Just off M Street, down the alley between Levain Bakery and the building where Rí Rá Irish Pub once was in Georgetown, the mural of 18 faces is hard to miss at 15 feet tall. It’s part of the Bring Our Families Home campaign.
Alexandria Zambrano Forseth and her sister Gabriela Zambrano Hill were among the families that helped put up the mural. Their father, Alirio J. Zambrano, and uncle, Jose Luis Zambrano, are both detained in Venezuela.
“This picture shows his kind and joyful smile. It is what I miss the most,” said Alexandria, looking up at her dad.
Gabriela said she is hopeful this mural will remind visitors and elected officials of those detained abroad.
“How much more time are all of these people going to miss? I hope that you all feel love for your fellow man,” she said.
Matthew Heath was also on display. He has been detained in Venezuela since 2020. His mother, Connie shared the gruesome details of his treatment, pleading for more to be done.
“He was electrocuted over and over. He was also beaten. My son is not going to survive if our government does not get him home,” Connie said.
The photos, provided by the families, were pasted to the wall using water, flour and sugar, creating a biodegradable, temporary glue.
Artist Isaac Campbell said working with the families to put up the mural was an important part of the project, which took nearly three months to make happen.
“This is not a mural that I constructed myself, this is something we constructed together,” Campbell said.
Visitors to the mural will have a chance to learn more about each detainee using a QR code as their families continue the fight to bring them home.
You can also learn more about the campaign online.
