Monday December 13, 2004, Parque Libertad, San Salvador, El Salvador

Mara 18 Gang El Salvador

"La Blacky" 16 years old, has been a gang member since he was 12. He was in jail for a year accused of murder. Now he is free but lives in hiding in the poor neighborhoods of San Salvador from rival gangs and the police.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Monday December 13, 2004, Parque Libertad, San Salvador, El Salvador

Mara 18 Gang El Salvador

"La Blacky" 16 years old and "The Sadgirl" 26 years old, members of the Parque Libertad M18.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Tuesday February 15, 2005, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

Undocumented migrants face perils crossing through southern Mexico

Twenty-five-year-old undocumented migrant Wilbert Noel Gomez lost both his legs while attempting to hop onto a moving freight train. Mexico is considered one of the most popular spots for transmigration, owing to its strategic position between a prosperous nation (the United States) to the north and poorer countries to its south. According to Mexico's National Commission for Human Rights, some 1,500 migrants had suffered serious injuries as a result of travelling aboard freight trains clandestinely as of October 2005, an increasingly common practice among Central American immigrants hoping to travel through Mexico en-route to the U.S.

Wilbert Noel Gomez, an undocumented migrant, hugs his mother while resting at a refuge after losing his legs.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Friday December 17, 2004, La Dina, San Salvador, El Salvador

Mara 18 Gang El Salvador

Members of the M18 gang in La Dina neighborhood.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Wednesday December 8, 2004, Los Llanitos, San Salvador, El Salvador

Mara 18 Gang El Salvador

A unidentified member of M18 cries during the vigil of Wilfredo Alexander Flores, 24 years old, killed by members of the MS13.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Sunday December 1, 2002, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

Undocumented migrants. Mexican Southern border.

Omnel Joel, undocumented Salvadorian migrant, mutilated by the wheels of the train in Chiapas in his trial to cross Mexico without official documents.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Friday August 4, 2006, Mexico City, DF, Mexico

Obrador and supporters reject top court decision on recount

Supporters of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, presidential candidate for the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), in central Zocalo Square, after they took control of the principal stretch of one of the capital's main thouroughfares and its main square to protest against the result of the July 2 general election.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Monday January 23, 2006, Arriaga, Chiapas, Mexico

UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS MEXICO SOUTHERN BORDER

Migrants pray before continuing their journey north after their stay in the migrant shelter.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Saturday December 9, 2006, Mexico City, Mexico

Mexican pilgrims celebrate the Basilica of Guadalupe

Pilgrims during the annual celebrations at the Basilica of Guadalupe. For almost 475 years, the Virgen de Guadalupe has been a powerful figure in the lives of Mexicans who ask for her intercession in their prayers and petitions to God.

A Mexican pilgram on his knees praying during the annual celebrations at the Basilica of Guadalupe.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Saturday April 28, 2007, Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico City sponsors quinceanera celebration for disadvantaged teens

Over 180 disadvantaged teens from across Mexico's capital converged on the city's Zocalo Plaza during a mass quinceanera, or coming-of-age party. Organized by Mexico' City's local government, the event was aimed at drawing attention to problems faced by young people and was billed as a chance for victims of violence and abuse to indulge in a day of vanity and fun.

Teenage girls prepare their hair and makeup ahead of the mass quinceanera at the office of the Youth Institute of Mexico City.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Saturday May 13, 2006, Mexico City, Mexico

Mexican agents make headway in the fight against kidnappers

In Mexico, where kidnappings have become a lucrative source of income for criminal elements, a team of federal officers have helped reduce payoffs to only about five percent of the nearly $104 million demanded by kidnappers. Specially trained agents available via toll free numbers help mediate between victims' families and kidnappers who often display unrealistic expectations regarding how much the families are able to pay. According to Facundo Rosas, head of the intelligence division of Mexico's federal police force, agents have rescued 870 people and arrested 657 kidnappers since 2001.

A store owner sells groceries behind bars to protect himself from assaults in a dangerous district of Mexico City.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Saturday May 13, 2006, Mexico City, Mexico

Mexican agents make headway in the fight against kidnappers

In Mexico, where kidnappings have become a lucrative source of income for criminal elements, a team of federal officers have helped reduce payoffs to only about five percent of the nearly $104 million demanded by kidnappers. Specially trained agents available via toll free numbers help mediate between victims' families and kidnappers who often display unrealistic expectations regarding how much the families are able to pay. According to Facundo Rosas, head of the intelligence division of Mexico's federal police force, agents have rescued 870 people and arrested 657 kidnappers since 2001.

A memeber of the local police during a journy through a slum in the limits of Mexico City. Sometimes victim's bodies show up here from kidnappings.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Monday December 11, 2006, Mexico City, Mexico

Mexican pilgrims celebrate the Basilica of Guadalupe

Pilgrims during the annual celebrations at the Basilica of Guadalupe. For almost 475 years, the Virgen de Guadalupe has been a powerful figure in the lives of Mexicans who ask for her intercession in their prayers and petitions to God.

Mexican pilgrams rest after their annual procession to the Basilica of Guadalupe.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Saturday December 10, 2005, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Presidential candidate elections in Mexico

Supporters of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, during the swearing in ceremony as presidential candidate for the Democratic Revolutionary Party at the main square of Mexico City, where he announced the fundamental cause of his campaign as being "for the well being of all, but first and foremost the poor".

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Friday May 6, 2005, Las Cristinas, Bolivar, Venezuela

Gold miners in Venezuela.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Friday April 29, 2005, Las Cristinas, Bolivar, Venezuela

Gold miners in Venezuela.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Tuesday April 19, 2005, Cuatro Muertos, Bolivar, Venezuela

Gold miners in Venezuela.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Monday April 18, 2005, Las Cristinas, Bolivar, Venezuela

Gold miners in Venezuela.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Friday April 15, 2005, Las Cristinas, Bolivar, Venezuela

Gold miners in Venezuela.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Saturday January 22, 2005, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

Undocumented migrants face perils crossing through southern Mexico

Immediately after the departure of a freight train was announced, undocumented migrants scramble for positions aboard cars. Mexico is considered one of the most popular spots for transmigration, owing to its strategic position between a prosperous nation (the United States) to the north and poorer countries to its south. According to Mexico's National Commission for Human Rights, some 1,500 migrants had suffered serious injuries as a result of travelling aboard freight trains clandestinely as of October 2005, an increasingly common practice among Central American immigrants hoping to travel through Mexico en-route to the U.S.

Undocumented migrants scramble to board a freight train.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Saturday January 29, 2005, Tonala, Chiapas, Mexico

Undocumented migrants in the journey by freight train.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Saturday January 29, 2005, Tonala, Chiapas, Mexico

Undocumented migrants. Mexican southern border.

A fire on the rail.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Friday December 17, 2004, La Dina, San Salvador, El Salvador

Mara 18 Gang El Salvador

"El Black" a member of the M18 gang showing your tattos at the living room of La Dina's house.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Monday June 23, 2003, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

Undocumented migrants. Mexican Southern border.

Undocumented Central Americans are arrested by the border patrol on the Tapachula's train station.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Saturday January 18, 2003, "Los Toros" Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

Undocumented migrants. Mexican Southern border.

Undocumented migranst in the journey by freight train.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Saturday January 11, 2003, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

Undocumented migrants. Mexican southern border

Undocumented people on a freight train ready to depart jump from train to train looking for an empty wagon.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Wednesday April 26, 2006, Mexico, D.F, Mexico

KIDNAPPINGS MEXICO CITY

Daybreak in Mexico City.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Sunday May 14, 2006, Mexico City, Mexico

Mexican agents make headway in the fight against kidnappers

In Mexico, where kidnappings have become a lucrative source of income for criminal elements, a team of federal officers have helped reduce payoffs to only about five percent of the nearly $104 million demanded by kidnappers. Specially trained agents available via toll free numbers help mediate between victims' families and kidnappers who often display unrealistic expectations regarding how much the families are able to pay. According to Facundo Rosas, head of the intelligence division of Mexico's federal police force, agents have rescued 870 people and arrested 657 kidnappers since 2001.

Taxis in Mexico City where passengers are many times victims of "express kidnap" in which a victim is briefly abducted and forced to withdraw money from ATMs.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Friday April 28, 2006, Mexico, D.F, Mexico

KIDNAPPINGS MEXICO CITY

A general view outside of the subway station.

Credit: Claudia Guadarrama / Polaris

Claudia Guadarrama