A Lens on a Hidden Trade
Mads Nissen discovered his passion for photography while studying Spanish and volunteering in Venezuela, a period that sparked a lifelong fascination with the interplay between culture and conflict.
When the Colombian civil war intensified, he felt compelled to travel to a country where instability was reshaping everyday life. The assignment to document the Amazon rainforest became a gateway to explore the broader peace process and the millions of people displaced by violence.
Nissen decided to trace the entire cocaine supply chain, from the farmers who cultivate the coca leaf to the laborers, processors, and distributors who keep the trade moving. His lens soon turned to the neighborhoods that serve as corridors for the drug, with Potrero Grande in Cali emerging as a focal point.
The Boy in Potrero Grande
In Potrero Grande, a neighborhood marked by poverty and the absence of paternal figures, Nissen captured a moment that would become emblematic of his work: a young boy named Didiller Angulo playing basketball on a dusty court. The image encapsulated both innocence and the stark reality of a community where gang leaders often fill the void left by missing fathers.
Years later, a local informant told Nissen that Didiller had been killed, a rumor that underscored the perilous environment faced by youths in such areas. The photographer’s return highlighted the fragile hope that once flickered in the boy’s eyes, now eclipsed by violence.
Throughout his reporting, Nissen encountered farmers and former gang members willing to speak openly about their involvement in the cocaine trade. Their testimonies revealed a complex web of economic necessity, fear, and resilience that defies simplistic narratives.
Echoes in Europe
When the same story reached European audiences, Nissen noted a striking reticence: people were far less willing to discuss their personal connections to the drug trade, even when photographed. This reticulation contrasted sharply with the openness he found in Colombia, illustrating how geography shapes willingness to confront uncomfortable truths.
The resulting body of work not only documents a hidden economy but also serves as a reminder of the human stories that persist at its edges, from the basketball courts of Potrero Grande to the silent streets of European cities.