Author: Yaisy Tejada

Co-Authors: Nic Sblano, Carly Janelle Fant, Leith Kusmider

With the passing of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela has been in a political crisis, the Opposition group has taken over Congress, and its people are on the borderline of a revolution. But one thing that has held true is that the arts will always reflect the view of the people. In Caracas, Venezuela this has become especially true (Boero 2015).

Venezuelan graffiti depicting a young girl with Venezuela written on a scarf around her mouth. Photo credit to Al Jazeera.

The people in Caracas want to change and liberal freedom and with a revolution, beginning to arise the artists of Caracas are telling the government just how the people feel (RHHR 2013).

Venezuela’s Communicational Guerrilla paints makes the link between indigenous resistance to colonial invasion with modern-day struggles against capitalism and its neoliberal form Photo credit to  C. Martinez.

Artists have taken to the streets to reclaim the public space; there are images of Chavez with phrases like “Work amongst the people must be the first principle of any revolutionary” and Simon Bolivar who is considered in Venezuela as the father of the revolution (Boero 2015).

The art work Politically inspired murals are mostly images of Chavez painted as a hero of the people and promoting a revolution. Many of the artists are painting images that promote anti-imperialism (Romero 2010).

Chavez inspired Graffiti in Caracas, Venezuela. Photographer anonymous.

Art will always reflect the will of the people and from the outside looking in the people want a revolution, one where they can be set free of the socialistic views of government and be able to have the liberty of free expression amongst their people (RHHR 2013).

The people of Venezuela are clear supporters of current President Maduro; the believe that he will carry out the ideals of the late Hugo Chavez. Ideals that consisted of a self-sufficient Venezuela, in where the people country can survive on its own and take care of its people without the help of outside forces (Romero 2010).  

 

Factoid Questions:

What inspired the Venezuelan graffiti?

What are the people trying to show through their graffiti?

 

Works Cited

Boero, Patricia. “Considering the Latin American Political Art Revolution” (2015). Democracy Chronicles. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

RHHR. “Political Graffiti: From Venezuela to Kenya” (2013). The Revolutionary Hip-Hop Report. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

Romero, Simon. “Artists Embellish Walls With Political Visions” (2010). The New York Times. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.