How a guerrilla radio station helped bring down El Salvador's dictatorship | Under the Shadow, Ep. 5

Today, we look at Radio Venceremos - a grassroots guerrilla radio that broadcast throughout El Salvador’s Civil War, denounced violent state repression, and inspired a nation.
In this episode, Michael Fox travels to San Salvador, where he visits the Museum of Word and Image, the home of the archives of Radio Venceremos. He hears from former members of the radio about the revolutionary project and the U.S. and Salvadoran military attempts to shut it down.
We look at what the museum means today, and also at its struggle to protect and preserve the past.
Under the Shadow is a new investigative-narrative podcast series that walks back in time to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened: a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place Fox takes us to was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox, Under the Shadow is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America).
Click here to listen to all episodes of Under the Shadow: therealnews.com/under-the-shadow
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Guests: Carlos Henríquez Consalvi (“Santiago”)
Carlos Colorado
Lucio Vásquez (“Chiyo”)
Jorge E. Cuéllar
Michael Beattie
Karla Lara
Edited by Heather Gies and Maximillian Alvarez
Sound design by Gustavo Türck.
Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions
Chiyo and host Michael Fox performed two original songs that appear in this podcast. You can listen here and here.
You can read Chiyo’s book, Siete Gorriones, here www.academia.edu/43531929/Sie...
Documentary sound and Radio Venceremos archives and images are courtesy of the Museum of Word and Image. You can visit them at museo.com.sv/ or follow on Instagram @museodelapalabraylaimagen and Twitter @tejiendomemoria.
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[@Jonathan_Freeloader]

Radio Venceremos is worthy of a movie

[@Comrade_Broski]

That was great, this story deserves a documentary

[@KGBSpyGeorgeCostanza]

Such proud comrades, i thank you, viva la FMLN

[@Sameasbefore88]

Great episode. You’re totally underrated.

[@Perspectiveon]

I absolutely love this series. Not so much for the dark subject matter, but for the extraordinary presentation by Michael Fox bringing me back to my late teen years when it all happened real time. I so vividly remember my emotions hearing and seeing the broadcast news from central America - Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and how I came to loathe Reagan for his sleezy - I'm for the people - appearances, knowing about his and US government involvement in these horrifying events. Don't know how much Americans knew at the time - and now - everything hushed down, but being Scandinavian we knew. All Americans should know.

[@barbarawaldern1794]

Another example of what people's revolutionary liberation movements can accomplish. Our local cooperative radio station (CFRO) used to receive recordings, probably from FMLN members here, and broadcasted them weekly. I remember listening in. I am sure CFRO kept copies. We also did some fundraising.

[@dalehodges5362]

PACIFICA RIP

[@GatherYeRosebudsWhileYeMay]

My stepdad joined the guwrillas when he was 13. He told of the importance of the radio for the movement.the two major parties in El Salvador are criminal minded. Unfortunately, th guerrilleros movement also became corrupt. A lot of dead innocent people for absolutely nothing. They sold out their own people for power and greed.

[@vernonchow2032]

Yo el iluso no tengo patria, no tengo patria pero tengo terruño (de tierra, cosa palpable). No tengo El Salvador (catorce secciones en un trozo de papel satinado); tengo Cuscatlán, una región del mundo y no una nación (cosa vaga). Yo amo a Cuscatlán. --Salarrue, the poet and painter mentioned at the beginning.

[@vooteimer1234]

I had no idea bukele was no longer reigning. What will become of Bitcoin beach?!

[@kirilmazurek2843]

You Tube, thanks fpor blocking I discovereed other democratic sites

[@brookekesterson2053]

If you want to be happy and not fight with your family and ruin relationships, not listening to or watching TV/radio makes a huge difference. I've noticed a difference in my moods lol

[@Marius_vanderLubbe]

I haven't watched tv in maybe 4 decades and I have a wonderful hatred for my remaining family members.

[@AntonioPeralesdelHierro]

​@@Marius_vanderLubbeThat makes two of us. I early noticed, with growing interest the obvious macho aspect in family, and then its broader destructive influence in the culture at large. In later years this became sheer pillage of my parents bank accounts, and a seizing of every bit of their properties, including what was meant for me, by two twisted brothers. Now they enjoy adulation as "activists" in a backward and dangerous California central valley not so "ex"company town, where its easy as hell to fool the populace. I have little as possible to do with the stupid macho element in society, especially family.