Manuel Oliver, the activist for a future without guns

ACTIVISM. In 2018, they put a bulletproof vest on the “Fearless Girl” in New York in protest. | Photo: Courtesy Change The Ref.

Manuel Oliver, co-founder of Change The Ref and father of Joaquín Oliver, is an activist who seeks to make a difference and change the narrative about the carrying of weapons in the United States. With various actions, it works for a change of thought in people, so that they put pressure on the congressmen and the laws are changed.

Manuel’s activism along with his wife, Patricia, began with the loss of their son, Joaquín “Guac” Oliver, who was one of the 17 fatalities of the Parkland massacre. The shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday, February 14, 2008.

Around 3:00 pm (local time) the high school fire alarm began to sound. Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former school student, opened fire with an AR-15 type assault rifle.

The massacre became the seventh deadliest shooting in the United States since 1991, according to data from BBC Mundo. From that moment on, Manuel has fought tirelessly to join actions in the search for greater control of firearms.

“There is a direct relationship between the arms market, crime levels and the number of victims that the country sees die daily,” Manuel said in an interview with El Tiempo Latino in June this year.

Manuel acknowledged that there are people who use weapons to good effect, but rejected the idea of ​​acquiring them for personal defense: “Thanks to the Second Amendment, you can acquire a weapon and defend yourself; the question would be to defend yourself from whom, well, from another person who is going to do the same ”.

The activist, who emigrated with his family from Venezuela to the United States in 2003, pointed out that the arms market motivates criminality in a vicious circle. Despite the actions taken against the possession of weapons, and the number of victims increasing, he is confident that the trend will change in the future.

“Everything makes sense and generates results,” said Oliver about the actions carried out by his organization, Change The Ref. He considered that his work is an obligation more than a job. He expects to see changes in about 10 years, when the young people of the new generation start voting.

Manuel, who is a community leader to be recognized in Hispanic Heritage Month, considered that the message must be constant that individuals do not need to carry weapons to feel free.

At Change The Ref they use art and public spaces to attract attention together with the community. On November 2, 2018, for example, they put a bulletproof vest on the “Fearless Girl” and became the “Fearful Girl” for a short period of time.

The action carried out on the bronze sculpture, located in front of the Wall Street Bull (Charging Bull) in New York, was a creative protest to denounce the mass shootings that occur in the United States.

Change The Ref also seeks to prepare future leaders, through education, conversation and activism, to make positive changes and for a more peaceful future.

Manuel’s organization also criticizes the “corrupt maneuvers of the NRA to buy out legislators”; In addition, it looks for ways to treat the pain in the families of those who died in the massacres that occurred. Manuel and Patricia pledged to keep the memory of their son and the other 16 victims alive in search of a change that prevents future misfortunes.

Figures that alert

According to The Washington Post, more than 23 million firearms were purchased in 2020, a year marked by the pandemic, protests and elections. The figure represents a 66% increase compared to 2019, based on federal data on gun background checks, the newspaper reported.

In January and February 2021, people acquired more guns than during any month in previous years for which there is a record. In January alone, 2.5 million guns were purchased.

Data from the Pew Research Center show that there is a firearm in 21% of Hispanic homes, 32% in African American homes and in 49% of whites.

And in the first eight months of 2021, more than 13,600 people died and 27,300 were injured by gunshot wounds, according to information from the Gun Violence Archive organization updated on September 1.