El Salvador: Rebel Radio | Under the Shadow, Ep. 5

Broadcasting the Salvadoran government's atrocities throughout the armed conflict, the guerrilla radio station Venceremos had a clear goal: bringing down the U.S.-backed dictatorship.

January 23, 2024

The Radio Venceremos team at work. (Courtesy of Museum of Word and Image)

 

Read the transcript.

Today, we look at Radio Venceremos—a grassroots guerrilla radio station 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 he takes us 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.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Listen to previous episodes here

Guests:
Carlos Henríquez Consalvi ("Santiago")
Lucio Vásquez ("Chiyo")
Jorge E. Cuéllar
Michael Beattie
Karla Lara

Edited by Heather Gies.
Sound design by Gustavo Türck.
Voice actors: Marc Steiner and Jasial Noor
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.

Documentary sound and Radio Venceremos archives and images are courtesy of the Museum of Word and Image. You can visit them here or follow on Instagram @museodelapalabraylaimagen and Twitter @tejiendomemoria.

Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at patreon.com/mfox

The Radio Venceremos team on air. (Courtesy of Museum of Word and Image)

The Radio Venceremos team at work. (Courtesy of Museum of Word and Image)

Radio Venceremos archives at the Museum of Word and Image in San Salvador. (Michael Fox)

Radio Venceremos equipment at the Museum of Word and Image in San Salvador. (Michael Fox)

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