octubre 19, 2015
Imagine being locked in a prison, you are mute and you're seeing that person who grew up with you being tortured in front of you. Would you feel helpless? This person is Venezuela; she's suffering, a lot. Last year I lived something terrible in that beautiful country, but I tried to help her. It was not later than 6:00 pm, the chaos was beginning to poison Caracas, the city who was suffering the consequences of the barricades made by the students. The traffic was limited and protesters were blocking some streets at the same time when others were indifferent to the events. At the beginning, it wasn't a day different from the others because since February 12th the chaos was become a habit.
I first arrived to the Altamira's square, also called "the battlefield" by some people. Caracas is a city where cars, buses, metro and motorcycles are the primary way of transportation; it's common to move from one place to another using them. The smoke was in abundance because of the barricades: they were on fire. That was the result of the student's anger caused by the inflation, insecurity, censorship, corruption, violence, lies, injustice...and dictatorship. All these problems are a generalization of the reasons why people are tired of this government. It was in that context when I saw some students with a few adults holding a long Venezuelan flag in their hands, their faces were hiding by masks and swimming glasses to protect them against tearful gas. When I was trying to find an interesting image to photograph I saw a student and asked him what would he changes in the country if he had this opportunity. He answered that in two words it would be the government. Then, he told me that the government was killing his students even if they're the future of the country and that without them Venezuela can't progress.
Before he had time to finish to answer the people who were in the square began to talk to each other, as if someone has just told them an important new. I didn't understand what it was, but then heard a man prevent that a "ballena" was coming soon. That was what they were waiting for: protesting to provoke the National Bolivarian Guard (GNB) so they are going to use their power against them. Then, the entire world can know what's the dramatic situation of Venezuela.
I left immediately and went to the motorcycle droved by my father and he took me to the place where the guards and the "ballenas" were. He was driving quickly, just enough to give me the time to take a picture. Crossing a big Avenue we were in the middle of a sea of tents. Students were spending their nights there, in front of the United Nations (UN) to ask the organization to bring someone to the country in order to analyze the situation in Venezuela since February 12th. We passed between accumulated cars, they weren't moving at all. We were going against the wind that was hitting me because of the speeds. It was at that moment when my eyes and my nose started to hurt me, it was impossible to keep them open: the National Guards had begun to throw tear gas against the students. Even if I couldn't open my eyes easily, I arrived to take some pictures zooming a lot; pointing streets where they were throwing gas. We decided to go there, so my father took the motorcycle in that direction. The complexity of the congestion was still presented and it was hard to pass between the cars, but still, we finally arrived. As we approached slowly, the smell was intensifying: the barricades were on fire and they were blocking the way. My father told me to get up my feet before passing through the flames.
We went to a gas station, which was empty. In front of us there was a photographer who was returning "Be careful, they can see you" he said. I looked at the place he was pointing with his finger and saw fifteen officers holding a man, he was trying with all his strength to resist and I decided to take some photographs to show the terrible reality of the country's situation. There was a moment when everything happened so fast that I lost the order of events. The man ran, all the police began to pursue him, and as I watched the scene I immediately turned and saw another man being harassed across the floor, the police was holding him by the leg, his shirt fell to his face and they started beating him until he blood. Shocked, I took several photos "Look out! They're coming for you! Go away" the photographer screamed. My father accelerated while the police were following us. I imagined suffer the same penalties as other people who photographed the horrors committed by the police and saw my camera in his hands, then broken on the floor or the memory card confiscated, they would beat me or I'll might be detained by police. It was at this time that one of the policemen's motorcycle blocked our way, there were two of them. One policeman told me to give him my camera "I will show you how to remove the photos", I said. He came to me, I took my camera very strongly in my hands and showed him how I delete my photos one by one. Finally, there appeared a photo of the mountain I had taken before going to that place, I told him that the other pictures were about the mountain. I don't know if he believed me or if he was in hurry, but he simply said that if people protested peacefully, they wouldn't have to take these measures. My father and I decided to go back to my house. I thought that even if they erased the pictures, that terrifying imagine is still present in my mind, "¡Too bad!" repeated my father when he was driving, "Too bad...".
When I went back home, for the first time I wasn't anxious to see my pictures on the computer: I wanted the pictures back to show the world what's really happening in Venezuela. I learnt that the same day two photographers were arrested because they were doing the same thing than me. That day police throw tear gas, there were shots, at least 13 victims, there were 15 arrested, and several areas of the city such as Las Mercedes, Chacao, Los Palos Grandes, Altamira and El Rosal suffered terrible violence and repression on April 1st.
The photos may have been removed because of the policeman, but the image is still in my mind, so I share this story with you today. Censorship prevents us to show the reality of Venezuela. Today I want to conclude with the words of one student who spent the night in the tents told me: "The goal is clear, now we must to follow it".
You're not helpless, you've eyes and you can help this person, this country, Venezuela.