Trapped by Violence

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It is no secret to the outside world that Latin America is one of the most corrupt places on the planet. Multiples times a year, new reporters reveal stories about violence in the area revolving around drugs, oppression, and other forms of corruption. This obviously affects the people who live in these areas, making them subjects of fear and violence. These people live their lives not knowing if they will live to see the next day and that any action they take against a higher power could potentially bring serious consequences. This obviously affects the people who live in these areas, making them subjects of fear and violence. Every day they wake up is a blessing knowing that hundreds of others, including friends, neighbors, and family members, may have not been as lucky to escape death by an oppressive force. The photographer captured the aspects of this area in his picture, with everything from the editing to the details in the picture itself. 

The photographer made the main focus of his picture the man behind the bars, sitting in almost complete darkness with no company. The man himself looks young but also malnourished, which the photographer must have thought represented the entire population of Latin America well. Shadows block parts of the man's face, but the viewer can still see his expression of hopelessness. His eyes tell the viewer stories of how he has battled injustice and violence just for the sheer right to live his life to the fullest. With his hand on one of the bars that is containing him, the overall feeling is that the man feels trapped but keeps looking towards the outside world hoping for rescue. His body language says that he knows that there are better places in the world where he can fulfill his dreams, but that he also knows the likelihood of escaping his country are slim. The walls around the man are cracked and worn down, which gives the impression that he lives in an insecure and unsafe world. Any country that houses its citizens in rundown buildings such as this obviously does not care about their wellbeing. The photographer finalized the photo by editing the colors to only shades of grey and black. This creates a dark and uneasy feeling surrounding the image, creating the assumption that this area of Latin America is a cruel and most likely unjust area to live.