Valparaíso, February 11, 2021. “It is about the sea and shows the species sadly because of the plastic garbage,” explains the prominent national artist Mon Laferte who painted a large mural in the Cerro Cárcel de Valparaíso, thus supporting the campaign of the marine conservation organization Oceana that seeks to stop pollution from single-use plastics.
The Viñamarina singer was working on this work together with a group of artists for three days “to raise awareness about the pollution that affects the oceans and the living beings that inhabit them”, adding that “sometimes it is difficult to realize the damage provoked, that’s why I wanted to humanize marine species that look sad as a result of the plastics that are in their habitat ”.
Recall that in May 2019, Oceana together with Plastic Oceans Chile released a study that developed a baseline on the situation of plastics in Chile and included an analysis of legislation in other countries on the matter and a proposal for regulation. As a result of this report, senators from different benches, with the support of deputies and deputies, presented a bill that regulates single-use plastics used in food outlets, as well as plastic bottles in the case of supermarkets.
“At Oceana we have worked for almost three years in this campaign to limit the generation of single-use plastics and we have realized how important it is that all the inhabitants of the country know the consequences in the short and long term that the use of products that we discard in a few minutes, but that will remain forever ”, said Liesbeth van der Meer, Executive Director of Oceana Chile. “For this reason, we believe that this mural will help to generate more awareness on the issue and that the message reaches the deputies who must vote on this project in March,” he added.
The legal initiative was approved unanimously in the Senate in July 2020 and is currently being reviewed in the Environment Commission of the Chamber of Deputies and Deputies, which must dispatch it for voting in the room.
“Hopefully a mural like this can raise awareness not only in people, but also in those who have the power to push the changes we need, those who make the decisions can make a difference by approving the project that protects the sea from plastics single use, ”said Mon Laferte.
The mural, which is also transformed into a contribution to the urban art of Valparaíso, is already fully finished and can be seen on José Joaquín Pérez 173, Cerro Cárcel, on one of the side walls of the Hotel Ultramar. José Lozano, who gave the mural, considered “of great relevance that the cultural and artistic aspect of the city be enhanced because the vast majority of visitors to Valparaíso come precisely for this reason. In addition, we decided to give up this wall because it has a theme that no one could disagree with, such as stopping the pollution of the sea by plastics ”, he concluded.
In this sense, Oceana considered that the cultural and natural heritage should be the axis of the development of this historic city where the protection of the sea acquires the same relevance as culture, which is reflected in the mural.