Ep. 284: Venezuela is a cautionary tale w/ Jim Epstein and Germania Rodriguez Poleo For more than half a century, Radio Caracas Televisión, or @rctv, broadcast news, sports, comedies, and telenovelas in Venezuela. Its news coverage was also fiercely critical of President Hugo Chávez. When RCTV’s broadcast license expired, the government refused to renew it. Minutes later, a state-funded channel took its place. RCTV was one target in a broader campaign to silence dissent. Under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, the government gradually tightened its grip on the media, punished political dissent, and weakened institutions that had protected democratic freedoms. A new documentary from @reason, Escaping Venezuela, traces the erosion of free speech and press freedom through the story of Carlos Mora, who was imprisoned and tortured after helping Venezuelan dissidents escape to Colombia. Joining @TheFIREorg's @NicoPerrino are director @jimepstein and narrator @iamGermania to discuss the film and how Venezuela’s democratic institutions broke down. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:12 Fear and self-censorship under Chavez 07:39 Making Escaping Venezuela 12:53 Germania’s family and the crackdown on journalists 18:41 The destruction of Venezuela’s free press 22:43 How Venezuela silenced dissent 32:56 RCTV as a symbol for press freedom 39:31 Venezuela after Maduro’s capture 44:41 How Venezuela embraced socialism and Chavez came to power 50:13 Venezuelan immigrants and the end of TPS 52:44 Can Venezuela become a democracy again? 01:01:01 Where to watch Escaping Venezuela 01:04:05 Outro