An AP photographer saw a woman with a gun on a motorcycle, bringing back echoes from the past

LA GUAIRA, VENEZUELA (AP) — Matias Delacroix is a Chilean-raised photojournalist currently based in Panama who has been photographing the U.S. attack in Venezuela and its aftermath.

Here’s what he had to say about this extraordinary photo.

Why I shot this photo

When I saw an armed woman riding on the back of a motorcycle, it immediately reminded me of a well-known photograph from the 1990s by a Chilean photographer showing a woman with a submachine gun. That visual echo made me pause. I was seeing a similar image resurface decades later, this time in Caracas and under very different circumstances.

In the aftermath of U.S. strikes that ended with the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, groups of pro-government civilians took to the streets, some armed. The scene reflected the shock and uncertainty that followed the attack, and photographing it felt essential.

How I made this photo

I took the photo at a gas station guarded by armed civilians and police. A small group of motorcyclists arrived carrying weapons; some were young, others much older. They questioned who I was and what I was doing there. After I explained that I was an international news agency photographer covering the aftermath of the U.S. bombing, they allowed me to continue working.

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I had been working nonstop since the strikes. At dawn, after coordinating with the photo editor, we decided to expand coverage beyond Caracas to follow reports of damage at the port of La Guaira. I moved by motorcycle, like the armed patrols in the image, to reach locations quickly and to be able to leave fast if the situation escalated.

Why it works

The photo condenses a tense moment into a single frame: armed civilians occupying public space, motorcycles symbolizing speed and control, and a woman carrying a weapon — a detail that immediately draws attention. It captures how, in the hours after the strikes, the line between civilian life and armed response blurred, conveying instability and fear without the need for explanation.

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For more extraordinary AP photography, click here.