Jorge Mendoza and the master Solón Romero working on the unfinished  mural "Juana contemporánea del pueblo", 1979. Technique: lacquer pyroxylin;  dimensions:  4.5 x 3.3 meters ( 14’x 11’ feet); Heritage  of University Major San Andrés, La Paz-Bolivia.

In this mural I've depicted the terror and violence from the Bolivian narco’s cartel I witnessed that tortured and killed aprox 1,500 innocent young college students, teachers, workers and country leaders during the first officially known narco cup d'etat in Bolivia. This bloodiest cupd'etat was guided by corrupts commanders such as Alberto Natusch-Busch, a military officer from German descent who in the late 1970s rose to the rank of colonel from the Bolivian Army.  Those Bolivian army's corrupts were associated with drug-lords and traffickers such as Roberto Suarez Gomez (1932-2000) the Bolivian cocaine’s king pin  from the Santa Cruz’ cartel known for financing the 1980 coup d’état also  known as the "Cocaine Coup”.  He  was a major supplier of cocaine for various criminal organizations. That narco/army cartel tortured and killed leaders such as Marcelo Quiroga, and intellectuals such as the  catalan priest Lluís Espinal i Camps, a Spanish priest, poet, journalist, filmmaker, and film critic (Wikipedia). In my case, I have had to flee to México in order to preserve my life.

That horrendous chapter of Bolivian history inspired me to draw and  paint and. This  mural “Juana Azurduy Contemporánea del pueblo” and link this homage to Juana Azurduy de Padilla (1780-1862) who in 1809 was the guerrilla's military leader from Chuquisaca, Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. Juana and her husband Manuel Ascencio Padila also fought for the  Argentiian's independence and the Northerns Loyalist's Battalion, and she  earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (1812). Moreover, the libertador Simon Bolívar said : “... this country should have had named Azurduy, to honor the memory of  doña Juana Azurduy... (!) Wikipedia.

As a result of painting this mural, I've had to flee from my country to preserve my life from the South America’s’ Operation Condor” (1975-1980). 

First stage of the unfinished mural " Juana del pueblo” and after its restoration process in 2015; at the University San Andres, La Paz Bolivia. Note the damage and vandalism that endured this mural!!

Jorge Mendoza with Mauricio Bayro, Bolivian painters at the Juana contemporánea’s, Mural Heritage room. Bayro studied this mural and wrote his thesis: Los muros de la memoria (2015).  Additionally, he worked in this mural's restoration with the following interventions:

1) stabilized the mural's lacquer painting  layers from humidity;

 2) controlled and avoided decaying and detachments layers from the supporting wall;

3) controlled the impact levels on the beams that supports the walls;

3) installed adequate lighting source avoiding deterioration, wear and tear. 

http://www.semanarioaqui.com/index.php/cultura/1074-el-mural-inconcluso-de-solon-romero-y-jorge-mendoza

Teaching Social Justice at Nashville Public Library 2015 ; Mural Juana’s Contemporary

Mural’s workshop: "Juana Contemporary revisited", Social Justice Painting Workshop held  at the  Nashville, TN Public Library's show (2015): We are here: Contemporary Voices celebrating 500 years of Latin Americans  in USA's presence and history.

"Mural Juana contemporánea revisado", Taller de Justicia Social en Pintura; Biblioteca Pública de Nashville, TN. Exposición: Estamos aquí: Voces contemporáneas celebrando 500 años de presencia y de historia de Latino Americanos en USA (2015).

The Juana's mural re-visited, Nashville Public Library, TN, 2015

The group of students and artists working in the mural's Juana revisited. December 15, 2015 to April 3, 2016.