Festival
Colombia
Alvaro Ybarra Zavala

Colombia, 2007 Members of the Bloque Movil Arturo Ruiz of the revolutionary armed forces of Colombia FARC during a patrol. The Bloque Movil Arturo Ruiz is a Special unit of the FARC who fights in many differents regions of Colombia. This block is like a Quick reaction force who helps other groups of the FARC. This block is held responsible for the hostages of the FARC. © Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Agence VU

Colombia, 2007 A farmer shows the coca in a plantation under the control of the guerrilla. © Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Agence VU

Colombia, 2007 Working the coca and the chemical product inside an underground coca lab in the jungle controlled by the FARC. © Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Agence VU

Colombia - November 2007. A local trafficker displaying pure cocaine. All the armed groups involved in the conflict in Colombia make a profit from narcotics. © Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Reportage by Getty Images

Colombia, 2007 A father shows his dead son in his arms. Fightings in the area didn't allow the child to be evacuated from the village. The child died of hunger and diarrhea. © Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Agence VU

COLOMBIA - NOVEMBER 2007: A displaced Embera Indian IDP (Internally Displaced Person). The presence of the different active armed groups within local communities is one of the main reasons for the displacement of civilians. © Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Reportage by Getty Images

COLOMBIA - JULY 2007: The real situation of Colombia is that of a forgotten civil war, in which civilian are caught between different armed groups who are fighting for the control of the narcotics trade. The presence of the different active armed groups within local communities is one of the main reasons for the displacement of civilians. (Photo by Alvaro Ybarra Zavala/Edit by Getty Images)

PLANADAS, TOLIMA, COLOMBIA - MAY 2011: An army helicopter during an operation of the Mobile Brigade 8 of the Joint Task Force South of Tolima, in charge ofthe military operation against Alfonso Cano the commander of the FARC. ( Photo by Alvaro Ybarra Zavala/ Reportage by getty images)

NEIVA, HUILA, COLOMBIA - MAY 2011 : A beauty queen walks in front of the troops on the occasion of the feast of San Pedro. This type of events organized by the Army are common to raise the morale of the troops. ( Photo by Alvaro Ybarra Zavala/ Reportage by getty images)


ALGECIRAS, HUILA, COLOMBIA - MAY 2011: Soldiers from the counterinsurgency unit's Paches No. 9 playing cards during their turn of rest. Soldiers from the guerrilla unit No. 9 the Paches are intended for a military operation in the municipality of Algeciras against Teofilo Forero mobile column of the FARC: ( Photo by Alvaro Ybarra Zavala/ Reportage by Getty Images)

BOGOTA, CONDINAMARCA, COLOMBIA - MAY 2011: A dog trained in drug detection protocol checks a flight in the El Dorado International Airport in Bogota. ( photo by Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Reportage by Getty Images)

BOGOTA, CONDINAMARCA, COLOMBIA - MAY 2011: A security scanner used in the fight against drug shows positive results of a test performed on a passenger in the El Dorado International Airport in Bogota. ( Photo by Alvaro Ybarra Zavala/ Reportage by getty Images)

BOGOTA, CONDINAMARCA, COLOMBIA - MAY 2011: A civilian captured by the Colombian National Police for drug trafficking Narcotics division during the protocol after his been capture . ( Photo by Alvaro Ybarra Zavala/ Reportage by getty images)

COLOMBIA - NOVEMBER 2007: FARC guerrilla members waiting to be served lunch inside one of the FARC camps. © Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Reportage by Getty Images

GUANWI, COLOMBIA - MAY 2009: Guards from the Eperara indigenous reserve of Guanwi, near the Saija River, taking part in morning excercises before starting their guard duty. Over the past month, their activities in the area have increased significantly. Their relations with their natural allies of the FARC are now broken. Instead they are now getting support from outsiders to clear out the FARC guerrillas and any coca plantations, and to sell their jungle land rights to the 'plan oxygeno' (green eco initiatives). This is one of four indigenous communities within this reserve. The rest of them have been displaced to this village. Around 1000 people are now living in appalling conditions within the 'tambo' (communal building within the village). © Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Reportage by Getty Images

TUMACO, COLOMBIA - JULY 2009: A general view of Tumaco, which is one of the towns which has seen the most violence in the region, due to fighting between two paramilitary groups called the Black Eagles and Los Rastrojos, who are battling for control of territory. © Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Reportage by Getty Images
Colombia, 2007 Members of the Bloque Movil Arturo Ruiz of the revolutionary armed forces of Colombia FARC during a patrol. The Bloque Movil Arturo Ruiz is a Special unit of the FARC who fights in many differents regions of Colombia. This block is like a Quick reaction force who helps other groups of the FARC. This block is held responsible for the hostages of the FARC. © Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Agence VU
After more than 40 years of civil war, Colombia is a divided country. Decades of violence have put an end to far too many lives in this extraordinary country. The sequence of events in the war is now dictated by strategic and economic interests, far removed from the ideological values that led to the conflict. Today's talk of left-wing or right-wing armed groups is misleading. Drug trafficking, palm oil, water and now the market for offsetting CO2 emissions are all factors driving the conflict. The systematic violation of human rights has become part of the general way of life. The number of internally displaced persons is the highest in the world: more than three million. But officially there is no war in Colombia.
Colombia, in Eternal Sorrow
Visa pour l’image – Perpignan
Eglise des Dominicains
From august 27th to september 11th
Links
http://www.alvaroybarra.com
http://www.visapourlimage.com
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