Presentation
At the end of 2018, a caravan of several thousand persons was organised from Honduras, one of the poorest and most violent countries in the world, to emigrate to the United States. Most were seeking asylum due to the inhumane living conditions in their places of origin.
Along the way, over the long stretches that they walked, as they crossed over countries and borders, they were joined by many other thousands from various other countries who found protection in their midst from the dangers of a potentially deadly route controlled by mafias. The border wall between Mexico and the United States stands as the last obstacle before reaching the land they yearn for. This is one of the most heavily surveilled boarders in the world and where US President Donald Trump has focused much of his politics and budget. Preventing the entry of persons at any price has become a matter of State.
Discouraged by the long wait to apply for asylum through official ports of entry, many migrants are choosing to jump or cross the wall at Tijuana (Mexico). On the other side, in San Diego (California), the U.S. Border Patrol awaits them.
Biography
Daniel Ochoa de Olza is an award-winning independent photographer based in Mexico. With roots in the Basque Country, he has been assigned to cover history-shaping events and document diverse people and cultures. His work has received numerous awards, including the 2019 Luis Valtueña Award, when he was a finalist for his project “Cruzando la última frontera, in Tijuana”.
He has also won World Press Photo Awards for portrait series: in 2013 for “La vuelta de un torero” (The return of a bullfighter) and in 2016 for “La tradición maya” (The Mayan tradition). In total, he has won 11 Pictures of the Year International awards, various National Headliner Awards, NPPA, CHIPP, among others. His images are part of private collections and museums, have been exhibited worldwide, and he has participated in major international photography festivals.
Born in Pamplona on October 22, 1978, to a writer and an art history teacher, Daniel shifted his focus from painting to photography in 2001 when he began studying Artistic Photography at the Pamplona Art School and later at the University of Barcelona.
From 2004, Daniel was based in Madrid as a staff news photographer with The Associated Press. In July 2017, he transitioned to a freelance career to concentrate on a blend of long-term personal projects, breaking news, and client assignments.
Daniel has conducted master classes, workshops, and conferences at several universities and educational centers in Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, and Chile.
