Toribio 

Colombia‘s security situation has improved immensely over the past 15 years, international tourism is on the rise and free trade agreements have been signed with various nations. Nevertheless, the country is facing a very delicate moment between war and post conflict. Even with a possible peace between the oldest guerrilla organization FARC and the government, neo-paramilitary groups are growing rapidly and there is a high chance that they will fill the power vacuum after the demobilization of the FARC.

The municipality of Toribio, one of Colombia's most conflict-ridden towns, has always been a test case for the resolution of conflict in Colombia. Over the past 500 years the indigenous “Nasa” tribe developed a strong self-defense mechanism that led to the official foundation of the Indigenous Guard in 2001. The unarmed group of over 700 people, among them many children, have found their own way to withstand the constantly changing threats and to adjust to political changes.

The members of the Indigenous Guard are volunteers and their only reward is the pride of defending their own people. In more peaceful times, they work in small farms where they plant coffee and fruit in order to support their families. 

Jonas Wresch. Ever since he was at school, long periods abroad have been part of life for Jonas Wresch. In 2005 he spent three months on a language course in Moulins, France. After graduating from high school, he performed his civilian service in Seattle, USA. In 2008, he travelled to Bogotá, Colombia, for the first time in order to take photographs. Many ensuing trips to the South American continent led to several photo series. He studied photography at the Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts and completed a six month internship with the newspaper „Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung“. Wresch has worked as a freelancer for Stern, Die Zeit, GEO, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, the HelpAge International and others. He is represented by the German photoagency “Focus” since 2012 and co-founded the Cartel Collective. His work has been exhibited in international festivals such as the Lumix Festival Hannover, the International Press Photo Festival in Vilnius and the Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival in Georgia and recognized with awards such as the CHIPP, POY Latin America, Andrei Stenin Award and the Mark Grosset Prize. He participated in the Eddie Adams Workshop 2014 and the World Press Photo Master class Latin America in 2015.