About El Alto

My journey through the urban sprawl of El Alto in Bolivia takes as reference the riots of October 2003. The massacre that followed the clashes between the army and the people of El Alto had a strong impact in the collective conscience. This was instrumental in the MAS and Evo Morales rise to power and his bid to overcome what his policy identifies as internal colonialism. I explored the Villa Ingenio, Rio Seco, Senkata, Santiago, and Rosas Pampa neighbourhoods and photographed these suburban battlegrounds where most confrontations took place. In all, while documenting the landscape, I wanted to see how individuals and witnesses to these events have been able to give a strong sense of purpose to their lives through political, religious and artistic engagement.

London, 2007