Brazil is a place full of imported traditions. Europeans, Africans and Asians reached the Brazilian coast by waves from the sixteenth century. Some came as slaves and others seeking new opportunities, but all of them came with a cultural baggage that transformed and adapted, created the huge richness of Brazilian culture.

A member of Sao Paulo's team rides a small bull. The bulls used for the rodeo weigh from 600 to more than 1000 kilograms. The most important characteristics of the bull are agility, jumping power and speed of movements.

Part of this Brazilian unknown richness is the Festas do Peão, rodeos in true Brazilian style. In the early twentieth century, American culture of rodeos arrives to Brazil and merges with caipira or sertaneja culture from the interior of São Paulo’s state, giving rise to a strong cultural movement that now spans almost all rural areas of Brazil.

An example of this Brazilian style merger is the Peão, Peão is the Brazilian word for cowboy, but Peão does not have the romantic allure of the American cowboy as well is the term used for rural workers, peon, worker of a cattle ranch … Usually with humble origin, Peões travel much of Brazil to participate in the Brazilian Rodeo Season that extends from Pará to Rio Grande Do Sul.

Among these rodeos, Barretos has something special. Barretos was the first rodeo competition held in Brazil in 1956 and currently the most prestigious of the Brazilian rodeos.

Since the first edition made under the big top of a circus until nowdays the event has grown to become one of the biggest music and rodeo festivals in the world. Besides being the global benchmark of sertanejo culture.

With 200 hectares, Parque do Peão, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, hosts every August for 11 days a party that generates an economic movement in the region of about 120 million dollars and with a number of visitors close to a million people.

Despite these numbers the essence of rodeo is the same in Barretos than any other rodeo. The struggle between man and beast for 8 seconds, where the Peão can emerge victorious or beaten by an animal that can weigh 1100 kilograms.

The full set of 76 images: Red Arena – Festa do Peão.

Available in: 4see Photographers

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Julio Cesar, one of the cowboys, observes the rodeo from the locker room. During the "Festa do Peão" are held three rodeos: national, interstate and international. In total around 85 cowboys take part in the bulls rides in all competitions.

A cowboy lasts on the bull during the international competition. The bulls used for the rodeo weigh from 600 to more than 1000 kilograms. The most important characteristics of the bull are agility, jumping power and speed of movements. (Julio Aracil)

A cowboy prays prior to their participation on the final of the national competition. Religion is an important part of the world of Brazilian cowboys, mostly Catholics, although as in the rest of the country the number of evangelicals is increased.

The locker room is shared by the participants in the different competitions. A participant in saddle bronc riding is prepared for ride. During the 11-days of rodeo there are 8 competitions: cutiano, saddle bronc, bareback, barrel racing, steer werstling, peanning team, working penning, and the most popular bull riding.

The Foundry Photojournalism Workshop brings together photographers from around the world, from the great masters who are the instructors (Ron Haviv, Walter Astrada, Mauricio Lima, Maggie Steber …) to the great photographers that are among the students.

A wonderful experience that helps you leave your place of comfort and face the opinions of strangers, whose single goal are to help you grow in this profession.
I have been a few workshops, around seven, but certainly Foundry Photojournalism Workshop and Eddie Adams Workshop are where I learned more and where I enjoyed it more with other photographers.

I can only thank my instructor, Ron Haviv , the other instructors and all members of the family of Foundry Photojournalism Workshop.

Thanks for a great week!!

But during this week I was also taking photos. I made a small multimedia about the families and victims of the terrorism attack against AMIA in 1994.

On July 17, 1994 a bomb destroyed the AMIA building and blocks around on Pasteur Street in Buenos Aires. The attack against the Jewish community in Argentina became an attack against Argentina killing 86 people and leaving 300 causalities.

17 year later the perpetrators of the attack have not been tried.

This is my small tribute.

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The elements are preparing for the training in the pool. They must learn survival in the river because their main area of action is the jungle. Despite being police the training and discipline are military.

Known as Leopards, its graduates have defended the jungles and valleys of Bolivia in some cases even with their lives. Thanks to their training based on the American Rangers have won international recognition, becoming a landmark in South America. For this reason it is common for countries across the continent send their agents to the school. The most common countries are Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, Argentina, Colombia and Panama.

The training has a duration of 97 days in which “elements” are isolated from the rest of the world and the training is focused on water survival, jungle survival, advanced shooting and melee. The training faces the elements to stress not only physical but psychological. For this reason less than 50% of students complete the training.

Training and military regime prepare “elements” for future work against drug trafficking. In the next years as part of the contract that they had signed before the training, they will be relocated in all kind of weathers and locations, from “altiplano” to jungles, from cities to small checkpoints.

The war cry for this promotion is “In the mind the victory, in the body the power, with the Claws of the Courage we all can win. “

The full set of 58 images: Claws of Courage School – Men.

Related set of 51 images: Claws of Courage School – Women.

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The elements are preparing for the training in the pool. They must learn survival in the river because their main area of action is the jungle. From the 100 students who began the course still resist 66, the dropout rate is very high, between 50 and 65% drop.

A group of elements takes a rest upon completion of survival. Every year foreign students, mainly from neighboring countries, attend the course, because of its prestige. In this course there are students from Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Bolivia.

From the archive: Claws of Courage School – Women

For 97 days the elements train in water, jungle, shooting and melee combat. Senda 3, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Tuesday, November. 24, 2009.

Available in: 4see Photographers

The training is conducted in the field and by trainers specializing in this field. Puerto Villarroel, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Wednesday, November. 25, 2009.

Available in: 4see Photographers

A policewoman records the clothing of a passenger of a bus. The traffickers use women to transport cocaine. Using the bulky traditional dress, the traffickers adiere packages of cocaine into the belly and legs. For this reason there is often a woman between the agents.

Located at 2695 meters above sea level is one of the entrances to the coca-growing region if Chapare where the most part of coca leaf destined for drug trafficking in the country is grown and home to the ruling party, Movement to Socialism.

It is also in the road between Peru and Brazil and extends from Titicaca Lake to San Matias in the Amazon frontier. In the future it will also be part of the great highway connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific and has been called the narco-road.

For this reason is one of the main ways for the drug trafficking and precursor substances used in cocaine processing. The police suffer from a lack of resources to the increasingly innovative methods of drug traffickers.

The full set of 15 images: Checkpoint Locotal.

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An officer checks the luggage of the passengers on a bus. Drug traffickers use small post to cross the country with cocaine. Later these small consignments are collected at the border with Brazil.

In rural areas of Bolivia is common carry passengers at the top of a truck along with the load. Overloaded trucks and passengers in the box hampering the work of the police.

From the archive: Other checkpoints

La Rinconada

Three police controls governing the entry and exit of vehicles and people in the three major path of the Yungas. La Rinconada, La Paz, Bolivia. Sunday, November. 14, 2009.

The drug is burned case by case in a stack. To make cocaine burn is added an accelerator, usually gasoline. La Rinconada, La Paz, Bolivia. Saturday, December. 05, 2009.

Km 21

This checkpoint is located in a subtropical area and marks the limit where coca can be growed. Coca need a height between 500 and 2000 meters. In this position the cops spend 3 months in isolation at 20 km from the nearest town and 8 hours from La Paz. Km 52, La Paz, Bolivia. Monday, November. 15, 2009.

A group of cadets rests with their dogs before the last practice. At this point of the course, cadets have already passed one month of practical training and practices in real environment in the Viru Viru International Airport.

Although the current facility was opened in 2001 the center’s history dates back to 1978 when the Bolivian police inaugurated the first dog-training center in La Paz. From that time the canine unit has worked with the FELCN, Special Force against Drug Trafficking, in the reduction and elimination of illicit drug trafficking in all of Bolivia.

Currently 15 instructors, trained in Germany, Spain, England, USA or Guatemala, teach two courses on international guide dogs a year. With an average pass rate of 50%, graduate students nourish the different operation points of the unit, mainly airports and land checkpoints.

The course can be women or men with about 10% of international students, along with their Bolivians fellow spend 90 days of training which includes classroom instruction, controlled practice and practice in real environments.

The full set of 58 images: International Training of the Narcotics Detection Dogs.

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A Labrador Retriever lies in its kennel. Each dog has a kennel of 8 m² wich is cleaned as often as necessary to the health of the animal.

A cadet plays with his dog after clean his kennel. The dog's health is monitored by the cadets, instructors and a veterinarian who works full time at the center.

A cadet takes the final test. The final test takes more than 12 hours and spreads the students in all facilities to prevent fraud. This test determines the theoretical training of students. The manual should be completely memorized to pass the course.

Cadets take a rest after cleaning the kennels. Work is distributed to all dogs receive attention, at this time of year there are only 22 students. The course begins with 40 students of which about 10% are from countries around. During the course around 50% leave the course for personal, physical, educational or training reasons.

A dog tracks the school bus where has been hidden a lure. To recover this training there are annually courses of re-training and dogs receive ongoing visits from instructors and veterinarians from the center.

Relationship between the guide and the dog is essential for the efficiency of the team. Other important factors for efficiency are breed, climatology and physical condition of the dog.

This day isn’t celebrated or remembered by the media as others. But today it is important to remember that racism has now become a gigantic beast rather than disappearing.

Today is not only a representation of hatred between races, racism has spread hatred among religions, ethnicities, social classes, ideologies, nationalities …

It is sad to think that the speech of Charles Chaplin in The Great Dictator, 71 years ago, remains as relevant as when it was recorded.

I hope this is the last International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. That means we no need to keep fighting against this scourge.

More info in: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

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But for millions of women is just another day. In places like Europe we honours the work of women who will never know about this celebration.

Could be in the future this day will have a meaning for all the women in the world.

Until that day, Happy International Women’s Day for all of the forgotten women!!.

Some of farm hands coming from the altiplano eventually settled in Los Yungas and planting their own coca. This woman has bought a piece of virgin land with her husband, also from altiplano, and they will have his own plantation after eight years in Los Yungas. Charia, La Paz, Bolivia. Thursday, November. 19, 2009.

More info in: International women’s day 2011.

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A few months later I decided to try to change something. I left Bolivia, a country that is on the world map, but not in the world’s minds. I’m thinking about moving to Brazil, at least everybody can see it on the world map.

I’m thinking about moving to Brazil. And this is São Paulo, next stop.

I also try to listen to the people who really have an idea about what photography is today because I must say that I’m lost the most of the time. I worked with a picture editor, photography consultant, mentor. Actually I have no any idea how to call him; he has many skills to introduce him in a category. But he is a really good person who loves share 20 years of experience, I invite you to contact him and read his blog, Mr. Mike Davis.

I tried to attend seminars, webinars about anything (visit Photoshelter blog, that’s about photography but I promise I’m reading on other subjects) and think about what I was doing and what was going on around me.

Today I still pretend be photographer. I say pretend because these days there are more people trying to be something than getting it. And I can admit that until now I was thinking I was doing something but the reality was miles away from my thoughts.

Today I have a new website which is made for people, that’s an important difference with the previous. I have a redesigned photo archive, now it’s easy find everything. And I have a new blog with new name (almost unpronounceable), new spirit and new links, that’s the most important because you can see and listen more people than me.

So please write your opinion about this blog, about my website, share with me your website, your blog, your comments. I’m anxious to know what you are doing.