Homenaje a Óscar y Valeria

Speaking as a Salvadoran, continuously being subjected to that horrific image of Oscar & Valeria without life, whether as a photo or cartoon, not only triggers all our inherited war trauma & anxiety, but gives our community ZERO space to collectively mourn them properly.

El Salvador is a tiny country. Any image of our dead, whether historical or current, isn’t just some anonymous body. But it could be a distant relative, a friend of a friend, a colleague, a co-worker, a neighbor. The degrees of separation between our people is infinitesimal.

So, it gratifies me to see that the image of Óscar & Valeria I created has served as a tiny space to feel our pain, to express sorrow, to weep, but most importantly, to give those two beautiful souls the love & respect they deserve. I thank you all for sharing the image.