Close
Editorial
Latest Stories
Archive Calendar
Books
Themes
Cultural
Touring Exhibitions
Print Sales
Commissions
Education
Creative
Magazine
Shop
Sign in / Register
Contact Us
About Us
Cart (0)
Advanced Search
Request research assistance
Pictures (23)
Photographers
Photographers
Paul Fusco (23)
Decades
Decades
1990s (23)
Orientation
Orientation
Horizontal (23)
Color
Color
Color (23)
Material
Material
Digital (23)
Level
Level
C (2)
E (21)
COLOMBIA. MSF.
Paul Fusco
MSF. Colombia
MSF began working in Bogota and Cali, Colombia in the summer of 1998. Because of the more than 30 years of wonton violence among the military, three main guerilla groups, the drug lords and countless innocent peasants victims. MSF were greeted with suspicion. It has been very difficult to establish trust with the thousands of refugees who had fled violence and relocated in sprawling favellas around Bogota and Cali. The MSF staff is made up of all local doctors, nurses, social workers and staff, except for three European directors who oversee them. Even with their local expertise and connections it has been slow going. Enric Grau, Bogota, spends a lot of time visiting new encampments to try to establish a working relationship with new refugees.
The Camps house thousands of people seeking refuge. Their handmade homes sprawl over the foots hills and climb the slopes of the grand mountains that encircle the two cities. The flood of refugees started 30 years ago and continues unabated. The refugees are on their own and get no help from the government. But they are hand-driving survivors and slowly work and build new communities. One of the most notorious is Agua Blanca in Cali. It is a huge, lawless settlement that is controlled by youth gangs that rule their turf and live from the spoils of violence and crime against the thousands of people in Agua Blanca. The police will not go into the area. "You're on your own".
The gangs fight and kill each other and then demand retribution. Often young men will be carefully shot in the lower back, not to kill but to maim, to carry the curse for life.
MSF has gone into areas, to help in a medical clinic and to establish a rehabilitation center for victims of violence. They spread the word that they help to rehabilitate anyone. Much to their surprise and delight victims came to check them out, and their words of acceptance spread. Now young men from different gangs are brought to the rehab center by MSF for treatment where they eagerly and determinedly struggle to give new life to their bodies. No one seems to bring up past grievances.
MSF also works closely with the women, young and old, in the settlements. Two huge problems are teenage mothers and violence against women. MSF runs workshops, clinics and works in homes with families to try to help with these intractable situations.
The paramilitary in Colombia has deemed itself the guardians of the society. For thousands of people life is grim, lacking in everything except violence-much of it planned, orchestrated violence. For years the paramilitary has regularly cleansed the society of those they designate as 'disposables' gang members, beggar kids, gays, waste hailers, drug addicts, cripples, the poor all are subject to periodic clean-ups. They kill and display the bodies on garbage heaps.
View more..
Paul Fusco
1998
COLUMBIA. Bogota. 1998. Children at a pre school in the Corinto...
NYC8269
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLUMBIA. Bogota. 1998. MSF psychologist Soraya SALCEDO works...
NYC8267
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
MSF. Villa Esperanza Del Barreno, new refugee settlement in...
NYC5359
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. Villa Esperanza Del Barreno new refugee...
NYC5358
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Bogota, Alto de Cazuca area. 1998. Villa Esperanza...
NYC5360
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. The gangs rule, kill and maim each...
NYC5366
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. For years Agua Blanca been the hope...
NYC5362
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. Agua Blanca. The gangs rule, kill...
NYC5369
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. Agua Blanca. The gangs rule, kill...
NYC5370
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLUMBIA. Calis. 1998. Agua Blanca. The gangs rule and kill and...
NYC8268
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. Agua Blanca. The gangs rule, kill...
NYC5365
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. Agua Blanca. The gangs rule, kill...
NYC5364
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. Agua Blanca. The gangs rule, kill...
NYC5367
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. Agua Blanca. The gangs rule, kill and...
NYC5368
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. MSF works in Agua Blanca an area that...
NYC5363
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. Agua Blanca. The gangs rule, kill...
NYC5371
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. Agua Blanca. About 20 ago years Luis...
NYC5375
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. MSF sociologist Maria Del Rosario grew up...
NYC5378
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. The sprawling refugee settlement Agua...
NYC5372
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998.
NYC5379
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. The sprawling refugee settlement Agua...
NYC5374
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. MSF works in Agua Blanca an area that...
NYC5376
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Paul Fusco
1998
COLOMBIA. Calli. 1998. MSF works in Agua Blanca, an area that...
NYC5377
HR
Add to cart
Add to lightbox
Add all to lightbox
Remove all from lightbox
Add all to cart
Remove all from cart
Display
Items per page
Go to Login page