Lalo Alcaraz has been using his talent as a cartoonist to speak on several Latine issues over the last 30 years – from immigration to farm workers’ rights. Oftentimes, he crosses over into other topics, too, that affect the entire world and says he provides a “Chicano viewpoint.”
So, when Russian forces invaded Ukraine in late February, Alcaraz wasn’t about to stand idly by and not express himself through his art.
In one of his latest cartoons, Alcaraz depicts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “El Valiente,” a character from the original Lotería card game. In the last few weeks, Zelenskyy has been viewed by many as a symbol of Ukraine’s courage as the entire country stands up to Russia’s attacks. In English, “El Valiente” means “the brave one.”
Despite a reported three assassination attempts on him last week, Zelenskyy is not backing down. “I don’t hide, and I’m not afraid of anyone,” he recently said.
In his cartoon, Alcaraz, who last week became the first Latine to win the prestigious Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning, drew Zelenskyy in the same stance as the character from the original Lotería card – chest puffed out and ready for battle. Along with a long, bloody razor, Zelenskyy is holding the Ukrainian flag instead of a sarape.
“I thought it would be nice to showcase Zelenskyy and portray him in the light he deserves for standing his ground,” Alcaraz told Remezcla earlier today. “It’s a really bad situation over there right now, so we need some uplifting thoughts. I think it’s important for Ukrainians to have someone to rally them and for the world to come to the aid of Ukraine.”
To see more of Lalo Alcaraz’s work, visit his Instagram page.