Media Censorship In Venezuela: Rage, Corruption And Fear
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Media Censorship In Venezuela: Rage, Corruption And Fear

Why the revolution will not be televised.

30
Media Censorship In Venezuela: Rage, Corruption And Fear

It was May 27th of the year 2007. On that Sunday, I remember being sat on my parents’ bed with my mom watching TV. We were watching a local channel called ‘RCTV’ and something important was happening, as I could tell by my mother’s actions. She seemed tense, at times emotional, but I didn’t know what was going on. In all innocence and while seeing thousands of people gathered in the channel’s headquarters in Caracas through my screen, I asked her what the matter was and the reason behind her being so “strange”, as I perceived it. Without taking her eyes from the screen and with an apparent unconscious answer that seemed to have just fallen from her lips she said “they’re shutting them down”.

By “they”, I knew exactly who she meant. Even though I wasn’t even stepping into adolescence at this point, I had grown up in a politically unstable country and this had affected me enough to the point where it directly guided me to infer that by “they”,she meant the government. I continued watching the screen, without even bothering to ask why this was happening, because even at my young age, I knew that sometimes there wasn’t really an answer as to why our government did certain things. I was only ten years old, but I was about to witness something that would forever shape my character.

Behind chants that claimed “freedom”, were the faces of countless actors and actresses, videographers, news anchors, producers, writers and other members of the channel’s staff that stood there, as living evidence of the suffocating oppression my country was undergoing. Some were crying with eyes filled with sorrow and hopelessness, while others gamely held their heads high. Nevertheless, they were all there for the same reason: to show that, even though they were being unjustly shut down, Venezuela had a task to fulfill; and that was to fight for a freedom of speech that was being snatched from us at that moment in front of our very own eyes.

As I dedicated all my attention to the screen, I carefully and purposely tried to stamp this moment in my memory. I saw how they directed the camera to a familiar face and one that I knew too well. It was Eladio Lárez, the host of the Venezuelan “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, a man who I remembered had seemingly been on TV for as long as I had lived until that moment, even though the show had first aired in the 2000’s. I had grown up watching him and specifically remember evenings at my grandma’s house with the show on and my family playing along. He had always brought much joy to my home, but the usual cheery and positive attitude he conveyed during his show simply wasn’t there that day. He seemed down. Filled with impotence, heartache and plain anger, as I’m sure many were feeling as well. As he was giving his statement, I couldn’t help but notice a song that was playing in the background.

“Because there is a heart that screams, because there is a lovely emotion, filled with love and will to stay with you. There is a Venezuela that won’t be silenced. There’s a country that is reflected in the screen. Defend your right to watch what you want to watch.”

That song, which needless to say makes more sense in Spanish, will forever stay in my mind as it perfectly describes the moment of exasperation that many Venezuelans were going through at the time. As the channel had its last minutes on air, which finished with the Venezuelan national anthem, I could hear my mother’s sobs next to me. My heart instantly sank to my feet and I couldn’t help myself but start to cry as well as the screen turned black and a new government-ran TV channel, “TVes”, invaded what once was the 53-year-old RCTV.

The shadow of censorship has been falling over the Venezuelan media outlets for many years. By the time Hugo Chavez passed away in 2013, the media atmosphere had been greatly shifted and morphed. The majority of media organizations were either silenced and taken from the air, or made to support the government only expanding the media of the ‘state’. Not only this, but after the new president of the country, Nicolas Maduro, was appointed in February 2014, and protests against him peaked, it was declared that the freedom of the press had been violated at least 500% more times when compared to February 2013. This includes 37 arrests, 67 aggressions and one bullet injury to media figures who were covering said protests and related events.

It’s 2016 and nothing has changed, in fact, it has worsened. David Natera Febres, the director of the regional daily newspaper “Correo del Caroní”, was found guilty of defamation and was sentenced to four years of imprisonment this past March by the Venezuelan Justice System, which is highly corrupted and favors the government. Febres published a report in 2013 exposing an extortion scheme involving “CVG Ferrominera Orinoco”, a mining company, which is run by the state, to no one’s surprise. This shows an unjust penalization of free and independent investigative journalism in efforts to brazenly muzzle and silence the Venezuelan people. This is why, according to Freedom House, Venezuela no longer has a free press and hasn’t had one since 2003. And this is just one instance that exemplifies the many barriers that journalism has on the Venezuelan soil.

This ideological steamroller that Venezuelan journalists has been subjected to has intensified so much, that there’s much less space for diversity of information to get to the people through the main mediums, which is the sole purpose of informative and investigative journalism. As an alternative, many Venezuelans turn to Twitter and other social media platforms to communicate their ideas and become informed of what’s going on around them, ranking fourth globally in Twitter usage.

It is not only shameful enough to have to practice journalism under an oppressive government, but many of the journalists are objects of aggression and maltreatment, evidencing that journalism in Venezuela is a job that risks the lives of those who practice it.

For those who stay in Venezuela defending their job, I’m forever grateful and I value your work every day as I myself had to choose to study abroad to avoid the impediments imposed by the government. You’re all brave and incredibly selfless to risk your life for the valuing of the Venezuelan people’s lives. And to the Venezuelan government I say, only the truth will set us free.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

71389
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

133460
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments