Mi Perro: Prisoners and their dogs in Latin America – a photo essay
Venezuela, a country with an economic, political and social crisis going back more than 20 years, is not known for being avant-garde in penitentiary issues. Although the internal relationships formed between convicts and dogs are nothing new when compared with programmes in other countries, what is innovative is that no one asked the prisoners there to take care of a dog, when taking care of an inmate in a Venezuelan prison can be an “extreme sport”.
Rafael Briceño, a prisoner serving a five-year sentence on shoplifting charges, carries his Chihuahua dog, which he shares with his cellmate. Tocuyito, Valencia 2022.
Prisons in Latin America are a violent environment and living conditions are often precarious. That is not the theme of this essay. Such an adverse situation perhaps should not allow for the rescue of and nurturing of another living being. This is manifested in a natural way, as if among so much struggle the soul also seeks its food.
A stray dog that is part of the company of the security guards but also enters the prison and spends time with the other dogs El Rodeo, Miranda 2023. An inmate greets other friends from another tower through this door at El Rodeo, Miranda 2023
By exploring the relationship between prisoners and dogs, Mi Perro offers a broader and more nuanced look at prison life. It shows how bonds and the need for connection overcome the barriers imposed by incarceration. This not only provides a deeper understanding of the human experience in extreme situations, but also challenges the notion of prison as a place of exclusion and absolute punishment.
Through regular field research and photographic material, the project shows how we can build relationships from a different perspective with people who do not necessarily conform to social norms. In this case, the dog acts as a mediator, allowing us to align or put ourselves on the same level.
A prisoner with his dog, which has been his companion for four years. He saysthe dog is like his family, his most important source of affection and love in prison. Tocuyito, Valencia 2022.
The project explores the fine line between good and bad in the same person, what really makes us, and what could happen if we had the opportunity and the right choices, because in the end we are all human.
Javier Almeida, a prisoner serving a 15-year sentence on drug charges, plays with his dog outside his cell. He says this dog is like a son to him. Tocuyito, Valencia 2022
If the dog, as a companion, has food and care, what does it offer to the prisoner, who cares for him? This question in a context, far from family, from people and things that evoke the prisoner’s home, brings us closer to see our own similarities and shortcomings, reflected in a four-legged being that accepts us, makes us feel useful. It also gives us love, and aren’t all these things that remind us of home? If so, then this research seeks to reflect a feeling of belonging that the dog gives back in that relationship.
A man rests with his dog, Chiqui. They have been together in prison for five years. Tocuyito, Valencia 2022
A mural inside the prison of a man embracing a woman, Tocuyito, Valencia 2022. Ice advertisement in Tocuyito prison, Tocuyito, Valencia 2022
In this journey through different penitentiaries, one of the most impressive and at the same time the most human responses is to see how we take refuge before one who does not judge us, but needs us. To mean something to the life of another is often the opportunity that saves us.
By exploring the relationships between captives and dogs, Mi Perro invites us to reflect on our connection to the natural world and how our relationships with other species can transcend social and cultural barriers. This perspective has global implications for animal ethics, human relationships with nature, and the need to promote a more harmonious and respectful coexistence among all life forms. The goal is to engage in a global dialogue about justice, empathy and coexistence in a diverse world.