SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — A massive, colorful mural depicting an eagle and a condor has been painted on the Mexican side of the border wall in Tijuana.
It’s 200-feet wide and 30-feet tall and is located a few dozen feet from the ocean.
It depicts the giant birds flying together overseeing a vast landscape.
Daniel Watman, one of the artwork organizers, says the birds represent a Native American prophecy.
“During the conquest, the eagle and the condor were separated; the eagle went to the north and the condor went to the south. Five hundred years later in 1992, they started to come back together,” Watman said. “When they get back together, there will be peace throughout the Americas, and to have that displayed on the actual border is quite significant.”
Watman says the artwork itself was done by an artist known as “Libre” and 10 others, including two Kumeyaay artists from Baja California.
The mural was paid for by donors on the U.S. side of the border.
“It turns the border wall itself, which the original color was gray like something you see in a prison, it just turned it into a huge space of brilliant colors and life.”
Watman said the mural is a silent protest based on a labor of love.
“Love kind of overcoming this violent act of separation that has been implemented by U.S. border policy,” he said.
Artists took three weeks to paint the mural, which was dedicated last weekend.
“It was quite the package, quite intense, we were out there all day, every day for three weeks, we hope to unveil a plaque describing the Native American prophecy soon.”