It seems like there is acid in the air. Breathing is hard and the reflex to vomit while looking at the skins of dead cows lying on the floor is commonplace. The blood is squeezed out of the remains of the animals. This is the heart of the leather factories of Colombia, high in the Andes; it lies to the south of the Colombian Capital Bogotá. Located in small factories in the San Benito neighborhood, the workers normally live only a few quarters away. Day and night, they suffer from the penetrating odor.
Leather workers started arriving at the rural periphery of Bogotá around 60 years ago. Adequate water supply and proximity to butcher shops were the main reasons behind the emergence of the leather industry. Presently, the factories are surrounded by residential houses and are located in the urban area. The Tunjuelo River receives all the waste from the small factories and disembogues in the Rio Bogotá, one of the most polluted in South America. The Government of Bogotá is talking about an action plan to improve the water quality. Therefore, the workers are afraid of the future as their days of employment might be counted.
Reportage : The Smell of San Benito Bogotá, Colombia - 2014
This is the end, my friend ...
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