Freedom Of Speech

By Adriaan van Ginkel

Rayma is the name of Venezuela’s most prolific satiric artist. Her drawing pencil is merciless as well as her humor. Needless to say, good political satire always shoots her poisonous arrows at the elite in power. In Venezuela, the government is of a Marxist cut, Castro-Cuban style, with own satiric artists who invariably attack everything connected with the “Empire of Evil”, i.e. the United States. Their eyes are closed however when it comes to the errors, lies and hypocrisy from within their own ranks. Last year, the Venezuelan government had enough of Rayma and her stinging cartoons attacking the increasingly totalitarian “red” Chavist regime of Nicolás Maduro, and forced the media buying her daily cartoons to suspend the publications. She was fired, in fact, under pressure of the regime. Rayma keeps on drawing and publishing using her own website. And keeps on being enormously popular among those Venezuelans who oppose the government.

Since Rayma’s firing was in fact an action against the freedom of speech, some attention was given to it in the Latin American press. Beyond those borders, the attention was nil. Other Venezuelan journalists who were, or are being fired because of their critical attitude towards the Chavist regime, draw little to no attention worldwide. Some have been physically attacked, others have been forced to leave the country, and the increasing political repression has caused yet another wounded journalist, just the day before yesterday, during a student protest, in the west of the country. He was hit by a rubber bullet fired by police.

As I was watching the enormous multitude in Paris protesting the killing of French journalists last week – an abominable deed, by the way – my thoughts went to the freedom of speech in Venezuela. Why can millions of persons be called upon to protest against the attacks on freedom of speech in France, but none whatsoever when it comes to a country like Venezuela? Rayma wasn’t hurt, thank goodness. Others have been, however. The world press apparently doesn’t sense the need to cover what is happening in Venezuela with freedom of speech. Officially, there is such freedom, and the government will go to lengths to prove their point by explaining that the jails are not filled with people like Rayma. But isn’t shutting someone up the same as jailing, when it comes to freedom of speech?

Isn’t the cry “I Am Charlie” the same as “I Am Rayma”, when it comes to freedom of conscience, of opinion and of speech? No matter if people die or not?

Now, let me tell you one thing. I am NOT Charlie. That was my dad’s name. I really am not a true fan of what some people call media hype. But when I see so many people walking around with signs telling the watching world that they ARE Charlie (my dad would have ironically smiled at this), then my inquisitive and critical mind screams out. I think that no matter the geography, no matter whether there are people killed or not - if freedom of speech really matters to YOU, then Rayma should also matter to you. Regardless where you live, or what your ideological preferences are. 

Rayma published a cartoon of Che Guevara with a clown’s nose, referring to the clownesque performance of the regime these days. Is it hurtful to you, but you still see yourself as an open-minded person? Revise yourself and your ideas. If drawing ridiculing cartoons of Muslims is OK and makes you want to be Charlie, but this one above isn’t OK, then what is freedom of speech really to you? A term you can bend your own way? Rayma’s work shows us that satire, and freedom of speech for that matter, have no color, no gender, no ideology, nothing that limits it. Satire’s only purpose is, opening our eyes and push us to rethink our own opinions and positions. If Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons, and those of Rayma, achieve this, then they have reached the goal set by the freedom of speech. Everything else is superfluous, empty narcissism. 

For those interested in Rayma’s work, go to:  http://www.boardsnet.com/rayma.htm or google her cartoons on the web.

Thanks for reading my letter. Have a great week and till next Wednesday!

© Adriaan van Ginkel 2015