Death in Caracas

“It happens everyday – as sure as the sun rising over Latin America’s largest favela in Caracas: one of the few things you are guaranteed to find in Venezuela, is death. Violence pervades daily life. On the streets, gangs collide with each other, with the police, and with the army. All of them misuse their power. Caught up in this cosmos, even normal citizens purchase guns to protect themselves. Each of them has already lost a relative or a friend. In Caracas, death pretty much fills the air. My photo shows the family of a former police officer who had just been shot in his car. Those left behind are in mourning – and they express their mourning publicly. It was a tough situation for me, photographing such an intimate moment from within a crowd full of curious observers. I stopped briefly and just took two shots. The Leica helped me remain inconspicuous. I flew below the radar, so to speak, which has incalculable value in a city like Caracas. My series on violence is titled Fear and Loathing. I photographed it in black and white, because it makes me see things in a different way. Maybe it seems more dramatic. After taking the photo, I went to a pool party at some friends. I entered into a world in complete contrast to the former: pool and drinks, security and satisfaction. To tell the truth, I felt a bit guilty while I was there.”