Sanitation Crew Collecting Parade Confetti

Tropical midmorning light floods a street lined with metal barricades near Mixco. Three workers in high-visibility yellow vests bend over the asphalt, gathering piles of multicolored confetti into large black sacks. Wet, torn posters cling heavily to the silver barriers, their ink running into gray streaks where recent rain mixed with the morning sun. The workers move with deliberate, synchronized steps, their heavy boots crushing the wet paper remnants. Behind them, the road stretches empty, flanked by faded concrete curbs and the stark geometry of the crowd control fences. One piece of blue plastic rests against a rusted bolt on the nearest barrier, catching the bright glare.