COVID-19: In Latin America, face masks become a form of expression
Face masks were rarely used in Latin America before the coronavirus pandemic
Last updated:
2 MIN READ
1/19
Rarely used in Latin America outside hospitals before the coronavirus pandemic, face masks are now compulsory for subway riders, supermarket shoppers and even joggers in some countries - and they're becoming a coloUrful part of the region's daily life. | Above: A woman wears a mask with printed lips, in Caracas, Venezuela.
AP
2/19
Motifs showing up on masks are varied, often reflecting local cultures. There are lucha libre-themed masks in Mexico, logos of soccer clubs in Argentina, Batman characters in Peru and coloUrful swimsuit prints in Colombia.life. | Above: A woman wears a face shield made from a plastic bottle container, in Caracas.
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3/19
A woman wearing a face mask decorated with an animal face waits in line for a rapid coronavirus test at a train station in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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4/19
A man wears a mask featuring the smile of comic book character The Joker, in Caracas, Venezuela.
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5/19
Idania Espanola, 63, poses for a photo showing a bra that she will adapt into two face masks, in Cojimar, Cuba, east of Havana.
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6/19
A man wears a piece of cloth as a face mask at a street market in Caracas, Venezuela.
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7/19
A mannequin wears a protective face mask outside a shop in Lima, Peru.
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8/19
A clown in a face mask protests restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 which bar clowns from working on the streets outside the National Palace in Mexico City.
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9/19
A woman wears a scuba and surgical mask while shopping at a market in Lima, Peru.
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10/19
A man whose mask features US dollar bills stands in line for free food from residents helping others facing economic hardship in the financial district of Montevideo, Uruguay.
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11/19
A woman wears a home made mask as she walks outside in Caracas, Venezuela.
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12/19
A youth wears a homemade face mask made of sequenced fabric in Old Havana, Cuba.
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13/19
John Sanchez wears a face mask with the Spanish message "Resist Peru" as he waits in line to be tested for COVID-19 at Almenara Hospital in Lima, Peru.
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14/19
A boy wears a Spiderman face mask in Bogota, Colombia.
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15/19
A woman holds paper in her mouth, her alternative to a face mask, as she waits in line for a free lunch from a charity that helps the homeless, in Lima, Peru.
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16/19
A motorcycle taxi driver wears marijuana motiff mask in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
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17/19
An elderly woman wearing a protective face mask and disposable gloves adjusts her headscarf as she takes a walk outside at a nursing home in Caracas, Venezuela.
AP
18/19
Emiliana Quispe poses for a portrait wearing a face mask that reads in Spanish: "Stay home. It's not the same as 'shut up at home,'" at the headquarters of the local feminist organization "Mujeres Creando," or Women Creating, where members are making the masks to sell amid the spread of the new coronavirus in La Paz, Bolivia.
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19/19
Night guard Felix Ortiz wears a mask with the logo of Jurassic World as he poses for a photo in front of a closed store at Market 4, in Asuncion, Paraguay.
AP
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