Photojournalism: Report on Mexican drug war and its humanitarian consequences wins ICRC’s Humanitarian Visa d’Or award
On 1 July, the jury awarded the Humanitarian Visa d'Or to Alfredo Bosco, an Italian freelance photojournalist working with the Milanese Luz agency.
Alfredo Bosco's report, entitled Forgotten Guerrero, depicts the war between cartels in Guerrero, the largest poppy-producing region in Mexico. The work stresses the consequences of violence on the local people – murder, extortion, displacement, forced disappearance.
"I have worked in Ukraine, where it is a bit like the First World War – trench warfare. In Guerrero, Mexico, the situation is different, given the criminality, the war to control drugs. There are no trenches but 40 cartels fighting one other. The situation is more complicated
and dire for the population."
Alfredo Bosco, winner of the ICRC Humanitarian Visa d'Or award, 2020
The humanitarian consequences are similar to an armed conflict
"For the award's tenth edition, the jury chose a powerful story on the violence in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Although it is not an armed conflict, the humanitarian consequences are the same for the local population – people fleeing their homes, people going missing and civilians being killed," said Frédéric Joli, the organizer of the award and spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
"I was deeply moved by the story. Of all the reports, it showed the most how civilians are trapped by the situation. They have no other choice than to be part of the conflict and are hit by all its consequences," said Claude Guibal, a reporter at Radio France and member of the jury.
Alfredo Bosco,winner of the 2020 ICRC Humanitarian Visa d'Or award
Alfredo Bosco graduated from the John Kaverdash Academy of Photography. Since 2010 he has reported on wars and social issues in France, Haiti, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Venezuela.
Alfredo Bosco will officially receive his award of 8,000 euros at Perpignan in September. His story will be exhibited at the Couvent des Minimes during the 32nd edition of the Visa pour l'Image Festival of International Photojournalism (29 August–13 September 2020).
Members of the jury:
- Magdalena Herrera, photo director, Géo
- Isabelle de la Gasnerie, chief photo-editor, La Croix
- Claude Guibal, reporter Radio France
- Luc Hermann, journalist and associate producer, Premières Lignes
- David-Pierre Marquet, conseiller en affaires publiques, CICR, Bruxelles
- Luc Mathieu, reporter, Libération, and Prix Albert Londres, 2015
- Benoît Schaeffer, photographer
- Cyril Drouhet, photo director, Figaro Magazine
The ICRC Humanitarian Visa d’Or award was created in 2011 and is endowed with 8,000 euros. Past winners are:
- Abdulmonam Eassa in 2019 for his report on Syria
- Véronique de Viguerie in 2018 for her report on Yemen
- Angela Ponce-Romero in 2017 for her report on Peru
- Juan Arredondo in 2016 for his report on Colombia
- Diana Zeineb Al-Hindawi in 2015 for her report on the Democratic Republic of Congo
- William Daniels in 2014 for his report on the Central African Republic
- Sebastiano Tomada in 2013 for his report on Syria
- Mani Benchelah in 2012 for his report on Syria
- Catalina Martin-Chico in 2011 for his report on Yemen
Contact:
Frédéric Joli - fjoli@icrc.org - Tel : +33 6 20 49 46 30