One aspect from the powerpoints that really stood out to me was the intense regulations Venezuela imposed on television. Being from a Cuban background I found myself relating the topic back to Cuba and what life is like there. Like Venezuela, Cuba was once a cultural and entertainment hotspot. Cubans produced some of the first telenovelas and were known for their party nightlife. The three things Cubans were known for were cigars, mojitos, and Celia Cruz. Now, no new media and entertainment leave the island. Unfortunately, Venezuela is going through a similar experience.
I haven't studied up much on how content regulation unfolded in Cuba, but I kept wondering to myself if it was a similar process to Venezuela's. Seeing how Venezuela once was booming with telenovelas, producing one after another, to having none is heartbreaking. Telenovelas are an important part of a country. They show their identity and culture because as we all know, no two countries in Latin America are alike. From accents to landscapes to pop culture, telenovelas truly encompass what the country is like at the time.
I really do pray that Venezuela is able to come out of this oppression. It isn't fair to the citizens of Venezuela or even the world. Cuba is in a very depressive state and I would not wish that upon any other place in the world. However, despite the high restrictions, Cuban citizens still know how to have a good time and make the best out of their situation. I hope Venezuelans have the same attitude and keep pushing through the tough times.
Leslie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience with Cuba. The conversation with Leonardo Padron gave me a little more insights on the way a dictator government impacted the production of telenovelas. Forms of media and entertainment do have a higher reach compared to the news I think because they are easier to consume. We as humans want distractions from the reality and readily consume it. Thus, these are platforms with a high reach where certain topics can be transmitted into without sounding like they are actively trying to make change. This is once reason Leonardo shared with us that the network he was working for began to be constricted by Chavez's hold. First he was told not to write about certain things then leading to the entire thing being shut down. It truly shows the power of not only telenovelas, but the general public against authoritarianism regimes. It is truly sad to witness the oppression of people done by the hands of their government. Humans are story-tellers by nature, and I hope one day these countries once again gain that freedom.
I don't know much about the history of Cuba, but I bet they are several similarities in our dictatorships since Castro and Chavez were close. I think Venezuelans do try to make the most out of every situation, they are still the warmest and nicest people.In the other hand though, what I believe is unacceptable is how some people conform with the situation we are in.
ReplyDeleteThe aspect of regulation is very interesting to me as well because ultimately, what it comes down to, is censorship and free speech. I think that in order for ideas to spread and countries to grow, people should be allowed to speak freely. Usually, in situations where countries have intense media regulation, they are under strict regimes that want to maintain power and prevent ideas from spreading, therefore people changing their minds and electing new officials. My roommate during my freshman year was from Cuba and she told me stories of how her access to media was so limited and regulated. It baffled me as a journalism major how the truth could be so smothered and lies could be spread and growth could be stifled. The United States is imperfect in many ways but, for the most part, our freedom of speech is more guaranteed than in many other places in the world.
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