A portrait of Sandra Viviana Cuéllar Gallego
Mixed media.
2024
Sandra Viviana Cuéllar Gallego, born on October 24, 1984, in Cali, Colombia, was an environmental engineer, human rights advocate, dancer, and poet. She dedicated her life to land liberation, water protection, and preserving watersheds and wetlands in Valle del Cauca. Sandra tirelessly worked to improve the living conditions of sugar cane mill workers and supported communities near the Cauca River, denouncing illegal logging and the destruction of natural resources.
On February 17, 2011, at age 26, Sandra was disappeared on her way to teach National univeNational University of Palmira. Since then, there has been no word of her whereabouts. Her case was brought to the IACHR on June 13, 2024.
This work honors my friend Sandra, her parents, and her brother. We miss Sandra and continue to honor her life and legacy.
This work was presented in Berlin as part of the exhibition “The gold of Colombia is its people” organized by the Colombian Embassy in Berlin and exhibited at the Asisi Panorama in July 2024.