From the series Nicaragua – A Worthless Treasure 010, 09

2024

digital capture, digital print

Nicaragua, a Central American country shaped by civil wars and revolutions, is one and a half times the size of Hungary and ranks among the poorest on the continent. It has a tropical climate, and its inhabitants rely mainly on agriculture, although climate change is making production increasingly difficult. Its most important export crop is cocoa beans, which in earlier decades thrived in the rainforest without irrigation, but many producers are now ruined by prolonged drought. Central America’s largest lake, Lake Nicaragua, is home to the Solentiname Islands, an archipelago of roughly one thousand inhabitants. The lake serves as the local population’s primary water source, but plans for the Nicaragua Canal could gradually increase salinity levels, potentially causing an ecological catastrophe. Communities along the San Juan River also depend on agriculture, while many residents undertake seasonal work in Costa Rica. Although the canal project has receded into the background, it reappears in political discourse from time to time. The vast freshwater lake and agricultural produce represent the country’s most valuable assets, yet economic decision-makers would risk their destruction in pursuit of profit.

80 × 53,5 cm / each