The soot on his face deeply highlighted the pores of his face. His skin was weathered from a lifetime in the smoke and heat of the dump under the Pacific coast sun. He used two sticks to remove the burned remains of objects that a short time ago were as useful as disposable, and anything that sounded or looked like metal was going to end up in a plastic sack, perhaps also found in the garbage. Although no one hired him for this job, Manuel could not stop collecting garbage and waste in the Juchitán, Oaxaca dump. His motivations were not at all ecological: like many, he simply saw the opportunity to claim in the garbage what no one else could take away and earn some money with it. Thus he reached 64 years of age.
This small series was selected to participate in the exhibition of the 28th photography contest "The works and the days", organized by the National Trade Union School of Colombia. The photos were taken in December 2017 in a huge irregular garbage dump between the municipalities of Unión Hidalgo and Juchitán.