With the crisis in Venezuela continuing to rage and the world turning a blind eye, creatives from the diaspora have taken matters into their own hand. #YoSoyVenezuela is an initiative in the same vein of the popular #IAm hashtags used in the wake of attacks to show solidarity. The campaign describes itself as follows:
Yo Soy Venezuela is an audiovisual campaign developed as an independent initiative driven by journalists and creatives between Caracas, New York and London with the goal of creating awareness about the institutional crisis that Venezuela is suffering. Artists, scientists, intellectuals, sports people and entrepreneurs of Venezuelan origin, spread around different cities in the world, lend their image in support of this initiative.
The campaign released a video featuring popular Venezuelan musicians and celebrities including the pianist Gabriela Montero, legendary singers Soledad Bravo and Ricardo Montaner, and indie folk icon Devendra Banhart. Shot in black-and-white, the video edits together footage of each individual stating the goal of the initiative in Spanish. The short clip was released on June 2nd, three days before Venezuelan Independence Day, and the timing couldn't possibly be more appropriate.
They talk about a "Beautiful Venezuela: strong, generous, kind." The video urges lovers of liberty to "turn their gaze toward Venezuela to establish democracy and recover [it's] freedom," while also pointing out the continued human rights violations in the country, specifically the widespread starvation and violence in the streets which has led to the death of several university students no older than twenty. The message, in the end, remains hopeful: "We want a Venezuela where our kids have a future."
