ZUMA Photographer Sergei Bachlakov 

Scott Sergio/Cal Sport Media via ZUMA Press

The Chilean government announced plans to roll out a $5.5 billion economic recovery plan after rioting and protests triggered the worst monthly contraction in a decade, and crippling the countries economy. In the current scenario of the Chilean economic crisis, the southern austral regions represent a historical and coherent example of the country’s problems. These are areas are scarcely inhabited, displaying a harsh landscape with vast forest areas, often beaten by the cold antarctic winds. These natural resources have always been themselves the subjects of economic speculations. The Chilean woodcutters in the community of Caleta Tortel, in the south of the Aysen region, endure daily hardships of survival which are compounded with bad weather and lack of resources in this remote and isolated area. Tortel is located several hundred kilometers from the regional capital Coyaique and was once only accessible by the waters of the Rio Baker and the Pacific Ocean. Chile is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of wood and wood pulp. Cutting and collecting logs has always been entrusted to individual lumberjacks. The artisanal nature of the activity and the harsh climate contribute to making the living conditions of workers and their families more difficult. The Cypress trees of Guaiateca are widespread in this region, a tree with flexible wood, very resistant to water and with highly flammable resins. The cutting of this tree is allowed by law only from the moment when the trunk is no longer green or considered dead. The chainsaw is the primary tool for the production of logs for both sales and home heating. Arriving only at the end of the 80s, however, chainsaws have not yet completely replaced the manual skill of the axe. In recent years, the difficulties have been amplified by the fall in sales prices due mainly to the development of mass tree extraction companies working in the more easily accessible areas (not least the Amazon region). And following decades of intensive forest cutting and clearing, the Chilean woodcutters today have to push themselves into an even more remote area regions, like the small islands of the southern fjords. To achieve a sufficiently profitable amount of timber the loggers work alone with their own chainsaws for up to fourteen consecutive hours, spending entire days in the rain or in the cold, away from their families.

December 6, 2019, Atlanta, GA: Anni Harjunpaa , 23, introduces herself as preliminary duding for the 2019 Miss Universe pageant begins. She hadn’t entered any beauty pageants until this year, when she was crowned Miss Finland.

Photo Credit © Robin Rayne via ZUMA Press

December 6, 2019, Atlanta, GA: Anni Harjunpӓӓ, 23, in swimsuit competition segment of preliminary judging for the 2019 Miss Universe pageant begins.

Photo Credit © Robin Rayne via ZUMA Press.

December 6, 2019, Atlanta, GA: Anni Harjunpӓӓ, 23, in swimsuit competition segment of preliminary judging for the 2019 Miss Universe pageant begins.

Photo Credit © Robin Rayne via ZUMA Press.

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & CEO, ZUMA Press

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & CEO, ZUMA Press

October 31, 2019, New York: A parade goer dressed as ‘The Whistleblower’ attends the 46th Annual Village Halloween Parade. Sanitation trucks, seen in the background, are used as a protective barrier due to recent world events.

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & CEO, ZUMA Press

December 2, 2019, Kolkata, West Bengal, India: A protest and awareness campaign was organized by students from various colleges of Kolkata against the crime of rape that happened in Hyderabad and other crimes on woman that have been happening throughout various parts of the country.

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & CEO, ZUMA Press

October 4, 2018 – Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia – A resident stands on the ruins of a building that was destroyed by the earthquake..A deadly earthquake measuring 7.5 magnitude and the tsunami wave caused by it has destroyed the city of Palu and much of the area in Central Sulawesi. According to the officials, death toll from devastating quake and tsunami rises to 1,480, around 800 people in hospitals are seriously injured and some 62,000 people have been displaced in 24 camps around the region.

Photo credit © Hariandi Hafid/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & CEO, ZUMA Press

The Trump Impeachment dominated the news and anti-government demonstrations continued in Hong Kong and Chile. Violence in Syria and the Middle East escalated while an NFL player used a helmet as a weapon!

Thanks again to the amazing photographers and editors at ZUMA Press. This month’s show is a reflecting of everyone’s hard work!

Photographers: Alberto Valdes • Alexander Demianchuk • Alexei Nikolsky • Amy Katz • Andrew Milligan • Angelos Tzortzinis • Anton Novoderezhkin • Antonio Perez • Axel Heimken • Bill Clark • Billy Bennight • Bryan Smith • Carol Guzy • Chaiwat Subprasom • Christy Bowe • Claudio Furlan • Danny Lawson • David Crane • Debarchan Chatterjee • Dominic Lipinski • Erick Madrid • Frank Jansky • Ian West • Indraneel Chowdhury • Jack Kurtz • Jan Woitas • Joel Angel Juarez • Jose Breton • Katja Ogrin • Keith Tsuji • Liu Jie • Martin Schutt • Marwan Naamani • Michael Brochstein • Mikhail Japaridze • Mosab Shawer • Muhammad Amir Abidin • Naoki Morita • Nicolas Liponne • Owen Humphreys • Patrick Pleul • Patrick Seege • Pedro Puente Hoyos • Peter Steffen • Robin Loznak • Rodrigo Reyes Marin • Sergei Bobylev • Shealah Craighead • Soeren Stache • Stefan Rousseau • Stefani Reynolds • Thomas Warnack • Victoria Jones • Yang Lei

Newspapers, Picture Agencies + Wire Services: AFLO • APA Images • CNP • Congressional Quarterly • DPA • EFE • Icon SMI • Imagespace • Imago • LaPresse • NurPhoto • Orange County Register • PA • Panoramic • SIPA Asia • SOPA Images • TASS • TNS • The White House • Xinhua • ZUMA Wire

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & CEO, ZUMA Press

November 28, 2019, Ankeny, Iowa, U.S: Shoppers crowd an aisle between the electronics and toy departments at the Target store in Ankeny, Iowa, Thursday evening. ”Black Friday” is the unofficial start of the Christmas holiday shopping season and has traditionally thought to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Brick and mortar retailers, like Target, are facing increased pressure from online retailers this year. Many retailers have started opening on Thanksgiving Day. Target stores across the country opened at 5PM on Thanksgiving to attract shoppers with early ”Black Friday” specials.

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & CEO, ZUMA Press

Anything illustrating the subject of men against the feminist movement, advocacy for men’s rights in society…

Please FTP images as usual and let us know licensing@zumapress.com

Thank you!