César Miguel Rondón: Using his voice in radio to represent the sentiments of many.

Throughout the years in Venezuela as the opposition against the increasingly authoritarian regime, it has become a dangerous risk to speak out against the government, as freedom of speech and expression are not respected or tolerated by the regime. For this reason of remaining under the radar and not making a target of themselves, many citizens keep their controversial and critical opinions of the government to themselves.

However, there is one man, César Miguel Rondón, who has only gotten louder as things worsen, using his hit radio show on Unión Radio to openly talk about his oppositional feelings toward the regime and by interviewing key revolutionary political leaders who are actively fighting against the injustices in Venezuela.

Rondón began working in radio in 1974 with a set radio time that was purely for entertainment. But in 1991 when he got his permanent radio time on Unión Radio, Rondón expanded the topics explored on his show to more serious and current events. Finally in 1998 when Chavez came into power and as things quickly worsened politically in the country, Rondón's show shifted tremendously to the country's political, social, and economic problems. Currently Rondón's show is a citizen-driven show, where political figures and pivotal witnesses are interviewed live on-air while listeners tweet/call in to contribute their sentiments. In this way, Rondón has created a platform for the opposition in Venezuela that is legitimate and respected by educated individuals around the world.

Here, I am linking one of his most interesting and current interviews with María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan (ex)congresswoman who is among the most important faces and representation of the opposition movement. Rondón interviewed her the day of her indictment trial, as she was accused by the government of "conspiracy to murder Nicolas Maduro", the current puppet president in Venezuela that took power after Chavez's death, a charge that has been verified by experts to be false. Toward the end of the interview, listeners are called in to directly speak to the congresswoman, and Rondón reads several tweets that were sent in throughout the show.

Although the government has consistently tried to silence all forms the controversial voices, he is on a private radio station and has continued his radio show without hesistation. It is this kind of bravery that ensures the perseverance of basic liberties in a country where the constitution is constantly ignored.