The community media faced the coup that occurred 21 years ago, against then President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías; Even with few technical resources, they broke the media siege around what was happening. This was indicated by the director of the weekly 4F, deputy Gustavo Villapol to the program coffee in the morning that transmits Venezuelan Television (VTV).
He explained that “on April 11 there was a break in the relationship that the Venezuelan people had with the media. Until that moment, the media that were among the institutions that enjoyed a certain credibility had an important legitimacy. There was a break with the traditional media and an opening for the democratization of communications began, from this fact”.
That day, “those who were there lived something, they were attacked by a military force, which was the Metropolitan Police, they were assassinated with impunity, honor and glory to the 19 who fell 21 years ago, and suddenly they approached the television, they began to see what they were transmitting, and began to say what was not really. There was a break there.”
The participation of the community media “was essential, especially for the reconstruction of the events; we were used to what came out of the box, which was television, it was true. When we realized, what was coming out was not reality. For example, in Puente Llaguno, a studio had been improvised with some cameras and people were giving their testimony of what they were experiencing, because nothing was coming out on television”, recounted deputy Gustavo Villapol.
#OnVideo?| Director of the 4F Seminar, Gustavo Villapol described as essential the role played by the alternative media, who faced the need to communicate the reality of events, went out to the communication battle.#TheyCouldn’tNiCould pic.twitter.com/XkrIiuXhUI
— VTV CHANNEL 8 (@VTVcanal8) April 11, 2023
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