Carlos Lopez-Barillas
Encyclopedia
Carlos Lopez-Barillas is a Guatemala
n-born photographer who has been living and working in the United Kingdom
since 1996. His work appears regularly in publications like The New York Times
, The Philadelphia Inquirer
, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News. His most recent series of work studies the post-conflict Protestant community of Northern Ireland
; previous work includes the last ten years of the conflict in Northern Ireland, the Zapatista
rebel uprising in the Mexican state of Chiapas
, and the armed conflicts in Central America
. His work has recently turned more towards the art scene and social documentary.
and Switzerland
. Lopez-Barillas' father, Carlos Humberto Lopez y Lopez, was a coffee trade businessman and a professional cycling national and international champion in his youth.
During his earlier years Lopez-Barillas was always active in sports, first while attending St Sebastian school in Guatemala City
, a school with a long tradition in athletics. This was the foundation for a lasting sporting career.
Among others, some of the Lopez-Barillas family notable ancestors are:
Second Great Grandfather Jose Venancio Lopez-Requena second president of the Republic (1842) Jose Venancio was also the first president of the Judicial Courts of Justice and the Supreme Court of the republic.
First Great Grandfather Lucio Lopez, famous landowner who voiced the opposition of the people against President's Rafael Carrera expropriation of communal land program. He was murdered by President Carrera's forces at the patronal house of one of his farms in 1845. A peasant revolt ensued instigated by an armed rebel faction who called themselves "Los Lucios" after the landlord who supported their cause.
The rebels went on to a long run of pillaging and plundering throughout much of the east of the country. The revolt came to an end when President Carrera received news that "Los Lucios" were marching towards Guatemala city, camping 30 miles outside the city centre with the intention of taking the city. President Carrera rode to the field where "Los Lucios" were camping and after requesting a truce to dialogue, he met the rebel leaders and promised not to pursue his expropriation program successfully ending the revolt.
General Manuel Lisandro Barillas 13th. President of the Republic 1885-1892 Subsequently murdered by President Manuel Estrada Cabrera in 1907 after organizing and supporting an unsuccessful coup attempt against Estrada Cabrera in 1903. He was murdered while in exile in Mexico.
Brigadier General Policarpo Lopez-Pinto (Great-Grandfather) Governor and Chief-Of-Arms of the estates of Chiquimula and Jalapa in East Guatemala during the rule of President Manuel Estrada Cabrera 1898-1906. He was murdered by orders of president Manuel Estrada Cabrera in 1906 after the Head of the Guatemalan Aristocracy The Aycinena Family expressed their support of General Lopez as the preferred choice to succeed Estrada Cabrera in the presidency.
Carlos Humberto Lopez-Gonzales (Grandfather) after the conservatives murder his father he turned to Left Wing Political activist and Politician, he supported the 1944 left wing revolution and was minister of transport during the presidency of Juan Jose Arevalo, 1945-1951 and Chief of Customs during the presidency of Jacobo Arbenz 1951-1954. He was briefly imprisoned and released during the right wing counter-revolution in 1955. He died of natural causes in 1979.
, an experience which marked the transformation of his work from fashion to reportage. He worked there for a few years until he was offered a post with the American news agency the Associated Press
(AP).
Lopez-Barillas continued working for AP until his subsequent move to live in Europe in 1996, working independently from then on.
Among other awards, he received received a replica of the Nobel Peace Prize
medal from Nobel laureate Rigoberta Menchu
in December 1994 for his documentary work.
. He became active in swimming
and waterpolo during his university years, first joining the national university USAC
team, and later drafted into the Guatemalan National Waterpolo Squad where he played over 100 international caps, between 1980 and 1995. Among other victories, he played in the different teams that won the national waterpolo and swimming championships between 1981 and 1995, He won gold medals in the Central American Games in 1985, 1989, and 1993, also gold in the Central America Mexico and Caribbean games of 1986 and 1990. After his move to Europe he continued playing waterpolo in Ireland
, playing with the team Clonard in the first division of the Irish Waterpolo League. Lopez-Barillas suffered a serious accident while snowboarding
in 2002, fracturing his left arm and requiring reconstructive surgery to his left wrist and hand, to date he is still active in skateboarding, snowboarding
, surfing and kite surfing.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n-born photographer who has been living and working in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
since 1996. His work appears regularly in publications like The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News. His most recent series of work studies the post-conflict Protestant community of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
; previous work includes the last ten years of the conflict in Northern Ireland, the Zapatista
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
rebel uprising in the Mexican state of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, and the armed conflicts in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. His work has recently turned more towards the art scene and social documentary.
Early life
The Lopez-Barillas family is a Guatemalan family with origins in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Lopez-Barillas' father, Carlos Humberto Lopez y Lopez, was a coffee trade businessman and a professional cycling national and international champion in his youth.
During his earlier years Lopez-Barillas was always active in sports, first while attending St Sebastian school in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
, a school with a long tradition in athletics. This was the foundation for a lasting sporting career.
Among others, some of the Lopez-Barillas family notable ancestors are:
Second Great Grandfather Jose Venancio Lopez-Requena second president of the Republic (1842) Jose Venancio was also the first president of the Judicial Courts of Justice and the Supreme Court of the republic.
First Great Grandfather Lucio Lopez, famous landowner who voiced the opposition of the people against President's Rafael Carrera expropriation of communal land program. He was murdered by President Carrera's forces at the patronal house of one of his farms in 1845. A peasant revolt ensued instigated by an armed rebel faction who called themselves "Los Lucios" after the landlord who supported their cause.
The rebels went on to a long run of pillaging and plundering throughout much of the east of the country. The revolt came to an end when President Carrera received news that "Los Lucios" were marching towards Guatemala city, camping 30 miles outside the city centre with the intention of taking the city. President Carrera rode to the field where "Los Lucios" were camping and after requesting a truce to dialogue, he met the rebel leaders and promised not to pursue his expropriation program successfully ending the revolt.
General Manuel Lisandro Barillas 13th. President of the Republic 1885-1892 Subsequently murdered by President Manuel Estrada Cabrera in 1907 after organizing and supporting an unsuccessful coup attempt against Estrada Cabrera in 1903. He was murdered while in exile in Mexico.
Brigadier General Policarpo Lopez-Pinto (Great-Grandfather) Governor and Chief-Of-Arms of the estates of Chiquimula and Jalapa in East Guatemala during the rule of President Manuel Estrada Cabrera 1898-1906. He was murdered by orders of president Manuel Estrada Cabrera in 1906 after the Head of the Guatemalan Aristocracy The Aycinena Family expressed their support of General Lopez as the preferred choice to succeed Estrada Cabrera in the presidency.
Carlos Humberto Lopez-Gonzales (Grandfather) after the conservatives murder his father he turned to Left Wing Political activist and Politician, he supported the 1944 left wing revolution and was minister of transport during the presidency of Juan Jose Arevalo, 1945-1951 and Chief of Customs during the presidency of Jacobo Arbenz 1951-1954. He was briefly imprisoned and released during the right wing counter-revolution in 1955. He died of natural causes in 1979.
Career
During his younger years, Lopez-Barillas spent a short spell working as a fashion photographer for the fashion magazine Amiga, Upon closure of the magazine he was offered a post as a news photographer in Prensa LibrePrensa Libre
Prensa Libre is a Guatemalan newspaper published in Guatemala City by Prensa Libre, S.A. and distributed nationwide. It was formerly the most widely circulated newspaper in the country and as of 2007 it has the second-widest circulation. It is considered a local newspaper of record. It was founded...
, an experience which marked the transformation of his work from fashion to reportage. He worked there for a few years until he was offered a post with the American news agency the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(AP).
Lopez-Barillas continued working for AP until his subsequent move to live in Europe in 1996, working independently from then on.
Among other awards, he received received a replica of the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
medal from Nobel laureate Rigoberta Menchu
Rigoberta Menchú
Rigoberta Menchú Tum is an indigenous Guatemalan, of the K'iche' ethnic group. Menchú has dedicated her life to publicizing the plight of Guatemala's indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War , and to promoting indigenous rights in the country...
in December 1994 for his documentary work.
Sports
In his youth Lopez-Barillas won several Guatemalan skateboarding competitions, specialisng in pool and vertical riding, he went to win the national aerial championship in 1978 with a recorded 6-foot high aerial. His interest with board based sports extended into surfingSurfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
. He became active in swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and waterpolo during his university years, first joining the national university USAC
USAC
USAC may refer to:* Unified Speech and Audio Coding, an audio compression scheme and MPEG-4 Audio Object Type* United States Army Cadet Corps, a non-profit youth education organization...
team, and later drafted into the Guatemalan National Waterpolo Squad where he played over 100 international caps, between 1980 and 1995. Among other victories, he played in the different teams that won the national waterpolo and swimming championships between 1981 and 1995, He won gold medals in the Central American Games in 1985, 1989, and 1993, also gold in the Central America Mexico and Caribbean games of 1986 and 1990. After his move to Europe he continued playing waterpolo in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, playing with the team Clonard in the first division of the Irish Waterpolo League. Lopez-Barillas suffered a serious accident while snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
in 2002, fracturing his left arm and requiring reconstructive surgery to his left wrist and hand, to date he is still active in skateboarding, snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
, surfing and kite surfing.