Eduardo Garcia spent most of his youth in Venezuela, and it breaks his heart to see how it’s being torn apart, its people killed. Even worse, why is the world ignoring it?
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“Patria”
This has to be the most emotionally charged word any Latin-American man can say. What is Patria? Patria is that mother who gave birth to you and was willing to give her life for you as a child. Patria is the beautiful girl you woo as you grow into a young man, seeing her so beautiful that you find yourself thinking you are unworthy of her love. Patria is that wife you provide with a home worthy of her. Patria is the daughter you must protect from all those less than honorable men who plan to take advantage of her. For her, you are a good man, you are willing to fight for her and, if necessary, die for her.
Although I was born on U.S. soil, I spent most of my youth in Venezuela. For me, the land of Bolivar is my second Patria. So its recent descent into chaos, I am not ashamed to say, brings tears to my eyes. What hurts even more is how it is almost completely ignored by the world media. As the events in Kiev make front page news, plastered on every news outlet, the Venezuelan revolts are relegated to a quarter page photo with a 3 line side note.
As of now, we have no idea how many people have been arrested in what started as a student protest against the current government. Armed with banners, protest signs, the occasional rock they might pick up, and, most importantly, an undying love for an idealistic dedication to a better country for them and their children, the students and protesters were confronted with the paramilitary forces of the government.
Even the leader of the protestors, Leopoldo López, gave himself up peacefully to try and avoid further deaths. The government’s reaction shortly after that was a complete shutdown of local and international telecommunications so the bad would not leak out to the rest of the world. What has been able to lip past the censors tells of protestors being shot, students being rounded up and tortured, and a martial law where soldiers hunt down anyone found walking down the street at night.
And it is reduced to a 2×2 picture with a 3 line side note or a page 3 article in the Latino section of the media outlet. REALLY!?
We covered the Riots in Egypt, 6,816 miles away. We covered the collapse of Greece, 5,852.95 miles away. We covered the events in Syria, 6,688 miles away. We are still covering the events in Ukraine, 5,697 miles away. Yet we refuse to cover events 2,804 miles away, events in a country just south of us.
And that is where the concept of Patria comes in. As frustrated as I might be with what is going on, what truly angers me is how this is ignored by the mass Media. I feel the same indignation as when someone insults the woman I love, as if she is not good enough. Is Venezuela not good enough for international attention?
Till the rest of the world decides to pay attention to what is going on, all I can do is what the Venezuelan people have asked us to do in there last few post in Twitter.
–Photo: AP / Diario Notetarde and Mauricio Centeno
Español & English
http://free-venezuela.org/2014/03/09/fights-for-freedom/
There is also the issue of access. We cant reoport on something we cant get people in to see. Fi the country has shut down all communication and access, we are left with speculation. So it is a catch 22.
The reason for the media’s silence on Venezuela seems obvious: The media is heavily biased to the left. The failure of Socialism in Venezuela exposes their own wrongheaded thinking.
If this were the reason, one would expect round-the-clock Fox News coverage of Venezuela….
Richard you are right, certainly where the UK is concerned. A lot of people hailed Venezuela as a socialist triumph, Labour MPs and left wing journalists among them. They now can’t admit that the dream has turned to a nightmare and a lot of the MSN follows their lead, including the BBC.
My sympathy and thoughts for you and your lovely idealistic brave people.
Gloria al bravo pueblo que yugo lanzo!
mejor morir de pie que vivir de rodillas.
in other words … “better to die on your feet than live on your knees”
The student movement has released this message on youtube http://youtu.be/HecJAG8WWZo This is what they said: The Venezuelan youth, considering the totalitarian regime that governs us. Dissatisfied with the lies, optical illusions and imposed violence of this government, deeply hurting the heart of all Venezuelans and aspiring to darken our conscience, generating resentments and spitting society. There’s a historic responsibility of guiding the public opinion to achieve the reconciliation of the Venezuelan people and re-conquer our democracy. Now we want to present the principles and demands that are the foundation to our struggle in a non violent resistance. Venezuela is living… Read more »
I knew things in Venezuela were bad, and they have been bad for a long time. I am Cuban born and my aunt would tell me stories that when she moved to Venezuela to raise her son, my cousin, with the father who was Venezuelan, she was very frightened all the time and often she would hear shoot-outs right in front of her home. I believe the reason it is not given importance is because for some reason America is desensitized. Only when it hits home does it become important. It hit home to me then, it hits home to… Read more »
How ya doing Eduardo? You may or may not get an answer from anyone. Maybe it’s the same reason we haven’t heard about … “Last year, a group of citizens in Mexico’s state of Michoacán took up arms to defend themselves against the violent tyranny that a local drug cartel known as the Knights Templar had maintained over their communities. ”
Or why no one reports on the 100,000 Christians who are murdered every year?
Let’s see who responds to your article.