Guided by the light: Photos from Latin America and the Caribbean, with love

Caracas, Venezuela´s capital city, which lies about 60 km away from the Caribbean Sea. The mountain is Cerro Ávila (alternatively, Waraira Repano), a national park. Photo by César Cárdenas, used with permission.

One week into January 2025, Global Voices contributor Estefanía Salazar posted a photo in one of our group chats. Her friend César Cárdenas, a mountaineer and amateur photographer, had taken it: the craggy mountains of Cerro Ávila standing tall between the city of Caracas and the Caribbean Sea to its north. A blazing blue sky dominated the shot, broken up only by puffs of white clouds that looked as if they were in limbo, unsure of whether to stay or go.

Three days later, on January 10, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro – whom the New York Times has called an “autocrat” – was sworn into office for a third consecutive term following last July's fraught presidential election that resulted in widespread protests and thousands being detained. All this is happening against the backdrop of the country's growing socioeconomic troubles that have spurred mass migration, and dwindling international support for Maduro thanks to sanctions from the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

At the moment Salazar shared the photo, though, the issue of election fraud was not foremost in her mind. Instead, she was struck by the beauty of her homeland, which she wanted to share – maybe in some small part to change the narrative and give people a different view of the Venezuela she loves. “January days in Caracas,” she wrote – and after a Caribbean contributor shared her own photo of a shrub with regal purple flowers, added, “January days are just special around the Caribbean (their light).”

For the Caribbean and Latin America, it's not just the quality of light – it's what the light represents, especially at the start of a new year: A clean slate. Clarity of vision. Renewal. Positivity and unity. Hope, really, in the face of many issues that threaten the region, from the climate crisis to crime.

From Venezuela to the ends of the Caribbean archipelago, photographers and contributors sent in their photographs, capturing slivers of that captivating January light in our region. Perhaps they will contain enough hope and joy to not only sustain us in whatever challenges we face this year but reach some of those in the wider world — Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan — who continue to dig and find that light deep within themselves.

Venezuela

Photo of Parque José María Cartaya by Carlos Novo, used with permission.

This stunning capture of a flock of birds flying freely in the Parque José María Cartaya in eastern Caracas was taken by photographer and environmental activist Carlos Novo, who says that January light is the best for photos. No matter what darkness we face, we know deep down that there will always be a January light to look forward to.

Trinidad and Tobago

Photoset ‘January Light: A Reflection of Hope’ by Akleema Ali, used with permission.

As the year began, it got photographer Akleema Ali thinking about January light shining as a beacon of resilience and renewal, especially in the context of the country's recently imposed state of emergency: “Clouds seen from above remind us of boundless possibilities and the vastness of the world, offering a perspective of hope that rises above the everyday. Ducks by a pond bring a simple joy and the quiet rhythms of life, grounding us in the present.

“A still lake, with its flawless reflection, symbolises clarity and serenity, inviting us to pause and embrace the beauty of stillness. The warm hues of a sunset remind us of endings that give way to new beginnings, casting a glow of hope over the horizon. Through these images, may we find solace and inspiration in nature’s embrace, carrying the promise of light into the days ahead.”

Barbados

Photos of Worthing Beach, Barbados, by Margaret McEvoy, used with permission.

Photographer Margaret McEvoy sent a few gorgeous photos of the Barbadian landscape, all taken from Worthing Beach on the island's south coast. The beach borders the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, Barbados's largest remaining mangrove forest, which is set to reopen this March under new ownership that aims to prioritise ecotourism and conservation.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has been one of the Caribbean's most outspoken voices when it comes to global environmental challenges, advocating for mechanisms through which small island developing states (SIDS) can make themselves more resilient against the stark realities of the climate crisis.

Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic

A variety of birds from Spanish-speaking Caribbean territories by photographer Alexia Morales, used with permission.

Clockwise from top left, photographer Alexia Morales captured various bird species in their natural habitats (and in some wonderful light): the Hispaniolan Trogon, Dominican Republic; Stilt Sandpiper, Guayama, Puerto Rico; and Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo, Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.

Each Atlantic hurricane season, Caribbean bird populations are at risk of storm threat. Additionally, shorebird populations have been declining in some regional territories because of huntingThe Caribbean is anything but a monolith, so Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic have very specific challenges, including deforestation, urban sprawl, and mass market tourism.

Adrianne Tossas, president of Birds Caribbean, noted changes in the Puerto Rican government's posture regarding the protection of mangroves, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) recently led a mission to the Dominican Republic to follow up on serious cases of “pollution and corruption that have been plaguing the country.”

Jamaica

Photos of Whitehouse, Westmoreland, Jamaica, by Heidi Savery, used with permission.

White House, a small settlement in Westmoreland Parish, situated along Jamaica's southwestern coast, is known for its fishing industry, which provides fresh seafood to people across the island.

Jamaica's capital of Kingston is the headquarters for the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which – under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea – has been given a mandate “to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed related activities.”

As the threat of deep sea mining hangs over the world's oceans, Jamaican environmental defenders have continued campaigning against it, even as the Caribbean Sea wrestles with the dual threat of climate change and overfishing.

With every challenge, however, comes promise and possibility …

Of this shot, captured in the Green Hills area of Jamaica's stunning Blue Mountains, Savary said, “I’ve been stopped in my tracks by the beautiful winter skies. A most magical time in the tropics.”

Editor's Note: Special thanks to all the regional photographers and Global Voices contributors who took the time to offer their photos and perspectives for inclusion in this post. We could not include all of them, but we can assure you they were both beautiful and inspirational.

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