– If the government sees what I have posted online, I could get into trouble. I can be censored and they can refuse me entry into Venezuela. But I’m not afraid. This is more important than music. This is what artist Javier “Faker” Peraza says to news. He is one of the more than 7.7 million Venezuelans who have fled their homeland after the Maduro regime took over power in 2013. Like many others, he reacts strongly to last week’s presidential election in which Nicolás Maduro declared six new years. – Now it is very tough. It is probably the toughest time in several years. At the same time, there is more hope than anything. Everyone is working towards the same goal. We want change, freedom and justice, he says. Police use tear gas against protesters in the capital, Caracas. Photo: YURI CORTEZ / AFP Tough times The year is 2016. Times are tough in Venezuela. Residents have to stand in long queues to get hold of essential goods such as bread and toilet paper. The water shortage is critical and it is only allowed to use electricity for four hours per day. Javier and his family struggle to make ends meet. Javier has made up his mind. He must leave the country. – It was very tough to live in Venezuela at that time. We had nothing and there was great uncertainty. I, like many other Venezuelans, had to find a way to survive and provide for my family, says Javier. The 18-year-old moves to Panama to work. The aim is to have a better life and send money home to the country in crisis. – I had to sacrifice a lot to follow my dreams, he says. After a year in Panama, Javier moves on to Colombia and the city of Medellín. He also lives in Europe for a few years, while his sister ends up in the USA. The family is spread all over the world as a result of what is happening in their home country. Some of his closest family members have not seen each other for seven years. Following the dream Javier well, following the dream in the music industry. In 2019, he starts as an artist and music producer under the name “Faker”. Hip-hop artist Javier “Faker” Peraza sings about love, self-examination, aspiration and criticism of society. Photo: Privat He sings about love, self-examination, aspiration and criticism of society. In addition, he collaborates with artists from Venezuela and the rest of Latin America. In 2024, after years of hard work and high ambitions, he has built up over 160,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. The hip-hop artist has chosen to use his platform to spread information about the situation in his home country. – As an artist who has a following, I have to use my voice to spread knowledge. Everyone must know what is happening in Venezuela. It has been like this for years. We demand change and freedom, says the young musician. There is no doubt that sharing political content in a negative sense can be problematic. – It is tough. Artists are quiet because they are afraid of not being able to play anymore. The governing bodies control the event. But I’m tired of being silent, he says. Javier “Faker” Peraza plays in front of a large audience together with other artists. Photo: Privat A new Venezuela The opposition’s most important issue in the election campaign has been to create a new Venezuela so that all those who have left the country can return home. Figures from the UN show that 2,000 Venezuelans are leaving the country every day as a result of violence, inflation, gang crime and a lack of food and medicine. This is the largest emigration in recent history in Latin America and the situation has developed into one of the largest international refugee crises in the world, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Before the presidential election last week, the opposition was more united than anything. For the first time in many years, they had hope for change. When incumbent President Nicolás Maduro declared victory, the people took to the streets to protest against the regime. – The situation has become very dangerous now. We just have to pray for those who risk their lives to protest so that Venezuela can be free, sighs Peraza. Protesters and police in the capital Caracas. Photo: Fernando Vergara / AP – It is very clear to everyone that the election result is a hoax, and that the actual winner is Edmundo Gonzales, he says, pointing to the retired diplomat who represented the opposition coalition Einingsplattformen. The opposition in the country thinks they can prove that it was they who were the water. American authorities have also recognized the opposition as winners of the election. – Maduro must hand over the country. He must listen to the people and respect the election results. I don’t care about revenge. I just want justice, says Peraza. According to a report from The Carter Center, which had election observers in the country, the election was not democratic. – Venezuela’s presidential election did not meet international standards for electoral integrity and cannot be seen as democratic, the organization writes. Nicolás Maduro at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas. Photo: FEDERICO PARRA / AFP Javier was not allowed to vote in Sunday’s election because the border between Colombia and Venezuela was closed. – It is clear that all Venezuelans abroad support the opposition. I would have liked to have voted, but it was almost impossible outside the country’s borders, he despairs. Of almost 3 million Venezuelans in Colombia, only 7,000 of them got to vote in the neighboring country. Looking ahead Javier still has family members and friends in his home country. – They take to the streets. They report and send information. We just want our country to be free. We don’t want more families to be separated, he says. Although Javier could imagine returning to his homeland to rebuild Venezuela, he recognizes that the country is not what it once was. Photo: Private – We have a slogan, mano tengo fe, which means we have hope and faith. You can feel it beyond national borders. You can feel it on the internet. Everyone is united on this, he says optimistically. – Do you want to move back home? – Right now I’m fine here, in Medellín, but my heart is of course in Venezuela. We never forget our homeland, even if we start anew outside the country’s borders, he says. – Venezuela means love, joy, happiness and community. We look forward to the future. This time it is different. We pray and hope that change is in sight. Long live Venezuela! Published 04.08.2024, at 19.36
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