Venezuela's ex-Miss Universe Stefanía Fernández is bruised and bloody in Your Voice is Your Power human rights protest campaign
Journalists, student activists and TV presenters also posed in the striking photos
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.As deadly unrest continues to blight Venezuela, high profile figures have sought to raise aware by posing in a series of unsettling photographs– their normally perfect, TV-ready faces smudged with dirt and sweat as they stare arrestingly into the camera lens.
Former Miss Universe Stefanía Fernández, who trades on perfection, is the lone female campaigner and arguably the most shocking. To raise awareness of human rights violations in the South American country and the gagging of media outlets, she wears a taut rope in her mouth, and has swapped the eyeliner that usually defines her doe eyes for blood dripping from her tear ducts.
Singer and TV host Francis Coleon, journalist Boris Izaguirre, as well as student political campaigners and athletes also lend themselves to the Your Voice is Your Power campaign.
Daniel Bracci, the photographer behind the campaign, has sought to harness the power of social media, and has accompanied his images with the hashtag #MordazasEnVenezuela (#GaggedInVenezuela) and uploaded them to Instagram.
“This campaign started because something directly affected me, when my grandfather passed away because of the hampa (the underworld-like situation) taking place in Venezuela,” Bracci told Informe 21, a Venezeulan news outlet.
The project comes as President Nicola Maduro agreed on Thursday to enter talks with Venezuela’s opposition with the help of independent facilitators, according to South American foreign ministers.
His year-old government has been widely criticized for its tough crackdown on opponents protesting galloping inflation, rampant crime and shortages of basic goods like toilet paper and corn flour.
Weeks of clashes between protesters and loyalists have left at least 32 people dead on both sides.
In their statement, the foreign ministers call on all parties to renounce violence.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments