Human Rights Portfolio

( Libre Elecci6n -- Free Choice)

Felix MONTERROSA HERNANDEZ - Oaxaca

Felix Monterrosa Hernandez, pintor y promotor cultural, magueylmezcal, naci6 en Oaxaca de Juarez Oaxaca en 1987. Proviene de una familia de productores y ex pendedores de Mezca/ de Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca. En 2005 egres6 de la carrera de artes visuales en la facu! tad de Bellas Aries de la universidad Benito Juarez de Oaxaca. Posteriormente estudi6 la carrera de ciencias polfticas de la universidad Jose Vasconcelos def estado de Oaxaca. Su quehacer artf stico se exp res a en diver sos formatos, desde la grafica, la pintura hasta la insta/ aci6n. En la busqueda de estrategias que permitan una distancia con lo que se conoce coma "pintura oa xaquena" (folklor, algarabf a, identidad, exuberancia, etc.), Monterrosa ha recurrido a diversas estrategias, al gunas expresivas, otras reflexives. Monterrosa ha elaborado y coordinado exposiciones pict6ricas coma carpetas graficas en donde invita a ar tistes para que enriquezcan el acervo cultural, maguey mezcal. "El tema de mi estampa es Libre Elecci6n. La mineria en las comunidades de Oaxaca y Mexico ha traido graves problemas medioambientales y con ello de salud en la poblaci6n. Las comunidades se han organizado para rechazar "los apoyos" y la instalaci6n de nuevas mineras con el fin de explotar sus recursos naturales. Ademas de todos los danos sociales y ambientales que produce la actividad minera cuando se lleva a cabo, ex iste un enorme dano social generado por el solo hecho de ser concesionados los territorios, todo ello para en grosar las areas de las companias mineras. Estas ultimas, hacienda uso de derechos tan amplios y favorables, pueden mantener sus concesiones durante anos medi ante unas pocas obras y un exiguo pago de derechos como contraprestaci6n, mientras obtienen jugosas ganancias en las bolsas de valores. Pueden, a su vez, vender la concesi6n a otra empresa y especular a su con veniencia; pero lo que venden no es un bien de propie dad privada sino un derecho concedido por la naci6n en su calidad de titular originario del subsuelo. Sobre ese subsuelo viven personas que ven trastocada su vida co tidiana por la amenaza que implica saber que en cualquier momenta y sin que se les consulte puede in stalarse un proyecto minero en sus territorios. Es la determinaci6n de los pueblos sobre fines empresar iales extranjeros."

Felix Monterrosa Hernandez, painter and cultural pro moter, maguey/mezcal, was born in Oaxaca de Juarez Oax. in 1987. He comes from a family of Mezcal pro ducers and vendors from Santiago Matatlan, Oax. In 2005 he graduated with a degree in visual arts from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Benito Juarez University in Oaxaca. Later he studied political sciences at the Jose Vasconcelos University in the state of Oaxaca. Monterrosa's artistic work is expressed in various medi ums, from printmaking to painting to installation. Ex ploring strategies that would allow him to distantiate himself from what is known as "Oaxacan painting" (folklore, hubbub, identity, exuberance, etc.), Monter rosa has resorted to various approaches, some expressive, others reflective. Monterrosa has developed and coordinated pictorial exhibitions including print portfolios where he invites artists with the purpose of enriching the cultural herit age, maguey/mezcal. "The theme of my woodcut print is Free Choice. Mining in the communities of Oaxaca and Mexico has created serious environmental problems, with associated health problems in the population. Communities have orga nized to reject "support" and the installation of new mining companies whose main objective is to exploit their natural resources. In addition to all the social and environmental damages that mining activity produces, there is serious social damage generated by the mere fact of concessioning the territories to the mining companies so that they can increase their coffers. These companies, making use of broad and favorable rights, can maintain their conces sions for years through little work and a meager pay ment of rights in return, while obtaining juicy profits on the stock markets. They can, in turn, sell the concession to another company and speculate at their conven ience; but what they sell is not a private property but a right granted by the nation in its capacity as the original owner of the subsoil. On this subsoil live people who see their daily lives disrupted by the threat that at any time and without being consulted a mining project can be installed in their territories. It is the determination of the peoples against foreign business purposes."