The Vegetable Procession
"The Vegetable Procession" is a photographic project that reflects the life of the agricultural and transportation community of La Grita, Táchira state, whose work is crucial for the production and distribution of food in Venezuela. From 2018 to 2024, I have documented the work of the ferieros, a group of travelers who, week after week, carry their trucks loaded with vegetables, fruits, and legumes from the Andean mountains to Caracas. By following their 900km route—perched atop the truck's cargo alongside the stevedores of the fairs—I witnessed the dangers, logistical challenges, and economic difficulties faced by the agricultural sector in the country. La Grita is one of Venezuela's main agricultural regions and the birthplace of the Ferias de Gochos, mobile markets that allow the direct sale of fresh products without intermediaries. This distribution model makes fresh vegetables, fruits, and legumes accessible at affordable prices in a context of economic hardship and shortages of basic goods. In 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, stated that the problems in food production and distribution in Venezuela have worsened shortages and malnutrition in vulnerable communities. My project aims to shed light on the efforts of farmers, truckers, and merchants, documenting their journeys, working conditions, and the obstacles they face, such as fuel shortages, road checkpoints, and the deterioration of road infrastructure. The town of La Grita is also the setting for one of the most important religious pilgrimages on the continent: that of the Santo Cristo de La Grita, to whom the ferieros are devoted, as are thousands of Venezuelans and visitors from other countries who attend the patron saint festivals every August.












