Daniele Volpe's Photographs of Guatemala's Ixil Genocide in World Press Photo
Daniele Volpe, an Italian photographer born in 1981 in Latina, has captured the consequences of the Ixil genocide in Guatemala, showcasing his work in the 2020 World Press Photo competition. Volpe's connection to Guatemala began 13 years ago when he participated in civil service for the REMHI project. His project "Chukel" centers on the exhumations conducted by survivors of the 36-year civil war (1969–1996), during which the Ixil community suffered genocide in the early 1980s. According to a 1999 UN truth commission, 70–90% of Ixil villages were destroyed, resulting in 7,000 victims. Although former dictator José Efraín Ríos Montt was found guilty of genocide, he passed away unpunished in 2018. Volpe’s work also underscores persistent human rights challenges, notably the dissolution of the CICIG on September 3, 2019.
Key facts
- Daniele Volpe's photographs of the Ixil genocide appeared in the 2020 World Press Photo competition.
- Volpe first traveled to Guatemala 13 years ago for civil service, working on the REMHI project.
- The Ixil community was targeted in the early 1980s during Guatemala's civil war.
- UN truth commission (1999): 70–90% of Ixil villages destroyed, 60% of population displaced, 7,000 victims.
- José Efraín Ríos Montt was convicted of genocide in 2013 but the verdict was annulled; he died in 2018 unpunished.
- Bishop Juan Gerardi was murdered in 1998 after publishing the report 'Guatemala: Never Again'.
- CICIG was dissolved on September 3, 2019, by President Jimmy Morales.
- Between 2018 and 2019, over 30 murders and 290 cases of criminalization against land defenders were recorded.
Entities
Artists
- Daniele Volpe
- Diego Rivera
Institutions
- World Press Photo
- REMHI
- Catholic Church
- United Nations
- Constitutional Court of Guatemala
- CICIG
- Amnesty International
- The New York Times
- National Geographic
- Picture of the Year International
- NPPA
- FotoEvidence
- Visa pour l'Image
Locations
- Guatemala
- Ixil region
- Latina
- Italy
- San Marcos
- Guatemala City
- United States
- Mexico