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on New York Times: Capturing the Strength of Women Who Survived Acid Attacks in Colombia
betty laura zapata
May 18, 2018
One minute Patricia Espitia was strolling down a street in Bogotá, Colombia, holding her 5-year-old daughter’s hand, a picture of all that’s right in the world.
The next, the 27-year-old mother was clutching her burning face, her daughter wailing and the stranger who splashed her with acid tearing off in a getaway car, never to be seen again.
More than a decade and 30 reconstructive surgeries later, the reasons for the attack that seared her face, ears, neck, chest, and arms remain a mystery. Yet when Betty Zapata, a Venezuelan photographer based in London, contacted Ms. Espitia for her project documenting acid attack victims in Colombia, she found a powerful public citizen. Ms. Espitia runs a nonprofit advocacy group for acid attack survivors, giving speeches and making appearances to expose the horrific crime plaguing her country.
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Capturing the Strength of Women Who Survived Acid Attacks in Colombia
In these acid attack survivors, Betty Zapata sees inspirational figures who are fighting back for their place in society.
