Photographers James Rodríguez, Rodrigo Abd, and William B. Plowman have an intimate working knowledge of the landscapes, stories, and human suffering illustrated here. Reflect upon these rich visual accounts, the complexity of life in Guatemala, and consider the stereotyping of migrants that floods the media today. “They’re coming…” to commit crimes, steal jobs, or commit acts of terrorism. The reality, that the media spends almost no time on, are the Push Factors that drive someone to leave their home.

These images from Guatemala reveal a microcosm of unparalleled beauty, human potential, sorrow, and profound tragedy. Resource exploitation, genocide, poverty, drought, femicide, gangs, corruption, and racism have coalesced into an architecture of institutional violence in Guatemala, the framework of a failed state, and the push factors for migration.

Curated by Heidi McKinnon, organized by Curators without Borders