Benjamín Mendoza y Amor Flores

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While in prison in Manila's Bilibid Penitentiary the Bolivian artist Benjamin Mendoz was interviewed and photographed by the veteran American Photo Journalist Ron Laytner. The artist, who hated Catholicism, was being punished by Philippine authorities with years of classes in the Catholic faith. He told Laytner he had been surrounded by thousands of Catholic prisoners who hated him for the first few years until they realized he was friendly. Laytner's photographs include one in which he was holding a crucifix upside down and others featuring the burning eyes of the artist. The Philippine government of President Ferdinand Marcos was extremely embarrassed by the airport attack on the visiting Pope. A prison police report said the 13 inch knife that had been seen plunging into the Pope's robes was made of rubber. Mendoza was protected against execution for years by Pope Paul, his intended assassination victim, who said he had not been injured. But when the Pope died his doctors revealed a long knife scar running down his body. Some of Mendoza's 'assassination art' can be seen at www.editinternational.com.