Re-visiting Venezuela on International Women's Day with Yanahir Reyes
In recognition of International Women's Day, I recall visiting with representatives of a Caracas community radio station, including Yanahir Reyes. Her contribution to educating children through teaching and community radio, as well as her views in support of a revolutionary movement there, underscore the vitality and difficulty of protecting hard-fought gains. Photo from 2007: Yanahir Reyes, elementary education teacher, community activist, and radio show host in Caracas, Venezuela. During a "media and democracy" research trip to Venezuela in 2007, the group I traveled with met with a cross-section of media groups in Venezuela, ranging from large private "opposition" media such as El Nacional newspaper and RCTV to the smaller Tal Cual newspaper and the journalists' association, SNTP. We visited community radio and TV stations, some that started many years ago with a tradition of resistance to repression under past governments. These community stati...