VIDA, RASPA Y COCA, translated in English as “Life, picking, and coca”,  is a visual testimony of coca cultivation through the immersion into the daily life of two Coca farmers’ families in the south of Colombia. The series  aims to provide an insight into rural life and to deconstruct the stigmas around coca cultivation and the  narrative of drug trafficking.

Although I grew up in a conflict zone in Colombia, I feel that living in an urban bubble, disconnected me from the realities of the  Colombian countryside.

In my mind, I followed a narrative with heroes and enemies, fueled by the country' conservative media which praised Colombia's repression against drug trafficking and villainized “narco farmers”. The influence of television series such as Narcos, which creates global reference points that oversimplify a complex geopolitical topic. 

This project aims to challenge the notion embedded in the public discourse stipulating that coca farmers  equates with narcotraffickers, or that labels all coca farmers as guerrilla members  On the contrary, VIDA, RASPA Y COCA seeks to  portray the realities of these individuals for whom coca cultivation is  a mean of survival. 

The series depicts the steps of harvesting and processing the leaves. It highlights resilient people striving to make a living under challenging conditions, with open doors and a willingness to share their lives. It also illustrates how coca cultivation is considered by locals as a legitimate means to survive.

 "Vida, Raspa, y Coca" is an intimate photography journey into the daily life of coca farmers. By humanizing their daily struggles, the series highlights what the current Colombian government has acknowledged: the failure of the war on drugs.