"No Pasaran" (They Shall not Pass)
Mark Vallen 1984
Poster 17" x 21" inches $10.00

Artist's statement:

"While the slogan No Pasaran forever carries the weight of history, rooted as it is in the struggles of Spain and Nicaragua, it has come to exemplify so much more; the words have new relevance in the 21st century. No Pasaran spells out defiance to all those who would divide and crush the people underfoot.

In 1979 the Nicaraguan people overthrew the U.S. backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza. I created No Pasaran as a silkscreen street poster in 1984 when Nicaragua was under attack from the Contras, those right-wing Nicaraguans who were trained, armed, and funded by the Reagan administration. No Pasaran was a popular expression throughout Nicaragua, Central America, and the world; the words illustrated a determination to resist those who wage unjust wars.

The slogan No Pasaran (They shall not pass), first appeared during the days of the Spanish Republic (1931-1939), when the people overthrew the king and established a democracy. In 1936 General Francisco Franco attempted a military coup to preserve the old order; the people who vowed to defend Spain from falling to his fascist army used No Pasaran as their battle cry.

My silkscreen poster proved so popular that I self-published it as an offset poster. Thousands of copies were distributed for free at antiwar protests in Los Angeles, and a network was set up to assure their distribution across the western hemisphere and beyond. A few of those offset posters are still available and offered for sale on this page."