the ICRC rewards a report on migrants in the Darien jungle

2023-06-22 09:51:11

The 13th edition of the ICRC’s Humanitarian Visa d’Or has unanimously chosen to reward the work of Colombian photographer Federico Rios Escobar ” The Darien region: the path of the last chance”. Produced between September 2022 and March 2023, his report in the footsteps of migrants powerfully documents the difficulties of crossing the Darién region.

This area of ​​swamp and tropical forest, located on the border between Colombia and Panama, connects South America to North America. It is a compulsory passage for migrants trying to reach the United States.

A region in the hands of narcos

Migrants from Latin America, Haiti but also from Afghanistan or Africa are more and more numerous to try this crossing in the green hell of the jungle. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of migrants crossing into Panama after passing through the perilous Darien jungle reached a record high in 2022, nearly doubling the numbers from the previous year.

The region is also in the hands of drug traffickers, rebel groups and militias who do not hesitate to loot migrants. Many will never reach the border.

After several days of walking in the jungle, a group of Afghans help each other cross a river in the Darien region, on the border between Colombia and Panama. / Federico Rios

In the Colombian jungle

Aged 43, Federico Rios Escobar documented for more than ten years the daily life of the guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). A freelance photographer, he regularly collaborates with many international media, including the New York Times, with which he produced this long-term report. Contacted by phone, he said when the award was announced:“I am very happy and proud that my photos are able to bear witness to the tragedies that are taking place in this region, the Darién, where thousands of migrants risk crossing the jungle every year. This recognition is very important for a photographer. It helps make those images more visible.”

He also wanted his work to invite “for discussion and reflection”. “This is what we, photojournalists who work on humanitarian subjects, are looking for, to make decision-makers and governments face up to their responsibilities. Let them put in place concrete measures to help all these people”.

Federico Rios Escobar will officially receive his €8,000 prize on September 6 during the 35th edition of the international photojournalism festival “Visa pour l’Image” in Perpignan. His work will be exhibited there from September 2 to 17, 2023 before being presented in Paris next fall.