OSPAAAL - Correos de Guatemala 1972

This original circa 1970 Cuban political poster was designed by Lázaro Abreu Padrón for OSPAAAL, the Organization of Solidarity with the Peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America. It was created for the Day of Solidarity with Guatemala, observed on February 6, and presents its message in Spanish, French, English and Arabic.

OSPAAAL was founded in Havana in 1966 to support revolutionary, anti-colonial and anti-imperialist movements across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Its posters were frequently folded and distributed internationally with Tricontinental magazine, transforming graphic design into an effective means of political communication.

Abreu constructs the composition in the form of an oversized three-cent Guatemalan postage stamp. At its centre is a photographic image of an impoverished urban settlement, accompanied by the words “Correos de Guatemala” and “Los frutos de la ayuda mutua,” meaning “The Fruits of Mutual Aid.” A repeated emblem of clasped hands, stars and stripes forms a decorative border around the image.

The apparently official language and familiar postal imagery are used ironically, contrasting promises of international assistance with the poverty shown in the photograph. The vivid yellow frame, heavy black background and restrained brown-and-blue photographic treatment create a powerful example of OSPAAAL’s ability to combine political criticism with bold and immediately recognisable graphic design.

Lázaro Abreu Padrón was a Cuban designer who produced numerous solidarity posters for OSPAAAL during the late 1960s and 1970s. Combining documentary photography, Pop Art and political satire, this original poster is a significant historical piece for collectors of Cuban graphic design, Latin American political art and revolutionary ephemera.

Original Poster

Political - Guatemala - Los Frutos of Ayuda Mutua

Jornada de Solidaridad con Guatemala

Good condition, soiling