was sitting in his father’s Chrysler sedan with a friend listening to music. The 22-year-old engineering student was parked near his home in central Mexico and in the fading evening light he didn’t notice two tattooed men approach. Tori Amos’ hit, Bliss, had just started playing when the gang members pointed guns at the young men.

So began a 24-hour ordeal. Strong-willed and solidly built, Salvador was singled out as the more stubborn of the pair. He was blindfolded and beaten. One robber eventually threw him to the ground, put a gun to the back of his head and told him it was time to die. He passed out, waking in a field with his hands tied behind his back.