Moral y luces is a series of black and white pencil and Sumi ink drawings depicting a seemingly idyllic beach scene. However, beneath the surface of carefree frolicking and interaction, the scenes reveal a complex tapestry of human emotions and societal contradictions. The foreground shows a diverse group of bathers, embodying a mix of isolation, apathy, hedonism, and fun. While they engage in various activities, their expressions and interactions hint at underlying tensions and anxieties.

In contrast, each background reveals a mysterious, nefarious scene: a single burning peñero symbolizing societal decay and the consequences of failed political choices. This imagery serves as a reflection on the responsibility we bear as a society for our own wellbeing. I draw a parallel to Simón Bolívar’s 1819 Angostura Address—where he famously stated, “Moral y luces son nuestras primeras necesidades” (Morality and enlightenment are our first needs)—to highlight the juxtaposition between his call for reason and the emotional voting that defined the election of Hugo Chávez. By prioritizing sentiment over the "moral and lights" of logic and ethics, the debacle of the Chávez and Maduro regimes becomes not just a political failure, but a collective one.