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EL HELADERO
(THE ICE CREAM MAN)

In tragedy, the best revolution is a little laughter.
Venezuelan people are good-hearted. They are very warm and friendly, and it takes a lot to lower their spirit.
Even if crime is so high that it’s rapidly becoming one of the most dangerous countries in America, they’re still proud of their culture and they love their own country.
Even if it’s so dangerous you wound’t dare to go out at night alone, many refuse to leave the country. And the ones who do nurture the deepest nostalgia as the years pass.
Even if basic goods are so scarce that you’re required to stand hours in queue and fight through a crowd, and even when you might get robbed on your way home, people don’t get discouraged.
Even if speaking up your mind and fighting for your rights is overpowered by corruption, people don’t lose hope.

Even if there’s so much harm there’s still goodness in people, and glimpses of joy that you can experience even when situations get really bad.
Not letting these situations lower your spirit means you need to brush off what comes your way and fight it with good will and a humorous tone.
For Venezuelan People tragedy is always followed by comedy, because nothing is worth more than laughter. It takes strength to abandon your sorrows.
It’s not that they’re unrealistic, is just that they refuse to let their soul sink in misery.

Finding the silver lining in any story is crucial to any Venezuelan.
The way stories are told undermines the danger in order to give way for any amusing detail that might’ve happened.

This is a story about when my mother was in the middle of a shooting, while pregnant of me in Caracas.

Made in: Photoshop & SketchUp
Tool: Wacom Intuos4 M
Date: May 2016