Evaristo Canete, a reporter who documented Omayra after the Nevado del Ruiz eruption, said: "Your testimonial, not the image, leaves a lasting impression."
Born in 1948 in Sant Adrian (Navarra), he worked as a photojournalist for TVE for 39 years. Evaristo Canete is the king of sequence shots in cinematography and a reference figure for the past half century on public television. Forty years ago, during the eruption of Colombia’s Nevado de Luis volcano, he took the first photo of Omaira Sánchez, a girl who symbolized that tragedy.
During the six hours we spent there, we tried to get the girl out, but it was impossible to move her because her legs were stuck between cement blocks.
This work helps us learn to value our comfort, but in some cases the feeling of helplessness can also be very hurtful. I know I can’t do anything but my job. He will do the same thing again that day.