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“In this country the young are like the sunrise, they don’t last long”
-Roque Dalton (Salvadoran poet)
El Salvador was at the center of international attention during the civil war in the 1980’s which lasted twelve years, resulting in more than 80 thousand Salvadorans killed or disappeared, thousands more were forced into exile. In 1992, the people dreamed of living in peace began with the signing of the Peace Accords. That dream however was obstructed and now days it is considered to be one of the most dangerous countries around the world. In 2011 there were 4,374 murders, 370 more than the previous year a 9.3 percent increase, surpassing the 2009 record of 4,223 murders, making 2011 one of the deadliest, becoming one of the most dangerous countries for the young with the highest murder rate in the world for young adults ages 15-24 and has some of the highest murder rates for people of all ages with a rate of 60% for every 100,000. Many of the murders go unsolved since the government’s prosecutor is only able to process a small amount of cases. Its police department and judicial system are corrupted, which makes it difficult to obtain justice, Impunity roams all over the country. Salvadorans have had to endure violent times, hoping that one day will be a peaceful nation.Documentary, Photography, Photojournalism2012 -
New Orleans, Five years after Katrina hit New Orleans and caused the levees to break, the city is still a constant reminder of that tragic day and what came after. The city has not been fully recovered nor rebuilt; many areas are barely starting reconstruction other areas as still abandoned and no sign of rebuilding or progress. One can still see the damage, feel the pain and hear the stories of what happened five years. Most of the people you encounter in the affected areas will have a story to tell and they all have a common conclusion; New Orleans recovery has been slow.Documentary, Photography, Photojournalism2012 -
Ayiti (Haiti in Haitian Creole) was devastated by an earthquake on January 12 2010, more than 200,000 persons lost their lives and over 1.3 million displaced. This catastrophic natural disaster had to occur in order for the world to pay full attention to the Haitians peoples struggles and problems. Haiti was already a disaster when the quake hit the island. The country had an unstable, economy, education, health, and government among a long list of things. It was the poorest country in the Americas, Unable to provide the basic needs to more than 50% of its population; Ayiti is a beautiful island, with wonderful, strong and joyful spirited people and with a rich history, being the first independent nation of Latin America. Everyone should love Haiti, now more than ever.Documentary, Photography, Photojournalism2012 -
Sugar is an essential item in every household and business in the world. This precious product is mostly cultivated in many "third" world countries where people work long hours and make less than $10 a day. Much of the final product, specially high quality, is exported to "first" world counties such as the United States, France and others. In El Salvador the production of sugar cane is one of the strongest and largest agricultural sectors, producing refined sugar for national use as well as for export. Especially to the United States due to the CAFTA (Central America Free Trade Agreement) treaty.Photography, Photojournalism2012 -
Residents of the capital city of Mexico are wearing masks as a precaution to prevent being infected by the H1N1 type virus also known as the Swine Flu. This epidemic has caused a world panic and many fear that there will not be a cure on time to save thousands of lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other respectable disease control centers from around the world have expressed great concerns, due to the fact that this is an unusual and new type of flu, not seen before in pigs, birds or humans. Mexicans have been advised not to shake hands avoid crowded places or greet people by kissing. The outbreak caused the city, with a population of 20 million, to shut down for a week in order to prevent the probable spreading of the disease. The mask became a vital and essential part of the daily life.Documentary, Photography, Photojournalism2012 -
Not everyone had evacuated when Katrina made landfall in New Orleans and the levees collapsed. The lack of government response was visible as the city lay covered with water and its inhabitants were abandoned without any food, medical aid, and shelter. In the coming days the images, which, came out the flooded city, were shocking, painful and beyond belief. Days after they were evacuated, many left behind their city in ruins never to return. This vibrant city of Jazz and Mardi Gras was lifeless, soulless.Documentary, Photography, Photojournalism2012 -
The Honduran peoples woke up to a different county On June 28th in the early hours of the day the democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya also known as Mel, was taken out of his house. He was placed in a plane and sent to the neighboring country of Costa Rica, still wearing his pajamas. A coup d’état. The gory that followed split the country and created an undemocratic state. Tegucigalpa and other cities have experience massive marches in support of and the international community has condemned the coup the diplomatic efforts to find a resolution have drained. Hondurans try to go about their daily life but the future of the country look uncertain and a solution is yet to comePhotography, Photojournalism2012 -
The Kurds are the second largest ethnic group in Iraq and since Saddam rose to power, they continuously were oppressed during his regime. Kurds were the only Iraqi ethnic group who allied with the Coalition Forces.The Peshmergas (Kurd soldier or fighter, which means“those who face death”) played a major role in ground fighting at the northern front. Many Kurds from all over the Kurdistan arrived to the northern frontlines to join forces with the Coalition and help defeat Saddam's army.The cities of Mosul, which is the third largest (in population) and Kirkuk, important for its oil rich soil, were important for the war.Mosul and Kirkuk are cites composed of mostly Iraqi Arabs and Iraqi Kurds (and a small percentage of Turkmen as well as some Iraqi Christians.The Iraqi army surrendered these two cities without any resistance. In the days that followed, they were hit by a wave of violence and social instability.Documentary, Photography, Photojournalism2012
