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MACONDO
One Hundred Years of Resilience
Andy Love
Andrés lives in El Horno, a village on the riverbanks of the Magdalena River surrounded by swamps. He belongs to a family of fishermen, but since the activity has drastically diminished as the result of lowering fish population, he now spends most of his days looking for alternative resources. Among other activities, he occasionally hunts small animals that he sells on the local black market. Being a fisherman no longer an option, Andrés dreams of moving to Barranquilla. For now, however, his dream collides with the impossibility to do so. Lack of traditional natural resources due to climate change has become a major issue in Colombia’s Caribbean region, and the main cause of increasing rural depopulation.
Los Apostoles
Pedro and Juan, cousins and dedicated fishing partners, hail from a large family committed to the Pentecostal Church. They live by the riverbanks of El Horno, their lives woven between the ciénagas and participating in their community. Despite their nickname, ‘Los Apostoles,’ they find themselves grappling with the repercussions of a dwindling fish population, and the harsh impact of extreme temperatures. As no miracle seems to feed their nets during El Niño, Pedro and Juan are contemplating alternative avenues to sustain their livelihood. Pedro has taken up a part-time position at a hotel in Mompox. Meanwhile, Juan is training as a preacher with aspirations to serve his church full-time.
La Niña
Nataly was born in El Horno, in family of fishermen. This year, she won a local beauty contest, for which she’s now called “La Niña”. By earning that title, she’s acknowledged as the village’s most promising young woman. As for most of her peers though, her dreams bring her far from her hometown. About to complete her studies, Nataly is planning to move to Bogotá to try some luck and work as a model, or social media influencer. Despite living in a remote region, access to social networks have become a kaleidoscopic gateway for new hopes and dreams. While appreciating slow-life and nature of her hometown, Nataly cannot project a future by the shores of la ciénagas.
"Macondo is not a place, but a state of mind that allows one to see what one wants to see, and how" - Gabriel García Márquez
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Magical realism is rooted in the resilience and deep connection with nature that characterizes the communities inhabiting Colombia's Caribbean region
El Tuerto
Jorge, nicknamed El Tuerto (One-Eyed) in his community, lives in Puerto Arturo. However, he used to live on the edges of Cienaga Sincanacha, where he worked as a fisherman. Four years ago he was forced to leave his house, and his nets, as a consequence of a major flood that carried everything he owned away, including one of his sight. The humidity in his flooded house provided a breeding ground for a fungus that stealthily enveloped one of his eyes, leaving him with partial sight. Since then, Jorge has relocated to one of his cousins’, where he now contributes helping as a pig farmer, in the effort to rebuild his life.
El Calavera
Baltazar, also known in his community as “El Calavera” (The Skull) is the most respected fisherman in El Horno. Over seven decades, he has overcome several challenges, including multiple floods that forced his family to start over each time. Once the owner of a thriving fleet of nine canoes, Baltazar enjoyed substantial revenue. However, drastic landscape changes and a decline in fish populations due to rising temperatures forced him to sell eight of his canoes, leaving his two sons and their families out of work. As a result, they both left El Horno, and Baltazar has since opened a small liquor shop called “El Olvido” (Oblivion).
Mamacita
Michelle is from a fishermen family. She by the Ciénaga Juan Criollo El Horno with her son, Thiago. Recently, tragedy struck when a landslide killed her mother while visiting relatives in the province of Cundinamarca. Thiago’s father, a 60-year-old man who owns a small cattle farm in Palomar, plays a sporadic role in their lives. As a single mother, Michelle is solely responsible for providing and caring for her family. She secured a position as a maid in a hotel, where she works three times a week. Michelle nurtures a dream of finding love with a stranger from a big city and ultimately leaving the swamps of El Horno for a fresh start.
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#ClimateResilience
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The communities are facing the increasing challenges caused by El Niño. Their traditional way of life is threatened by the fluctuation between floods and extreme heat.
Cockfighter
Victor lives in Puerto Jaime, a small settlement on the banks of the Magdalena River. During most days, he works on a ferry boat that connects the two shores of the river, but his real passion, and primary source of income, is cockfighting. Currently, Victor trains twelve roosters and has transformed a section of his home into a small arena for these contests. While cockfighting remains a controversial practice, deeply rooted in Colombian culture, it is legal. Victor is known to be among the best. He has an impressive track record, with his roosters triumphing in 8 out of every 10 fights. Every Saturday afternoon, a crowd gathers at his residence to partake in the betting that accompanies the clashes.
Caiman Hunt
Hernan and Pablo have been friends since their childhood and good neighbors. For years, they have worked together as fishermen, in the waters of the Ciénaga Juan Criollo, a large swamp by the Magdalena River, where fish were once abundant. However, through the past five years, fish population has drastically reduced, leaving their nets increasingly bereft of the once-plentiful catch. Adapting to the circumstances, they turned from fish to caiman, an endemic species that lives all across the riverbanks. Despite caiman hunting being illegal, Hernan and Pablo saw few other options. By selling the skin of a single animal in the black market, they now provide food for their families for an entire month.
Lush
Maria del Sol lives in Palomar, at her parents’ house, along with her one y.o. baby, and a sister. Following her sudden pregnancy, her father confined her and assigned her various responsibilities. Presently, she dedicates most of her time to selling gasoline bottles at the family’s doorstep and attending to her son. Maria’s mother, Myriam, says that she’s a child trapped in the body of a woman, and she’s now teaching her the first steps of parenting. She wants her daughter to become a skilled family keeper, so that she will eventually find a husband that will provide for her and her son. Maria, who will soon turn 18, thinks otherwise, and patiently waits for the day she will finally be able to leave home.
The once thriving fish population is shrinking under the unrelenting rise in temperatures. As a consequence, several fishermen are turning to wildlife trade
El Mono
Cristian lives by the Ciénagas Sincanacha, a remote swamp where he engages in fishing with his father. He frequently visits Mompox, on the opposite side of the river, where he has gained notoriety among young girls. His nickname, El Mono, means “the monkey” — a term that is used in Colombian slang to designate individuals deemed particularly attractive. For this very reason, his girlfriend Naty recently surprised him with a pet monkey for his birthday. Cristian dreams of leaving the swamp and carving a niche for himself in the regional music industry. For the time being, he is planning a move to Mompox to pursue a career as a tourist guide; getting to know people from other regions maybe the best gateway to his ultimate goal.
Don Rufino
As a child, Ruffino dreamt of building a farm filled with all species of animals. Fascinated by the story of Noah’s Ark, he somehow kept the dream alive, and eventually embarked on that journey. Today, his family house stands as a captivating attraction for the children of El Horno. He owns two blue-and-gold macaws, Anibal and Pacho, which he grew up with since they were chicks, and many other species — all coexisting harmoniously. Beyond his passion for animals, Don Ruffino is an accomplished fisherman. Partnering with his son Carlos, who concentrates on fishing in the Cienaga Juan Criollo, they oversee the village’s most thriving fishing enterprise.
The Hunter
Osvaldo used to be a fisherman, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Today, he owns a small chicken factory, and he has become known in his community for being a skilled hunter. Specializing in capturing small birds, Osvaldo ventures into the forest surrounding the swamps twice a week, where he has strategically placed permanent nets. On Sundays, he navigates the river to reach Mompox, where he sells his avian harvest. The tradition of adorning family homes with cages of singing birds at the entrance is widespread in the region, and Osvaldo saw an opportunity. Besides birds, he occasionally hunts caimans that he sells in the black market.
Every year, with the onset of the rainy season, the surging floods stemming from the overflowing river inflict severe losses upon hundreds of families
The Shepherd
Miguel, a Venezuelan refugee, hails from the village of El Silencio. Driven by the pursuit of a better life, he crossed the border and arrived in Puerto Arturo in 2018. Despite being unfamiliar with fishing practices, Miguel is a skilled vaquero. He secured a job overseeing a farm, and now aspires to establish one of his own. He takes pride in already possessing a herd of six cows, one bull, and two calves, with hopes of expanding it further through time. The escalating floods made Miguel’s expertise even more valuable. As the rainy season approaches, he plays a crucial role in relocating the cattle from the ciénega to safer grounds, being rewarded with a calf for each successful transhumance.
Slaughter Day
Jefferson and Jeronimo are brothers. They live in El Palomar with their family, and often help their uncle Osvaldo, who owns a small chicken farm that feeds his family and the entire community. Every Saturday morning, they gather by Osvaldo’s courtyard, and proceed in slaughtering several chickens that will be eventually sold through the week. Just like Osvaldo’s, many families that traditionally made their living as fishermen are now turning to new forms of revenues. The growing flow of tourism in Mompox, on the other side of the river, has opened new possibilities. In escalating his business, Osvaldo hopes to soon provide chicken meat to restaurants and hotels in Mompox.
Osladis' Miracle
Osladis lives in El Horno with her husband Jefferson, and their three children. The devastating impact of the last flood left her grappling with the loss of their family home, crops, and the unborn child she carried in her womb. As a mother of two, Osladis endured a profound sense of despair during that challenging period. However, a glimmer of hope emerged last year after she successfully rebuilt their house and discovered she was pregnant again. The birth of Kevin, was perceived by Osladis as nothing short of a miracle. Previously burdened by the belief that divine anger had led to the loss of her child and home, this event has illuminated her life with renewed hope.
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MACONDO • One Hundred Years of Resilience
MACONDO is an editorial campaign designed to explore the relation between Colombian magical realism and climate resilience along the Magdalena River.
The campaign draws inspiration from Gabriel García Márquez’s fictional town of Macondo, capturing the everyday enchantment and the unique relationship between the local fishing communities and their environment in the swampy regions of Magdalena and Bolivar, one of Latin America’s largest aquatic ecosystems.
In this region, communities are grappling with the escalating impacts of climate change. As El Niño intensifies, extreme heat becomes a significant threat to their traditional lifestyles. The once-plentiful fish stocks, crucial for their survival, are diminishing due to rising temperatures. Consequently, fishermen are seeking alternative sources of food and income, such as caiman hunting and occasionally participating in illegal wildlife trade.
The arrival of the rainy season, which temporarily alleviates the extreme heat, brings its own challenges. Floods caused by the overflowing river result in substantial losses for hundreds of families, forcing them to rebuild their lives repeatedly. This relentless cycle of extreme heat and flooding makes it increasingly difficult to maintain their way of life. However, the inherent resilience of the Caribbean communities provides the necessary spark to react and adapt to climate change.
Editorial Campaign
MACONDO · Editorial Campaign · Concept Design & Development · Distribution
Topics
Climate Resilience, Climate Change, Magical Realism, Natural Resources, Rural Depopulation
Media
GEO France, ZeroNine Mag, La Nacion, El Progreso, The Eye of Photography.
Partners
Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism • Municipality of Mompox • Nikon