September 13, 2019

Venezuelas Guaidó pictured with members of Colombian gang
Opposition leader plays down images but analysts say they could prove highly damagingJuan Guaidó takes a selfie at the concert in Cúcuta, Colombia, in February. Photograph: Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty ImagesJuan Guaidó, the Venezuelan politician fighting to topple Nicolás Maduro, is facing awkward questions about his relationship with organised crime after the publication of compromising photographs showing him with two Colombian paramilitaries.In an interview on Friday, Guaidó played down the significance of the pictures, in which he posed alongside two members of the Colombian criminal gang the Rastrojos identified as El Brother and El Menor.The photos appear to have been taken on 22 February as Guaidó used an illegal border crossing to sneak across Venezuela’s western border into Colombia to attend a Live Aid-style concert in the town of Cúcuta.“I took hundreds of photos that day,” Guaidó told the Colombian broadcaster Blu Radio. “It was hard to know who was asking for a photo. Misconstruing these photos means playing the Maduro regime’s game.”> Lo dijimos desde el primer día: la entrada a Colombia el 23 de febrero del sr @jguaido fue coordinada con los Rastrojos. Aquí están alias el brother armado, y el segundo al mando de este grupo paramilitar, alias el menor. pic.twitter.com/qflAYBgWQf> > — WILFREDO CAÑIZARES (@wilcan91) September 12, 2019But analysts said the images had the potential to cause severe harm to Guaidó’s credibility and his nine-month quest to force Maduro from power.The Rastrojos are a drug-trafficking group with paramilitary origins who operate on both sides of the Colombia-Venezuela border. As well as the cocaine trade, they are engaged in illegal mining, kidnapping for ransom and extortion.Phil Gunson, a Caracas-based expert for Crisis Group, said: “I think it is extremely damaging. Regardless of whether this was as innocent as they claim – which is rather hard to believe – or whether there was something more to it, it looks so bad.”Gunson said the photos handed “a huge propaganda victory” to Maduro’s government, which is fending off accusations of ties to leftist guerrillas and drug traffickers.Maduro sought to exploit the scandal on Thursday, claiming the images were definitive evidence of Guaidó’s ties to “paracos, murderers and narco-traffickers”.In a televised speech, Maduro declared: “The connection between Colombian narco-trafficking and the Venezuelan right is right there in the photo. No one can deny it.”Another senior Chavista, Freddy Bernal, claimed the photos were proof of “the criminal alliance between [Venezuela’s] fascist right” and paramilitary and terrorist groups. Maduro’s main propaganda channels also gave the scandal top billing.Carlos Vecchio, Guaidó’s ambassador to the United States, rejected those claims. “There is no connection between Juan Guaidó’s interim government [and] any paramilitary or guerrilla group. Zero, zero,” he told the Colombian newspaper El Espectador.Gunson said that whatever the truth, the photos showed “unbelievable naivety” and were an embarrassment to the international coalition backing Guaidó, which includes the US, Colombia, Brazil and the UK.“It could almost not have come at a worse time for Guaidó,” Gunson said, pointing to the Colombian government’s plans to denounce Maduro’s ties to leftist guerrillas at the UN general assembly later this month.Gunson said Guaidó’s claim not to have realised who he was posing with was “frankly not credible … [One of them] looks like a paramilitary out of central casting.”The photos were published on Thursday by Wilfredo Cañizales, the director of a human rights group in Cúcuta, where February’s highly politicised concert was held.Speaking to the Guardian, Cañizales claimed the Rastrojos had imposed a curfew along the border before Guaidó’s crossing into Colombia “to make sure no locals would take photos of him crossing illegally through the hidden paths”.Cañizales declined to say how he had obtained the photos or why he had decided to publish them but said: “The Rastrojos are paramilitaries. They are the ones in this region who decide who lives and who dies.”Gunson said the photos also posed uncomfortable questions for Guaidó’s backers in the Colombian government and their possible links with paramilitary groups. “There’s a lot of questions that haven’t been answered,” he said.
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SkyPixel 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest Winners Announced
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Competition Receives a Record Number of Submissions that Highlight the Power of Innovation SHENZHEN, China, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SkyPixel, one of the world's most popular online communities for aerial photography and videography, today announces the winners of the SkyPixel 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest. Co-organized with DJI, this year's competition attracted over 130,000 submissions – a 100% increase from the previous year. The contest welcomed submissions from across the creator community, which includes professionals, aerial enthusiasts, and creative newcomers, showcasing their personal histories through the art of visual innovation. A Contest Shaped by You The SkyPixel Annual Photo & Video Contest is a testament to the power of innovation led imagery, honoring stories that shape the art of image capture both on solid ground and amidst the clouds. SkyPixel has cultivated a community-driven platform that reflects the dreams and aspirations of creators worldwide, and the annual competition has been a conduit for people who love image creation to express themselves as it authentically reflects the desires and aspirations of creators worldwide. Industry-Leading Judges The 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest was assessed by a Judging Panel of incredible professionals in the industry. In photography, seasoned experts include Wen Huang, a World Press Photo judge and Senior Editor, and Anne Farrar, Assistant Photography Chief Editor at National Geographic, Nan Li, the Photo Director of Southern Weekly, and Daniel Kordan, a renowned landscape photographer. In the video category, the judges include Michael Fitzmaurice, the Aerial Director of Photography of "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," and Xiaoshi Zhao, known for his award-winning work on "Forever Enthralled." Bing Xi, a prominent figure in the Chinese TVC industry, and celebrated filmmaker Brandon Li round out the panel. After careful deliberation, the panel proudly presents the final winners for the year. 9th Annual Best Work Prize – Video: "Haines Alaska Through the Eyes of Luke Bredar" by Luke Bredar This year's video judging panel, which includes award-winning Cinematographers and Directors of Photography, chose Luke Bredar's video, "Haines Alaska Through the Eyes of Luke Bredar." This short film mixes heart-pounding action shots of a skier racing down a snowy mountaintop landscapes with breathtaking shots of Alaska's mountainous, winter terrain. Luke Bredar details the thought process behind the short film, "The motivation behind creating this video was to evoke themes of otherworldliness, objective risk, the interplay between risk and the essence of human spirit, solitude, impermanence, self-sufficiency, and the journey of incomplete wandering intertwined with heartbreak." This short film is an epic story made in collaboration with Matchstick Productions. Bredar explains how he pursues a better visual presentation through his creative process "I think to myself. How would my child self want to see this filmed? And I almost always get a clear vision in response. There are a myriad of challenges shooting aerial cinematography in mountain environments, but they are all ...Full story available on Benzinga.com
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