"It is the responsibility of the OAS and its member states to seek immediate solutions to the repression that is spreading across the continent,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International
The evening prior to the opening of the 50th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), Amnesty International called publicly on the organization and its member states to seek regional solutions to halt the repression in the Americas. This demand was magnified by projecting it onto the main OAS building in Washington D.C. at 21.00 that night.
Projected onto the OAS building was the artistic work “Behind the Pandemic”, which Erik Ravelo, multimedia artist and creative director, has put together in collaboration with Amnesty International. The organization also projected real images of the repression that the continent is experiencing – in the context of COVID-19 and beyond it – with a particular focus on Chile, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
“Year after year, we see how countries in the Americas use repressive measures to silence those denouncing inequality, injustice and human rights violations. This repression has not subsided in the context of COVID-19 but has changed its form and intensified. It is the responsibility of the OAS and its member states to seek immediate solutions to the repression that is spreading across the continent,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.
Erik Ravelo, author of the controversial work “The Untouchables” and winner of the Grand Prix for Press in Cannes 2012 for his campaign “Unhate” on behalf of the United Colors of Benetton, added his voice to this action through the piece “Behind the Pandemic”, which focuses on the repressive measures taken in several countries of the Americas in the context of COVID-19.
“[The video images] don’t exist anywhere else, I created them for this project. It was a hard task to compose what I was looking for from a visual point of view, something that told the story well. I believe it’s important in this day and age to return to bold and creative communication campaigns, with messages that evoke sensations and feelings, and which can reach out to people and make them think about actual situations. It’s important that people understand what a precious gift liberty is. People should learn to love it, preserve it, and always defend it,” said Erik Ravelo.
Photos and videos of the projection can be found here (images in HD will be available through the same link shortly).
