Maduro gesturing after his arrest
There was a story this week in the New York Times that illustrates the different cultural meanings of gestures, in this case, the V-sign (made with two fingers) seen as the peace or victory sign in the US depending on the way the hand is positioned. The story dealt with the “perp walk” of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro captured by US special forces in a raid on Caracas this weekend. As Maduro and his wife were led off in handcuffs, he flashed the thumbs up sign (a likely gesture of defiance) and then the V-sign with his other hand used to point towards it. According to the article, the meaning was quite specific and had nothing to do with peace:
The two-handed symbol used by Mr. Maduro — one hand forming a “V,” the other pointing toward it — means, “Nosotros venceremos,” or “Together we will win,” according to experts on Chavismo, the political movement named for Hugo Chávez, Mr. Maduro’s predecessor. It is a phrase that has long been used by leftist revolutionary movements in Latin America, including Cuba’s, to signal the triumph over oppression.
The true meaning of the gesture was clear to Venezuelans: “On social media, the repeated gesture quickly spread, with some claiming that it visually resembled Mr. Chavez’s signature, which after his death in 2013 became a ubiquitous symbol, including in tattoos.” Also at a session of Venezuela’s National Assembly in Caracas on Monday, legislators flashed the same sign, as did Jorge Rodríguez, who at that session was ratified as president of the National Assembly. He is the brother of Delcy Rodríguez, the former Vice President who on Sunday was sworn in as the country’s interim leader.
After being sworn in as Assembly president, Jorge Rodríguez reaffirmed his loyalty to the ousted Maduro in nonverbal form:
When those in the room — and the cameras — turned toward Mr. Rodríguez, he first raised a fist in the air, then made the same “V” gesture Mr. Maduro had, along with a thumbs up. The sequence appeared to be a homage to, or a call and response, with Mr. Maduro, who was by then about 2,000 miles away… Supporters celebrated the moment and Venezuela’s main state-run television outlet, VTV, called Mr. Maduro’s gesture a “potent symbol of dignity and courage” and a “sign of peace and victory.”
The use of the hand gesture demonstrates how nonverbals can have very specific local meanings, quite different from the default. Another example is the “ok” sign, forming a circle by connecting the index finger to the thumb, with the other fingers spread out. In some communities, especially online, that gesture has become associated with white supremacy and the far right (outstretched fingers as “W”, the circle and hand as “P”, for “White Power”).
The intense reaction in Venezuela to Maduro’s gesture also demonstrates the potential power of nonverbals, a useful device in situations where verbal speech is not possible, as was the case for the incarcerated Maduro. That is something we see often in sports, where also verbal messages are not effectively conveyed, as in goal celebrations in soccer or in (American) footfall. Nonverbals in those circumstances can be much more effective communicative devices.