Alfredo Cáliz
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Primavera Arabe

Egypt 23-11-2011-alexandria
Mohamed Soudan, Foreign Secretary of the Freedom and Justice Party in Alexandria. The Muslim brotherhood were prohibited during Mubarak's dictatorship. It was the winning party in the first elections with  about 40% of the votes. They have been criticized for their collusion with the Military Board and some of the Egyptians wonder if they will go with the hard  Salfafist sector or their Islam will be more moderate as they have been saying up to now.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
painting of Gadaffi's face in the city of Bengasi. Hundreds of new paintings and graffiti decorate the city of Benghazi since the rebels took control of the city. Most of them are grotesque caricatures of the dictator who embodied the representation of the Lybian state.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-01-tunez
Tunisia. Wilaya, or seat of Sidi Bousid's government. The place where 26 year old Mohamed Buazizi burned himself like a buddist monk, on the 17th of December 2010, and whose death was the spark of what was to be called the Arab Spring: in Tunisia it was the making of the streets by the population who obliged president Ben Alí to flee the country on a plane to Saudi Arabia after only 3 weeks, after 23 years of holding absolute power with an unlimited corruption.
Egypt 23-11-2011
The archaelogical Museum of Cairo suffered looting during the revolution.  In the background are the headquarters of Mubarak's party, the PND, the building was burned down on the 28th of January 2011 by the angry people. A curfew was declared. The people demanded the governement to resign.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Faces of the martyrs fill the walls of the criminal court of Benghazi. The city is considered the capital of the rebels, where the CNT was formed, the transitional national committee, who took over the political direction of the revolution.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-02-tunez
Jebli Feker, Jebli Najem, Kodmi Hafid, Kedri Mohamed, photographed on the 12 of December 2011 in front of the Wilaya, or administrative centre of Sidi Bousid, in the same spot where the previous year young computer graduate Mohamed Buazizi burned himself. These four young men have been on a hunger strike for 11 days and they complain that nothing has changed: “ there are no jobs, there are no opportunities, nothing has changed in a year”.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Space.net, a cybercafé in Alexandria in front of where young Jaled Said lived: a 28 year old blogger who was dragged out of the café and beaten up until he died next door. 400.000 thousand youngsters joined the campaign on Facebook “We're all Jaled Said”. Once the revolts began the death of Jaled made the people uprise.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-03-tunez
65 year old Brahim saw Mohamed Buazizi arrive to put his fruit stand up. Apparently that day he was later than usual. At the same time two police officers arrived, a man and a woman. The rest of  the vendors left the spot pulling their fruit carts, but Mohamed who hadn't yet sold anything couldn't afford to leave. Brahim saw the young vendor struggling with the woman police officer, the  scales fell to the ground... some say there was a slap from the officer, but not all versions coincide on this point. What is certain is that after this incident Mohamed Buazizi poured petrol over himself and died as buddhist monks do.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Army Museum in the citadel of El Cairo.  A mosaic tribute to the dictator Hosni Mubarak who governed Egypt during 30 years: from the 14th of October 1981 after the murder of Anwar el Sadat until he was expelled after the popular revolt in January 2011.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
General Mustafa Mohamed Faituri, he used to appear dressed with a scarf and sunglasses in the news broadcasted by Al Yazira giving the war report of the rebel army.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-Manubia, Mohamed Buazizi's mother. She left the village and is now living in a house that was given to her by the new government in the new neighbourhood of La Marsa near the city of Tunisia. This woman has seen how her son was turned into a symbol of revolution in all the Arab world. “I hope the death of my son can change something”. She left her house in the village and is now trying to start a new life in La Marsa.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Portrait of Hosni Mubarak in the Army Museum in El Cairo. He is surrounded by generals: the last lower left is Mohamed Tantaui, present chief of the Military Board (SCAF) that is running the country. Mubarak entered the military academy when he was 20, becoming chief of the Egyptian Armed Air Force in 1967.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
General Mustafa Mohamed Faituri  escorted by two of his men, photographed in a room in ruins in the kativa of Benghazi. This is the same place where his military career began. He was one of the first generals to go to the rebel side and some of the young people who joined the rebel forces are still with him. Most of them had never held a gun before.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-Manubia, Mohamed Buazizi's mother. She left the village and is now living in a house that was given to her by the new government in the new neighbourhood of La Marsa near the city of Tunisia. This woman has seen how her son was turned into a symbol of revolution in all the Arab world. “I hope the death of my son can change something”. She left her house in the village and is now trying to start a new life in La Marsa.
Egypt 23-11-2011
The rise of the price of bread was one of the reasons for which the protest in Egypt became more widespread. In February 2011 FAO presented its index of food prices which hit a new record. The rise of basic products is a terrible threat for the poor sector of the population.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
The Kativa, where the headquarter of the secret police in Benghazi was, was the scene of one of the worst killings at the beginning of the revolution. Now every afternoon there is a bird market where the typical bustle of all arab markets is to be found.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-Home of the Ben Alí Trabelsi family, destroyed by the people's anger in the days prior to the fall of the regime. The enraged population could no longer bear the humiliation of this mafia clan and looting the property was a way of  giving way to the rage they'd had to put up with for so many years.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Plaza Tahrir. The square was occupied by the people. The hard core of the demonstration, the most active in the network camped in what was the building of Mogamma, a building that is a symbol of the XXX.. burocracy of the regime. This story is told in the square over and over again: The Egyptian Saeed El-Masry was born, grew up and probably will die poor, unless he achieves a “kosa”, an arab word for courgette, also used to refer to a person with power who can help one obtain a job.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Remains of a destroyed tank on the road that joins Benghazi to Sirte. This road was the scene of the most cruel battles and where the NATO bombings began when Gaddafi's troops were besieging the city of Benghazi.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-07- Tunisia
Ben Hay Sofiene is 28, student of political science and influential blogger who was arrested during 3 days by the police because of the post of his facebook. His popularity led him to take part  with other 60 experts,  opinion leaders and members of the civil society in a Commission whose main objective was to revise the voting law for the elections in july.
Egypt 23-11-2011
The corruption of Mubarak's regime greatly enriched the family of the president. Once the revolution began the son of the leader, 47 year old Gamal, who allegedly devised the escape plan, moved to Great Britain in a private jet with his family, taking with him at least 97 pieces of luggage  and boxes. Mubarak's family own a 6 storey mansion a few hundred yards from the iconic shop Harrods, in the exclusive neighbourhood of Knightsbridge.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Militiaman in a house in Ras Lanuf. The progress of the rebel troops in their offensive towards Sirte was blocked by the Grad missiles launched by Gadaffi's soldiers. This meant they had to retreat to Ras Lanuf where they were dislodged on the 12th of March by the troops loyal to the regime.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-Three lawyers walking on the Bourguiba Avenue. In the centre is Rajali Abdel Karim, whose role was important in the protests of the miners in Gafsa. Problems with miners in Gafsa was one of the main reasons for the revolution, miners were really activ.
The role of the lawyers was essential in the Tunisian riots: by standing at the head of the ralleys they gave legal legitimacy to the revolutionaries.
Egypt 23-11-2011
What is called Baltageya is a group of people faithful to the regime, they are payed by the regime to do all kinds of works in the complicated networks of corruption and dirty jobs. A kind of network of informers, thugs, rioters, meddlers the regime introduced in the scenery of the demonstrations in order to destabilize the movement.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-09- Tunisia
Ministry of Interior in the city of Tunisia. The Bourguiba Avenue was the scene of numerous demonstrations. The curfew of the capital was ordained from this ministry on the 12th of January 2011, when protests were expanding all over the country, where up to that moment 21 people had died according to sources of this ministry, whilst according  sources such as unions o human rights groups there had been over 50 deaths. During the revolution a hard fight was led from this ministry to silence social networks that were mobilizing the population.
One year after it is still fenced with barbed wire.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Tahrir Square was converted in the symbol and epicentre of the Egyptian revolution. The protests in Egypt began on the 25th of January 2011, since then until now the square has been occupied several times. At the beginning to ask for the fall of the regime, after to express dissatisfaction with the SCAF. It has been a point of protest but also of celebration.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Friday the 21st of October 2011 the NATO bombarded a convoy on the outskirts of Sirte in which Colonel Gadafi was travelling. There were 75 vehicles with “a substantial amount of weapons and ammunition”, according to the NATO. According to the rebel troops who followed the convoy survivors fled with the colonel to the Electric Station in the background in the photo.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011 Tunisia
After Ben Alí's fall the protesters came out to the streets again. The Kasbah was occupied twice, in the historical centre of Tunez. The photograph of the square was taken during the two  occupations and protests. The first was from the 23rd to the 28th of January, many citizens from all over the country and pitched their tents to express their to express their complaints against the provisional government they considered heir to the regime of Ben Ali. The second camp was on  February 20th 2011, this time they obtained the resignation of prime minister Mohamed Gannouchi. Both occupations were evicted violently.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Protesters sleeping at the doors of the Egyptian Parliament, where heavy protests and turmoil have taken place. Here in front of the Parliamente, once Mubarak's regime fell, the people request the Military Board, the SCAF, to pass on the power as soon as possible to the governement that had been voted in the elections.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Scene where Colonel Gadafi took refuge after the NATO bombing. The rebel soldiers say that they exchanged gunfire with several of Gadafi's soldiers that ended with the life of the dictator hiding in one of the outputs of this drain.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-Bourghba Avenue in the city of Tunez. A year after the revolution it is under strict military control. This is the most important avenue of the city and was the setting of the most important demonstrations. This is also were Ben Alí’s mercenary army and anti-revolutionary police struck terror around. On the 14th of January while Ben Alí was fleeing the country the police gassed thousands of protesters on this avenue. Snipers paid by Ben Alí were shooting from the roofs onto the crowd that looked for protection in the doorways of the avenue.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Celebration in Tahrir Square. Men and women are singing and celebrating the fall of Mubarak's regime. They also demand the SCAF to accelerate the transfer of power. Egyptians have shown they are not scared, and despite the deaths and thousands of injured they haven't stopped going into the street to demonstrate.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Colonel Gadafi was taken violently out of this hole. In the videos that were posted on the net you could hear him repeating “sons of mine” while he was shaken by his captors. This is how  40 years of dictatorship  by a man who had governed with an iron fist the ended.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-One of the doors of the palace of Sidi Bousaid, regular residency of the president Ben Alí and his wife Leila Trabelsi. A big deal of the construction of this palace was financed with the fund of national solidarity, also called 26 26 fund, as a reference to a bank account: each 8th of December the amount of a wage’s day was  deducted   from all Tunisian worker’s. The money was supposed to be destined to finance activities to benefit the most disadvantaged. According to the newspaper Echorouk 50% of the money that was collected would go directly to the accounts of Ben Alí’s mafia clan.
Egypt 23-11-2011
During the revolution Tahrir Square was converted in a mosaic where all Egyptian society was represented. From the poorer neighbourhoods, middle and upper class, Christians and Muslims from different groups, met in the square. 
The participation in the public sphere of the Muslim Brotherhood was of great importance, for its ability to drag a large number of followers.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Dictator Gadafi's Italian shoes, taken from the Palace of Baba Sisiya in Tripoli and now exhibited with other personal belongings in the Museum of the Martyrs in the city of Misrata. Some of the Lybian citizens like taking pictures of themselves with these objects.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-Young people playing football in one of the football grounds of Sidi Bousaid. The surroundings of the palace, that were part of the facilities of the palace itself, like football fields, tennis courts and vast green areas or parks have been opened to the public after the revolution. All Tunisians can now walk or do sport in an area that before was restricted to them.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Every day scene in front of the seat of Maspero. Last October 2011 the building of the state television Maspero, was the scene of a terrible massacre, when at least 27 people were killed after a brutal military intervention to disperse a protest of Copt Chistians.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Ten kiliometres from the city of Misrata  is a market called “souk Africa”, where the corpse of Colonel Gadafi was exposed. Thousands of Lybians visited the room where the corpse was exposed during four days. In one of the spots of the market we find this attraction where families leave their children while they do their shopping.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011-
Residency of the Ben Alí Trabelsi family that was looted days before the fall of the regime. People went in and destroyed everything: they sacked all valuables, even pipes, tiles, floors were pillaged. Only the bare walls are still standing, with slogans and remains of fires and occasional visitors still looking around for something to take away.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Women in front of a sign where we can see some of the military officials who deserted to join the uprising of Egyptian people at the beginning of the riots. Once Mubarak left the country and with the SCAF in charge of the government with Taritaui as maximum charge, the doubts on military officials are back again. Is it possible that the generals want to impose a new dictatorship like Mubarak’s, but without Mubarak?
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Sisters Aicha and Aya abu Shakur pose in Misrata. They have come back from Canada, proud of their new country and ready to contribute to the creation of a new Lybia. To start off with they have written to Facebook  to change the green flag of Gadafi for the new revolutionary flag.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011
Women of the Islamic party Ennahda in a popular neighborhood of the Tunisian capital. It was the most voted party in the elections. Its discourse is tolerant and moderate. One of the most important issues for the modernization of the Republic of Tunisia is equal rights for women and men. The women of Ennadha want to be modern women but within tradition. They define themselves as muslim women and say they feel equal to men regarding civil rights. The point for many people is to know if with Ennadha in power it will be possible to keep to the grade of secularism that the Republic of Tunisia has had since independence.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Malek X is the nickname for a very active blogger during the uprising in Egypt. Egyptians feared police brutality, so social networks became the safest place to organize meetings. From midnight of the 28th of January the Egyptian government decided to cut down totally the access to Internet to prevent protesters from organizing this way.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Ruins of houses in the city of Mirsrata, called the Lybian Sarajevo. A city with more than 300.000 people who suffered a siege of more than 8 weeks and left behind 1.500 dead, mostly civilians. Misrata was converted in a symbol of resistence to Muamar el Gadafi.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011
Islamist women during protests for the prohibition of Nicab in the University of Tunez. Some women insist in their desire to wear the Nicab during classes. The Nicab is a veil that only shows the eyes of women. For many other students the Nicab goes against dignity of a human being. There have been serious incidents produced by the prohibition on behalf of the teachers to assist classes with this garment.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Miscellaneous of postcards in a stand in Tahrir Square. Everytime people came back to the streets and cut down the traffic in Tahrir, the square became a market with people snd family walking around.
Lybia. 01-12-2011-tripoli
 Military clothes left in the patios of the palace of Bab al Aziza in Tripoli. This palace is located in the south of the city and was a military headquarters and residence of the Lybian president. After various NATO bombings, the rebel troops rushed shooting into the building. It is said that Gadafi's soldiers stripped of their uniforms to blend in with the rebel troops.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011
Refugee camp of Ras el Jdir. During the first days of the Lybian revolution more than 5000 people crossed the Tunisian border. The biggest and first spot where they were gathered was Ras el Jdir that was soon turned into a big humanitarian crisis. A year after around 5000 people are still installed there. Many of them know they will never go back to their countries, and what was a temporary camp seems to now be a destination.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Everyday scene in Ain Baba, one of the most popular neighbourhoods in the centre of El Cairo. Streets unpaved, muddy, poor services, poor hygiene, neglect. Poverty was a major cause of the Egyptian uprising.
Lybia. 01-12-2011. Tripoli
Renamed as Martyrs' Square, it was before known as Green Square. It is normal to see armed militiamen walking through the square. The disarmament of the militias is a complicated issue and proof that the situation in Lybia has still not gone back to normal.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011
Smuggling petrol is normal all over the country. Stands with petrol tanks where people can buy at better prices. The mafia of Ben Alí Trabelsi was at all levels and activities in the country. All businesses and trades were in Bel Alí's or his family's control.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Group of men waiting in line to vote at a polling center in Cairo. The first elections after the fall of Mubarak had a high participation. They voted three rounds and with a share around 60 percent. The absolute winners were the Muslim Brotherhood with about 50 percent of the votes.
Lybia. 01-12-2011-tripoli
A celebration in the Martyrs' Square in Tripoli. Various acts are celebrated in this square, symbol of the revolution as it was before of Gadafi's power. The  walls of the square were one of the chosen spots  by the dictator in his appearances in public during the revolution.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011
On the 18th of December 2011 the riots spread to the city of Kasserine, then to Sfax and Gafsa. Practically all the mining area is a state of rebellion. In Kasserine only 40 were killed. The news of the death of Mohamed Buazzizi reached Kasserine and the younger population take the street asking justice. The revolution has begun. After a  year they say nothing has changed.
Egypt 23-11-2011
Park on the bank of the Nile, public place where many couples meet.
Lybia. 01-12-2011-bengasi
Wedding car in Bengasi. A strong patriotic feeling and expression for the new Lybia is very central in Lybian life at the moment, the new flag symbol of the new Lybia is everywhere.
Tunisia- 12-12-2011
On the 23rd of October 2011 the fist free elections took place, 9 months after the overthrow of president Zine El Abidine Ben Alí. More than 100 parties presented themselves. The most voted party was Enahda with 41% of votes.
Egypt 23-11-2011 EL CAIRO
Bridge Qasr al Nil.
Lybia. 01-12-2012-tripoli
Africans in the market of the old medina in Tripoli. Lybia was not only a country of transit on the way to Europe, but also a place of destination for many inmigrants from Africa. Gadafi recruited many of them fo fight against the rebel troops.
Lybia. 01-12-2011
Young people in a internet café in the city of Thala. Social networks were an essential tool for the expansion of the tunisian revolution. All the police apparatus could not do anything to stop the messages to cyberspace. Discontent and anger  accumulated for so long connected and agglutinated people from different social background in all parts of Tunisia.
Egypt 23-11-2011-el caio
Youngsters flirting on the Bridge of Qsar al Nil. It is one of the main access routes to Tahrir Square.
Egypt 23-11-2011 alexandria
Block of flats in the city of Alexandria, a city of five million people, many living in crowded slums. When they voted they opted for Islamist parties. It is in Alexandria where the Brotherhood of the Muslim Brotherhood, moderate,  and the newly formed party of the radical Salafist Nur,  compete more strongly for their seats in parliament.
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