Meet the photographer Miquel Dewever-Plana "The Other War"

PALAIS DES CONGRES, MONDAY 31 AUGUST 2009

The "mareros" are members of the "maras". They join these gangs at the age of 8 or 9.

"To join a gang, you have to kill."

"It was extremely upsetting and disturbing for me to be face to face with these young men who had committed very cruel acts and to feel empathy and friendship for them. I hope it made me less judgmental."
"They're used to seeing a lot of journalists."

"These are young men who like to play act. I definitely didn't want any photos like that."

"I was part of their day-to-day lives."

"They have the same needs we do: feeling respect, friendship, empathy for others... They're looking for a family, power, the respect they never had."

"By putting myself in their shoes, I realized that I wasn't any better than they were; but I was lucky enough to have been born in a different environment."