The political cartoon developed by Carlos Latuff benefits from the integration of his artistic

techniques and strong political ideologies to illustrate the deep-rooted brutalities and racism that
black Americans face in, through this context, the US. In the cartoon, Latuff draws Lady Liberty
to be an African- American woman on the left-hand side while paralleling sketching President
Trump on the right, holding the leash to an aggressive pit bull that stands to represent the U.S
army. The primary inspiration for the illustration lies with the quote, “I can’t breathe” on Liberty’s
tabula, to honour the death of George Floyd; one of the many victims of unethical police brutality
in the States who then became the face of the ‘Black Lives Matter movement.

The black woman, drawn to depict the Statue of Liberty, acts as a symbol to the Black Lives
Matter movement. She holds a molotov cocktail in her right hand, an incendiary device typically
used during protests, instead of the original torchlight. The replacement reflects upon the
oppression of its purpose, to serve as a light of guidance towards liberty for all in the country.
The cocktail in itself however depicts the desire for change and a flame of hope for equal rights.
The expression on the woman’s face portrays anger and distaste as she screams for her equal
rights. The turquoise colour of her dress that represents tranquillity provides an ironic
relationship between how she feels on the inside and how she characterises herself on the
outside. The woman holds up the tabulus that quotes, “I can’t breathe” as a method of
contradiction to the holy book that President Trump is painted to hold. Latuff, through this
depiction, expresses the way in which Trump often manipulates religion in order to justify acts of
violence to murder innocent people, where their only crime is considered to be the colour of
their skin. The mirroring of the two objects develops the idea of black Americans all over the
country standing as a collective to voice their rights against the government that sits idly to the
severe implications of racism.
Opposing the African- American woman, Latuff draws President Trump. The suit he wears is an
accurate mimicry of his archetypal attire, the colours of which represent the American flag. The
use of red symbolises the centre of violence to be the President and his negligence towards
issues that gravely impact the lives of his country’s citizens. Another notable feature sketched
for his cartoon can be observed on his face, where his eyes are closed as he aggravates the
‘U.S army’ labelled pit bull with a kick. Through this, Carlos Latuff attempts to portray the
irresponsibility and misuse of power in the democratic government. The use of the bible with red
pages reflects upon the use of religion to cover up the unethical violence, and Trump's confident
grip on the book shows his ability to manipulate and hide the injustice faced in the free country.

In the President’s left hand, he holds the chain to a white pitbull that represents the U.S army.
The inclusion of this element depicts the involvement of the U.S military to control countrywide
protests and the primary protection it provides to the President. The dog stands with the position
of a guard attacking the woman carrying the assumption that she poses a threat to Trump. The
colour choice of the pit bull to be of a white tone represents the majority of Caucasian policemen
that are responsible for the death of colour minorities. Pitbulls, in theory, are usually looked at to
be a naturally aggressive breed; thus by the use of this particular dog breed, Latuff conveys the
naturalistic violent behaviour that the police department and the U.S military exhibit. As drawn in
the image, President Trump is given complete control over the actions of the pitbull i.e the U.S
military. The artistic portrayal reflects the idea of command and dictatorship wherein the U.S
military is forced through regulations to act upon what they have been told from a central head.

Carlos Latuff, with the use of vivid colours and cartoon drawings, depicts a persistent issue of
racism and minority in the United States of America. He paints the issue using strong
techniques of symbolism and metaphors. The recent death of George Floyd sparked numerous
protests and riots around the country, marking the beginning to the Black Lives Matter
movement. Latuff spreads awareness about the injustice through the lighthearted medium that
stands with a much deeper meaning.