Latin American Photographers Bring Migration and Community Struggle Stories to The Bronx

The Bronx Documentary Center in New York is currently hosting the ninth edition of the Latin American Foto Festival, presenting compelling visual narratives from photographers across ten Latin American nations. Running until July 26, the festival offers a platform for artists to share their perspectives on critical issues impacting their home countries and communities.

The exhibition features over a hundred photographs, displayed both within the center's galleries and its community garden, as well as on the building's exterior fence. The participating photographers hail from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Venezuela. While their backgrounds vary, a shared focus on community-affected themes and a talent for storytelling unite their work.

Among the featured artists is Peru's Marcos Garro, whose series 'Cerros de Pasco' documents the severe environmental degradation and social consequences, including lead poisoning deaths, stemming from centuries of mining in Peru's Pasco region. His work is based on testimonies from a community grappling with "increasingly profound environmental devastation" and neglect.

Colombian photographer Santiago Mesa's work addresses the impact of armed violence on indigenous communities in the Chocó region. His photographs highlight the deep emotional and social scars left by decades of conflict, forced displacement, poverty, and institutional neglect, which have tragically led to a crisis of suicide, disproportionately affecting young people.

Matías Delacroix from Venezuela presents images capturing the country's political landscape, including the January events involving the U.S. capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro on drug trafficking charges. His work also follows the subsequent emigration of Venezuelans, their journeys through the Darién Gap, and the returns of those facing U.S. restrictions. Delacroix, who has been documenting Venezuela since 2019, expressed his satisfaction with the festival, calling it "necessary" for showcasing photojournalism and noting the resilience of the Venezuelan people in the face of adversity.