AP English Language and Composition

Daniela Guerrero
Block 5

Maduro A Ripe Fruit

The Panamanian cartoonist, Arcadio Esquivel, published his
cartoon Maduro est maduro
1
in the national newspaper, La
Prensa Panama. The audience includes the readership of La
Prensa Panama, who are most likely well-informed citizens,
aware of the situation currently taking place in Venezuela. The
subject of the cartoon includes the present-day political and
social instability in Venezuela, in which people disagree with the
governments position. The newspaper readers should be familiar with the social revolts taking
place, therefore should clearly understand the cartoon.
The cartoon is displaying the face of Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelas current president,
hanging from a tree while Venezuelan residents are both finger pointing and commenting about
him. The head of Maduro is much larger than the tree branch from which it is hanging.
Furthermore, the two middle-aged men have a different hair and shirt color and they stand
looking up at him. One of these men, has a shirt that says free Venezuela, while the other
man is saying Va a caer, va caer Ya est maduro
2
. In a similar sense, the facial expression
of both of these men displays a semi-smile, while Maduros face seems to be glowering.
It is important to emphasize word choice as a technique the cartoonist dominates in
order to make the cartoon understandable. The polysemic word maduro
3
, happens to be
Venezuelas president last name, as well as a synonym for ripe. The head of the Venezuelan
president is hanging from a tree branch and because of the curved lines, which suggest
movement, and the size of his head is bigger than the tree branch, thus Esquivel is implying the
head is about to fall. The cartoonist appeals to logos by making the image of the tree coincide

1
English translation: Maduro is ripe
2
English translation: It is going to fall, it is going to fall it is already ripe
3
English translation: Ripe
with a biological doctrine in which when a fruit becomes ripe, it falls from a tree, therefore,
indicating Maduro is a ripe fruit, suggesting he is about to fall from power. In addition, the brief
dialogue said by one of the men Va a caer, va a caer esta maduro is mocking the image of
Maduros head ready to fall. Through the use of sardonic humor the cartoonist is affirming
Maduros governmental collapse because of the numerous upheavals taking place, which
demonstrates the cartoonist disproval towards the president. Furthermore, the people pointing
at him suggest not only a certain social class is against him, rather multiple classes want him
out of power. Esquivel satirizes the political instability of Venezuela by portraying Nicolas
Maduro as a ripe fruit about to fall from a tree branch, therefore suggesting he is about to fall
from power.













Bibliography

Esquivel, A. (February 20,2014). Maduro est maduro, Cagle Cartoons. Retrieved February 24, 2014 from:
http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/11cc3506-50cb-46bc-828d-4e48d49d408d.html