MALARIA

Malaria: n. /məˈleə.ri.ə/ from medieval Italian: mala aria; literally “bad air”. It was originally believed that the noxious air and the vapors from the swamps caused the infection. In 2015 the largest case of corruption in the history of Latin America, orchestrated by the Brazilian firm Odebrecht, was unveiled. Its web of bribes spread over four continents with money laundering, extortion and illicit association. It implicated former presidents, government officials and businessmen in more than 12 countries, including my home country, Peru. Malaria is today´s pollution; the air is infected and protected by corruption itself. But the swamp will not be drained; it remains a protected wetland: they bread and spawn in it. We are thus living moments of major social protests and indignation. People are taking the streets, demanding the prosecution of corruption leaders, rulers and political candidates. These images aim to evoke that atmosphere rather than try to explain the plague.