Speak Venezuelan

‘God is in the details,’ a special thanks to Maickel Melamed

Life consists of very simple elements, so simple that we often find ourselves considering them complex and incomprehensible. Living in Caracas made me adopt a somewhat pessimistic view of Venezuela’s political future. As many others, I have been hoping for change for over half my life now, and the lack of results infects my mind with negative prognostics for the future of my beloved hometown. Sure, during just these first few days of November, there have been at least 74 violent deaths reported by extra-official sources. Granted, our government is unstable, our streets unsafe and our press isn’t free. But life works in mysterious ways, and we tend to forget about the existence of the yings to the yangs. 

Focusing on events that portray a negative perspective of life in Caracas allows for a thick, dark vail to obstruct the reality we perceive. There is a famous phrase that says, “God is in the details,” in the small things. Thinking about this saying makes one look within, look at the little miracles we tend to take for granted. One of such miracles (although definitely not a “small” one) took place yesterday during the NYC Marathon. 

Maickel Melamed, a 36-year-old Venezuelan, proved to the world that, in his own words, “nothing is too big to not be attempted.” Melamed decided he wanted to run the New York marathon, despite physical difficulties he presents even to walk. As a baby, his umbilical cord strangled him, leaving him without oxygen for almost seven minutes. This resulted in several physical conditions, making it harder for Melamed to move. A fighter then, and a fighter today, Melamed finished the marathon after 15 straight hours of exercise. An amazing miracle that warmed the hearts of every Venezuelan watching. We all needed an event like this to realize there is always hope. 

Melamed during the marathon, wearing his bright yellow shirt with a Venezuelan flag on the back.  

Photo courtesy of Arianna Arrteaga Quintero. 

He is a living reminder of a very special phrase from a very special lyric, “caminante, no hay camino,  se hace camino al andar,” (wanderer, there is no road, the road is made by walking,” Antonio Machado. 

Thank you, Maickel, for giving us back that flame we need in our spirits to carry on. You have shared your strength and happiness with everyone watching your example, brightening our day. After all, the buddhist say happiness is like a flame; it doesn’t shrink when shared. 

Graffiti, the alternative to a history text book

Photo: Meridith Kohut from The New York Times

It’s hard to find a city without any street art, and Caracas is no exception. Marked walls, spray-paint murals and such may appear basically anywhere in the city; height or accessibility are never issues. Although this art form is often understood as a deviant activity, it has great validity when analyzing a society’s history. 

Before the new millennium came around, Venezuelan graffiti art maintained a very particular trend. Sure, many street artists played with drawing folkloric images, others paid tributes to historic events, but the most popular theme was always the same: love declarations. Using graffiti to manifest your love for someone was very popular. As a result, most graffiti around Caracas would simply state, “X, I love you”, or “X and Y forever.” The Venezuelan society manifested itself as a loving community. When we engaged in activities outside the law, like tagging public walls, “we did it for the love.” 

Photo: ConsueloMendez.blogspot.com

Today, the walls look very different. Politics have infected the loving artists, and now those tagging the streets do so to communicate discriminating political messages, or simply to address political and social concerns. One may feel the desperation and unhappiness of the Venezuelan people just by looking at the streets. Both sides of the political spectrum actively share opinions in this manner. But once almost every available inch has been tagged, the hatred and disillusionment are eminent. What is most troubling of these graffiti is the messages - some being very violent, excluding different groups (including Jewish, or American mainly), and all-around inspired by hatred.

Woman walks by graffiti that originally read “No, Chavez won’t leave,” but has been tagged to read “Yes, he will.”

Photo: msnbc.msn.com

By studying the progress in which this shift in theme took place, one may notice that politic-related graffiti increased as the need to be involved in the political world increase. This might seem obvious, but it is important to expand on it. 

The biggest political change in Venezuela’s modern history happened when Hugo Chavez was elected in 1998. This was the starting point of a new era, one that would have the presence of political conversation in almost every communication (graffiti being no exception). One could no longer escape politics - the Constitution was changing, our economy was changing, our education system was changing, our overall politics were changing. People needed to be informed in order to catch up with the transition that was taking place, from democracy to Chavez’s socialism of the 21st century. People who agree or didn’t with the new changes began to manifest it through street art. 

Photo: ilwu8.org

Slowly, political messages covered the love declarations. The streets transformed from expressing passion and love to hatred and disappointment. The graffiti became windows into the souls of Venezuelans. Our realities changed drastically, modifying our priorities, or moods and our beliefs. At a time when textbooks are changing by orders of the Ministry of Education, in order to “rewrite” or “modify” historical events in accordance to “officialism standards,” having graffiti serve as evidence of the results of a political transition makes it a very valuable art form. It maintains part of the history that cannot be forgotten if we plan to thrive. 

Photo: vosizneias.com

“Jews go home.”

Photo: peopleofcolororganize.com

Freedom of Expression a la Chavez

Cartoon: Infocracia.info

How do you measure a country’s democracy? You see how much (and how) the minorities can express themselves. Hugo Chavez stepped in Office in 1999, promising he would never take the media away from private hands. He failed to mention that he would modify the Venezuelan media law and alter regulatory norms in order to severely sanction news organizations that don’t transmit news in accordance to his preferences.

Twelve years into his regime, Venezuelans have witnessed the disappearance of RCTV (oldest network in the country), as well as several radio stations all over the country. Additionally, reporters and news organizations have been charged with unreasonable fines, private network Globovision being the prime example, facing multiple fines in the course of the past years. Previously, they had been able to fund-raise money to pay the fine. This time, however, Conatel (government institution in charge of regulating the media), has sanctioned Globovision with a fine of 7.5 percent of their 2010 income ($2.1 million). The channel does not have the money to pay this fine, and is facing issues to remain on the air.

Journalism has changed its shape and form in Venezuela. Journalists have two missions: work to maintain the public’s right to know, and attempt to stay away from self-censorship. The government has different plans for those journalists who publish “too much of the truth,” as Globovision did, disguising their actions under the need for integral, accurate, and educational news content while shutting up any outlet the opposition has to voice an opinion.

Government sanctions Globovision…again

Photo: anetsena.webs.com

Conatel, government institution that regulates Venezuelan media, has placed yet another sanction on the private news channel Globovision (opposition) for its coverage of the Rodeo uprisings. The sanction corresponds to 7.5 percent of their 2010 income (9 million Bolivares - $2.1 million). This fine is the economic ruin for the network.

The prison El Rodeo was taken over by inmates, who demanded decent living conditions and respect for their human rights. 

This is another example of the government’s efforts to gain control over the public - through the media - limiting the people’s right to know, and the reporters right to uncover.