At 19, while studying Spanish and volunteering in Venezuela, Danish photographer Mads Nissen discovered his passion for photography, viewing it as a powerful tool to advocate for social and political change. His early fascination with Latin America soon extended to Colombia, a nation grappling with decades of civil conflict and instability. Over time, his work evolved to focus on the intersection of the country’s ongoing turmoil and its role as a major cocaine producer.

In 2016, Nissen was commissioned by the Nobel Peace Center to document the concluding phases of Colombia’s peace process. His work also highlighted the plight of millions displaced by years of armed conflict. However, Nissen chose to avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes often associated with Colombia. Instead, he aimed to present a comprehensive view of the cocaine trade’s impact by engaging with individuals across the entire supply chain—from coca farmers and laborers harvesting the plants to those operating processing labs, as well as law enforcement, gang members, and cartel figures involved in the enduring violence.

One of Nissen’s notable projects took place in Potrero Grande, a suburb of the southern city of Cali and a critical corridor for cocaine trafficking due to its strategic location near major roads and the Cauca River. While in a local square in 2017, he photographed nine-year-old Didiller Angulo playing basketball late in the evening. The image captured the tension between everyday life continuing amid danger and the harsh realities facing many youth in neighborhoods marked by violence and absence of stable family support.

Nissen described how young boys in areas like Potrero Grande often look to gang leaders as role models in the absence of healthy male influences. Many harbor dreams of escaping poverty through professional football, but the likelihood of success is slim, leaving gangs as an alternative path—promising money and status in a perilous environment. When revisiting the neighborhood several years later, Nissen was unable to locate Didiller and was told he may have been killed, though this remains unconfirmed.

Despite the dangers—including the presence of gang houses where violent acts occur—Nissen emphasized that daily life also persists, highlighting the complexity of the community beyond its association with crime. He noted that many individuals involved in the cocaine trade do so out of necessity, often risking personal safety to share their stories.

Nissen also contrasted the openness he found among Colombians regarding cocaine production with the reluctance he encountered in Europe, where cocaine consumption is prevalent, but public discourse and willingness to engage candidly, especially in photography, are limited. His project was later compiled into the book *Sangre Blanca: The Lost War on Cocaine,* illustrating the multifaceted human dimensions behind the global drug trade.