Mopping up the airwaves
Quico says: Chávez henchman Diosdado Cabello’s decision to shut down another 29 radio stations (but which ones?) sounds very much like a mopping up operation. Because, between the first set of closures last month and the Heavy Duty self-censorship now evident on Venezuelan radio, most of the heavy lifting has already been accomplished. Just a few insufficiently cowed private stations remain and, as we can now see, not for much longer.
Actually, “mopping up” is pretty much the order of the day here. Because instituting a dictatorship, in practice, is all about closing down the possibility of mounting a serious challenge to the government by monopolizing the institutional and social spaces you need to organize people politically. By and large, the work of instituting a dictatorship in Venezuela has been accomplished. At this point, they’re just tidying up the loose ends.
The somber tone in yesterday’s anti-Chávez march – long gone are the days of oppo bailoterapias – bears out that even the most hardened of escuálidos know how bad the odds against us are by
now.
Caracas Chronicles is 100% reader-supported.
We’ve been able to hang on for 21 years in one of the craziest media landscapes in the world. We’ve seen different media outlets in Venezuela (and abroad) closing shop, something we’re looking to avoid at all costs. Your collaboration goes a long way in helping us weather the storm.
Donate
