Miss Universe as you've never seen her: Venezuelan beauty queen poses in her crown, bound and gagged with a blood stained face to highlight epidemic of violence that is gripping her nation

Stefania Fernandez was crowned Miss Universe in 2009

She's joined a campaign to raise awareness of the violence gripping her home country of Venezuela

Since February, 28 people have been killed in anti-government protests in Venezuela

A woman once crowned Miss Universe is lending her famous face to a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the alleged human rights violations that have occurred in her native country, Venezuela, during recent anti-government protests.

Only, Stefanía Fernández, who was crowned Miss Universe in 2009, doesn't look like a typical beauty queen for this campaign.

To symbolize the violence people in Venezuela have suffered at the hands of the country's violent underworld - as well as those killed in recent anti-government protests - Fernandez appears covered in blood and filth while gagged and crying tears of blood.



Beauty Queen: Stefania Fernandez was once Miss Universe but is now lending her face to a campaign to raise awareness of violence in Venezuela

Stunning: Fernandez was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2008 and Miss Universe in 2009

The campaign is called Your Voice is Your Power, which also takes aim at the oppression of the media in the socialist nation.

So far, 28 people have been killed in the daily anti-government protests that began in February.



Fernandez and photographer Daniel Bracci plan to use social media to spread the word of their courageous campaign against the Venezuela's current political situation.



Some of the images from the campaign have been uploaded to Instagram with the hashtag #MordazasEnVenezuela (#GaggedInVenezuela).

Bracci also is an illustrator, and said he wanted to make the photos as disturbing as he could to create a visual element of the campaign that will garner attention.

Violence: Venezuela has seen 28 people killed in anti0government protests since the protests began in February

Spread the word: The campaign is being spread across social media, with the hashtag #mordazasenvenezuela

'This campaign started because something directly affected me, when my grandfather passed away because of the hampa (the underworld-like situation) taking place in Venezuela,' Bracci told South American news outlet Informe 21.