Speech Utilized as a Shield: An Analysis

Speech Utilized as a Shield: An Analysis

Young Indigenous Filmmaker Luzbeidy Monterrosa: Voice for Wayuu People and Territory

Meet Luzbeidy Monterrosa, a vibrant young woman hailing from La Guajira — a binational Wayuu town situated between Venezuela and Colombia's northernmost region. Born in Venezuelan territory with dual nationality, she's been crafting movies from a Wayuu perspective for the last eight years. Currently, she's a film student at Mexico's Cinematographic Institute of Humanistic Research.

Ever since her filmmaking journey commenced, Luzbeidy's employed visual communication to voice her territory's unique dual nationality predicament. From 2018 to 2020, she collaborated with Colombia's National Indigenous Organization for a political participation project, and since then, she's a part of "Agenda Propia" — a digital platform dedicated to fostering communication networks within the territory, emphasizing a feminine perspective.

Luzbeidy has made an indelible impact educating and training women and children in La Guajira, Putumayo, and other Colombian locales. Her project, "Origin of Knowledge and Balance of the Feminine World," targets the most vulnerable sectors within Indigenous communities, providing essential training. UNICEF's Center for Psychosocial Development has been fortunate to work with her on initiatives aimed at helping child victims of armed conflict and engaging them in audiovisual media and photography.

Communication: Tool for Artistic Expression and Defense

Communication transcends mere messaging; it can reshape narratives, empowering Indigenous children and women to confront and heal from traumatic experiences. Luzbeidy articulates it thus: "Communication is an artistic expression, capturing these realities respectfully; it's not about revictimization, but about healing."

Luzbeidy's commitment to communication stemmed from troubling events witnessed during her younger years in La Guajira, such as transnational companies seeking to exploit resources in the territory. Realizing the importance of communication as a means of advocacy, she stated, "I came to understand that as Indigenous people and women, we can leverage, utilize, and capitalize on these communication tools as a form of defense."

Luzbeidy perceives information and communication as essential catalysts for the empowerment of Wayuu women and children. By narrating and exchanging stories, she signifies that discourse on regional rights increases in depth and breadth.

Speaking from the Territory

Through her work within diverse Indigenous communities, Luzbeidy has identified various pressing issues worth addressing and gained valuable knowledge and connections to be shared with other communities. Her ambition is to expand her project across more of Colombia and Venezuela.

Regarding her personal life, Luzbeidy candidly discusses the challenges of embracing her lesbian identity in her community. Although she's generally been met with positivity, moments of adversity do arise. Remaining optimistic and patient, she recognizes decolonizing these attitudes is an ongoing process.

"A lot has transpired in my Indigenous communities. I'm respected and admired due to my experiences growing up in various regions and my appreciation for each community's knowledge," she says. "I am a woman, born and raised in Venezuela, who arrived with knowledge of another way."

Diversity reigns, and the disconnect between these differing realities often leads to rights and freedoms suppression, isolating women and children and diminishing their social, political, and economic participation. For this reason, Luzbeidy appreciates communication as an indispensable instrument for people to create and disseminate their stories infused with their unique realities and perceptions of the world, to connect with individuals who share similar experiences.

1. Luzbeidy Monterrosa uses her skills in fashion-and-beauty and visual communication to voice her territory's unique dual nationality predicament through her films.
2. She has collaborated with various organizations like Colombia's National Indigenous Organization for education-and-self-development and advocacy projects.
3. In addition to filmmaking, Luzbeidy has been educating and training women and children in La Guajira, Putumayo, and other Colombian locales, focusing on personal-growth and skills-training programs.
4. Her work on communication extends beyond her territory, using social-media platforms to foster communication networks and share stories from diverse Indigenous communities.
5. As she has gained more recognition, Luzbeidy has faced challenges in her career-development, including confronting adversity due to her sexual identity within her community.
6. Despite these challenges, she continues to use her platform for entertainment and pop-culture, including sci-fi-and-fantasy themes, to inspire change and promote social justice for Indigenous communities in job-search and beyond.

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