Is there an escape? I’ve pondered this question countless times.
Cocaine base paste is cheap and addictive. Very addictive. It is produced from the refinement of cocaine or from the leftovers of the process.
Paco generates an immediate dependency and consumes you quickly. Withdrawal generates a lot of anxiety. The dose drops and asks you for more, while it tears you to pieces: weight loss, intestinal and lung problems (tuberculosis), hemorrhages. All this due to the toxicity of the chemical elements used in the process.
Like any addiction, paco brings serious health and legal problems, it affects family ties and there are mothers who make a great effort to mend ties and have justice restore possession of their children.
But can you get out? Public opinion says no. A notable no. Deep down I believed so.
During the year 2019 I found answers in painful stories that resonate to this day. I found resilient people, effort and improvement. I also found friendly hugs and support when my dad died. Yes, one of those boys and girls to whom society often turns its back.
These photographs were possible thanks to the help and collaboration of: Sergio “Yeyo” Serrese, friend and colleague on the road; “El Hospitalito” and “El Chino”; Father Tano Angelotti of Puerta de Hierro; to the girls from “Casa Animi”, to all the boys from “Casa Libertad” who hugged me when I needed it most; to the kids who were in Devoto Jail, to “The Mother Teresa Farm,” the strong girls and Rina; to Benito and the “3Ts”, Land, Roof and Work (in Spanish: Tierra, Techo y Trabajo).
To each and every one, and to those who persist in their daily struggle, I offer heartfelt gratitude.
Oh, and one more thing—I almost forgot. After the darkness, there is a way out.
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
© Nicolás Preci
