I see their role as the same as ever; the artist is to give voice to the issues that are given to us in a confused manner, so that people can underst… - Malaquías Montoya

I remember sometimes growing up I would feel ashamed of my mom or my dad if they came to pick us up at school, because they never looked like all the other mothers and fathers; they were always dirty because they had been out in the fields, drove in to pick us up at 3:00 so we could go to work…So I remember when I heard Chávez speak, when I saw him on television, I remember thinking that my mom and dad had actually contributed to the wealth of this country and I shouldn’t feel embarrassed by them or feel bad for them.

I am much more articulate and able to express myself more eloquently through my art…It is with this voice that I attempt to communicate, reach out and touch others.

Realizing later that it was not by choice that we remained mute but by a conscious effort on the part of those in power, I realized that my art could only be that of protest—a protest against what I felt to be a death sentence.