Alejandrina Hernández was born in Durania, a rural area of Colombia, just outside Cúcuta. She migrated to Venezuela at the age of 12. From the series, Vejez Abandonada ©Yadira Pérez

February’s featured photographer is Yadira Pérez
I am a documentary photographer born in Caracas, Venezuela, currently based in USA. My work focuses on the coverage of social issues in vulnerable contexts, human rights and with a focus on gender, I seek to generate images framed in a sensitive, rigorous, respectful, and integrated vision.

I studied photography at the Roberto Mata School in Venezuela. My work has been published by Prodavinci, Open Democracy, The New Humanitarian, AFP and BBC. My work has been awarded at the Tokyo International Foto Award (2023); Women Street Photographers (2020); International Center of Photography ICP Concerned Global Images for Global Crisis (2020), amongst others. I am currently working on migrants in the United States focusing on health issues.

Abandoned Old Age (Vejez Abandonada)

[…] The vast majority of men welcome old age with sadness or rebellion. It inspires more repugnance than death itself. Simone de Beauvoir, Old Age.

Alejandrina Hernández (89 years old) and Monico Rincones (1935-2019) got married in Caracas – Venezuela on December 26, 1970, it was the New Year’s Eve party at the shirt factory where she had worked. He went to accompany his girlfriend at that time, it was love at first sight; they built the warmth of a home in a housing development in the East of Caracas and two children were part of their lives, Arelys and Leonardo.

I still remember the smell of family that emerged from their door at noon, that warm smell that invited to delve into the childhood where mom prepared the best dishes for lunch all together around the table, that smell, with the passage of time became pestilence.

Today a wall separates her reality from mine, a floor and ceiling from the reality of other neighbors and a vertical construction from the rest of the world, I am sure it is the reality of many others in Venezuela. That smell that was no longer pleasant at first pushed me away; however, each time it became more and more acute, so I knocked on her door. Being her neighbor for more than a decade, I entered her intimacy in June 2019 for the first time and I found an almost lifeless body on a bed. Alejandrina suffered a stroke in 2013 and in March 2015 another one, since then, she does not leave the house. Her memories were saved and with them the hopes of a dignified old age; Monico retained liquids as a result of an uncontrolled heart condition; he took his last breath in his bed, and with it, the farewell to the one who today has a vague look in his eyes.

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

The livelihood of the family is gone, Leonardo takes care of his mother and sometimes alternates with Arelys, none of them has a source of income as they are unemployed, Alejandrina collects a pension for Bs. 150,000.00 equivalent to USD$ 2.45 according to the official rate of the Central Bank of Venezuela, Alejandrina lacks capacities to meet her basic needs.

Alejandrina died of a respiratory arrest on June 19th of 2021. Leonardo is still at home in Caracas. He is supported by his sister Arelys, and receives government food aid, also known as CLAP boxes. Arelys works as an administrator at a pet store.

Alejandrina Hernández felt down and injured her hip, which left her without physical mobility. From the series, Vejez Abandonada ©Yadira Pérez

The Rincones Hernández family belonged to the middle class that was the most prosperous in Latin America. From the series, Vejez Abandonada ©Yadira Pérez

At the age of 83, Alejandrina suffered a stroke. This meant physical and mental deterioration. From the series, Vejez Abandonada ©Yadira Pérez

Alejandrina Hernández lives with Monico, her 84-year-old husband, and Leonardo, her 47-year-old son, who take care of her, more Monico than Leonardo. They have a daughter who visits them on Sundays. “The situation of the country has led us to this, every day it is more difficult to live in Venezuela” comments Leonardo, saddened by the conditions in which they live. From the series, Vejez Abandonada ©Yadira Pérez

Monico was an active man until mid-2019. He could not breathe well. He didn’t want to eat or get out of bed. From the series, Vejez Abandonada ©Yadira Pérez

Alejandrina and Monico depend on the care of their children. From the series, Vejez Abandonada ©Yadira Pérez

Alejandrina Hernández spends most of the day sitting in a chair in her living room, the rest of the day lying in bed. From the series, Vejez Abandonada ©Yadira Pérez

Photographer Yadira Pérez had the full permission from the subject(s) Alejandrina Hernández & Monico Rincones, and their children; Leonardo and Arelys Rincones, to document them and have the images published.

To see more of Yadira’s work follow her on Instagram, here.

La fotógrafa del mes de febrero es Yadira Pérez
Soy fotógrafa documental nacida en Caracas, Venezuela, actualmente radicada Estados Unidos. Mi trabajo se centra en la cobertura de temas sociales en contextos vulnerables, derechos humanos y con enfoque de género, busco generar imágenes enmarcadas en una visión sensible, rigurosa, respetuosa e integra.

Estudié fotografía en la escuela Roberto Mata en Venezuela. Mi trabajo ha sido publicado por Prodavinci, Open Democracy, The New Humanitarian, AFP y BBC. Mi trabajo ha sido reconocido por Tokyo International Foto Award (2023); Women Street Photographers; International Center of Photography ICP Concerned Global Images for Global Crisis (2020), entre otros. Actualmente desarrollo trabajos sobre migrantes en Estados Unidos enfocados en temas de salud.

Vejez Abandonada

[…] La inmensa mayoría de hombres acoge la vejez con tristeza o con rebeldía. Inspira más repugnancia que la misma muerte. Simone de Beauvoir, La vejez.

Alejandrina Hernández (89 años) y Monico Rincones (1935-2019) contrajeron matrimonio en Caracas – Venezuela el 26 de diciembre de 1970, era la fiesta de fin de año en la fábrica de camisas donde ella trabajaba, él fue a acompañar a quien era su novia en ese momento, fue amor a primera vista; construyeron la calidez de un hogar en una urbanización al Este de Caracas y dos hijos formaron parte de sus vidas, Arelys y Leonardo.

Aún recuerdo el olor a familia que emergía de su puerta al medio día, ese olor cálido que invitaba a hurgar en la infancia donde mamá preparaba los mejores platos para almorzar todos juntos alrededor de la mesa, ese olor, con el pasar del tiempo se convirtió en pestilencia.

Hoy una pared separa su realidad de la mía, un piso y un techo de la realidad de otros vecinos y una construcción vertical del resto del mundo, estoy segura que es la realidad de muchos otros en Venezuela. Ese olor que ya no era agradable al principio me alejaba; sin embargo, cada vez se agudizaba por lo toqué a su puerta y luego de ser su vecina durante más de una década, entré en su intimidad en junio del 2019 por primera vez; y encontré un cuerpo casi sin vida en una cama; Alejandrina sufrió un accidente cerebrovascular en el año 2013 y en marzo de 2015 otro, desde entonces no sale de casa, sus memorias quedaron guardadas y con ellas las esperanzas de una vejez dignificada; Monico retenía líquidos producto de una afección en el corazón no controlada; un último respiro lo dio en su cama, y con él el adiós a quien hoy tiene la mirada vaga.

El Artículo 25 de la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos establece:

“Toda persona tiene derecho a un nivel de vida adecuado que le asegure, así como a su familia, la salud y el bienestar, y en especial la alimentación, el vestido, la vivienda, la asistencia médica y los servicios sociales necesarios; tiene asimismo derecho a los seguros en caso de desempleo, enfermedad, invalidez, viudez, vejez u otros casos de pérdida de sus medios de subsistencia por circunstancias independientes de su voluntad.”

El sustento de la familia se ha ido, Leonardo cuida a su madre y en ocasiones se alterna con Arelys, ninguno tiene una fuente de ingresos, ya que están desempleados, Alejandrina cobra una pensión por Bs. 150.000,00 equivalente a USD$ 2,45 según la tasa oficial del Banco Central de Venezuela, Alejandrina carece de capacidades para satisfacer sus necesidades básicas.

Alejandrina falleció el 19 de junio del 2021 de un paro respiratorio. Leonardo sigue en casa, vive de la ayuda que le brinda su hermana, Arelys, y de las cajas CLAP que recibe del gobierno. Arelys trabaja de administradora en una tienda de mascotas.

Para ver mas de los trabajos de Yadira siguela en su cuenta de Instagram, aquí.