unfortunately, little can be done to lessen these situations here in Brasil. The government and the wealthy individuals that run this country have no incentive to change their system or practices. It is a very corrupt and established caste system that uses the population for their own benefit without regard for their welfare or the value of human life. little support and infrastructure for the country’s population is provided, i.e education, healthcare, roads, sanitation, etc. It looks like a beautiful country, with happy, compassionate and caring people (and many are), but live here for a while and you will see the real Brasil, a third world country with tremendous resources controlled by a few families and million of poor people with no chance of an improved quality of life ever! Why do you think a majority or the great brasilian athletes live in Europe?

unless you take the money and power away from those in control and reprogram the minds of the brasilian people, nothing will ever change. so good luck.

Yes, the Landless not only are a semi-terrorist group, they have been linked over and over again with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a full blown terrorist group. And by linked I don’t mean “talked about in the same sentence”, I mean drug money and guns back and forward between the two groups.

She’s a martyr, all right. One of those martyrs used by these very humanitarian organizations to promote their cause through sensationalist media and by causing guilt on well fed Europeans who will weep and ask “is there a way find out if they are ok?”, but not bother to read up on the whole issue.

As a reporter it is important to acknowledge how photographs can paint a story, true. But politics aside, this image shows a single, simple scene, and it conveys the emotion of THAT ONE SCENE amazingly well.

And, most importantly to myself as a photographer, it is an amazing photograph.