All Songs Considered: Alt.Latino: Music as Protest in Venezuela

Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Felix Contreras & Ana Maria Sayer
Guest: Isabel Gomez Sarmiento

Overview

This episode of NPR’s Alt.Latino (aired as part of All Songs Considered) explores the central role of music as a tool for protest, hope, and identity during Venezuela’s years of political and economic upheaval. Against the dramatic backdrop of the U.S.-led capture of President Nicolás Maduro, the hosts revisit Venezuelan protest music’s evolution across decades, focusing on how it has recorded, processed, and fueled both resistance and collective memory. The conversation links historic context, contemporary upheaval, and the unique power of diaspora voices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Venezuela in Crisis

• The episode opens with context on the recent U.S. military strike that seized President Maduro—polarizing global opinion and further dividing Venezuelans (00:27).
• Hosts outline the complex landscape: many Venezuelans at home and abroad supporting the removal of a “brutal dictator,” while others and much of the U.S. question the legality and ethics.

2. Historical Timeline: Music & Protest (with archival episode excerpt)

A. Chavez’s Rise & 1990s Venezuela

• Economic turmoil in the ‘80s/’90s paves way for Hugo Chavez’s attempted coup in ‘92, and his eventual election in ‘98.
• Song: “Por Estas Calles” by Giordano—used as a telenovela theme, it spotlights daily life and inequality:

  “It’s funny because this isn’t really a protest song, but it’s more so a song that deals with the day-to-day reality of Venezuelan society at this time...for a mainstream TV show to not paint everything through rose colored lenses…but to be very frank about societal problems, economic inequality…” – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento (03:12)

• Such songs laid groundwork for the hope invested in Chavez.

B. Post-2000: Optimism Amidst Upheaval

• Chavez drafts a new constitution (1999) and wins re-election, but by the early 2000s, internal strife and a failed coup shake public optimism.
• Song: “Yo Me Quedo en Venezuela” by Carlos Baute
  • Not a protest song per se, but a declaration of hope and unity, resonating across political divides (05:51).
  • Upbeat energy became a coping mechanism in times of uncertainty:

    “You can see people reaching for that joy and happiness as their way to get through this confusing, chaotic moment.” – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento (07:36)

• Notably, mainstream protest music becomes less visible as Chavez consolidates power; explicit protest songs face censorship and are pushed underground.

C. Media Censorship & Underground Resistance

• Closure and censorship of oppositional media restrict open dissent:

  “In 2007, the government refuses to renew the broadcast license for RCTV…” – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento (09:07)

• By late 2000s, protest moves online and to “underground” genres.

D. Social Media, Hip-Hop, and Cancerbero

• Rapper Cancerbero (notably “Es Épico”, 2012) becomes emblematic of a new, raw protest, steeped in themes of loss, violence, and despair.

  “He talks about God, I mean, it’s like really gritty, sort of dark hardcore rap...” – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento (10:10)

• His influence spreads beyond Venezuela, symbolizing Latin American youth’s disillusionment. Tragically, his death in 2015 became a cultural touchstone, sparking conspiracy, conspiracy theories and, ultimately, a reopened murder investigation (13:04).

  "Rolling Stone named him the number one most influential Spanish language rapper." – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento (12:25)

3. 2013–2024: Maduro, Protests, and the Diaspora

A. Crisis Deepens after Chavez

• Maduro’s presidency marked by economic collapse, repression, and mass protests (15:49).
• Notable is the killing of 18-year-old orchestra member Armando Cañizales Carrillo, which galvanized both artistic and mainstream dissent (16:40).

B. Mourning and Memory in Music

• Song: “Sentimiento” by Bezaida Machado y La Parranda El Clavo (17:05)
  • A solemn track, embodying national mourning and loss—the “death” not only of individuals but of a dream for Venezuela:

    “It’s a very solemn song that really deals with mourning…not just the death of individuals, but…it seems like getting back a little bit to this imaginary Venezuela, mourning the death…of El Pueblo…” – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento (17:05)

C. Migration and the Rise of Diaspora Voices

• Mass migration accelerates; artists in exile become powerful commentators on the crisis back home (18:37).
• Danny Ocean emerges as a pop star whose lyrics, even about love, double as coded protest and longing.
  • His EP Venecia (2024), overt in its call for political change, includes collaboration with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado (18:37).
• Music again becomes a rallying point—Danny Ocean even performs at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for Machado (21:52).

D. Language, Identity, and Reclaiming Slurs

• Song: “Veneco” by Rawayana & Acapella (2024) reclaims a slur used against Venezuelan migrants.
  • Though not directly about the government, it angers Maduro and leads to government crackdowns on concerts and music festivals (20:07).

    “Rawa has historically been very vocal…about their support for the opposition.” – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento (21:28)

4. 2025–2026: Music in the Wake of Regime Change

A. Celebration & Sudden Change

• The album Donde es el Laughter by Rawayana (released midnight New Year’s 2026) features a track welcoming “the end” of the regime:

  "Rawa wishes you a happy New Year. And hopefully, finally, the [expletive] will leave." – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento translating lyrics (23:27)

  • Within 48 hours, Maduro is captured. The song instantly becomes a “soundtrack” of the historic news.

    "...this song takes on a new, very literal meaning. It spreads across social media like wildfire. It becomes a soundtrack to that initial shock of seeing Maduro removed." – Felix Contreras (23:48)

B. Emotional Aftermath and Debate Among Artists

• Social media erupts in celebration, especially among Venezuelan musicians such as Danny Ocean, but quickly grows polarized as pan-Latin American artists debate the U.S. intervention and who gets to “speak” on Venezuelan affairs:

  “If you haven’t defended Venezuelans for years, then you can’t step up in opposition of what’s happening just based on your ideology today.” – Paraphrased from a Venezuelan musician’s post (24:34)

• Broader fears accompany relief—concerns about further U.S. interventions in Latin America, and debates over authenticity and solidarity.
• The hosts note a shift from raw emotion to a cautious effort to foster pan-Latin understanding and unity through music and dialogue.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the imaginary Venezuela:

  “In a way they’re creating this imaginary Venezuela…like Celia Cruz…sang about a Cuba that people dreamed of… This seems to be happening here.” – Felix Contreras (08:22)

• On Cancerbero’s influence:

  "During this time, Cancerbero is sort of...the poster child of hip hop rebellion, certainly in Venezuela, but I think in all of Latin America." – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento (12:21)

• On censorship:

  "In 2007, the government refuses to renew the broadcast license for RCTV, which was the oldest privately owned TV channel in Venezuela...By 2013, the last TV channel that was showing oppositional content is sold." – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento (09:07)

• On music after the U.S. intervention:

  "Undoubtedly, the music will reflect this tension, this fear, this unknowing of what could come next." – Ana Maria Sayer (26:52)

• On music as a tool for coping and protest:

  "Throughout Latin America's...history, music has been one of the most important tools for processing conflict and justice and repression. And I'm sure this moment will be no different." – Isabel Gomez Sarmiento (27:21)

Timestamps for Significant Segments

• 00:27 – Opening: U.S. attack on Venezuela and capture of Maduro
• 01:09 – Introduction to 2024 episode excerpt on music & protest
• 03:12 – “Por Estas Calles” and social frankness in popular music
• 05:51 – “Yo Me Quedo en Venezuela”: optimism amid unrest
• 09:07 – Censorship and media clampdown
• 10:10 – Rise of Cancerbero and underground hip-hop protest
• 13:54 – Excerpt break
• 15:49 – Post-Chavez Venezuela and the death of Armando Cañizales
• 17:05 – “Sentimiento” and the music of mourning
• 18:37 – Danny Ocean, diaspora, and explicit political engagement
• 20:07 – “Veneco” by Rawayana and reclaiming slurs
• 21:52 – Nobel Peace Prize for Machado; pop stars as protest icons
• 23:27 – Rawayana’s New Year’s release as foreboding/celebratory anthem
• 23:48 – Immediate impact of Maduro’s capture on music and culture
• 24:34–26:52 – Mixed, emotional artist responses and pan-Latin debate
• 27:21 – Final reflection on music’s role in moments of conflict

Final Thoughts

This episode of Alt.Latino masterfully combines historical context and urgent current events, using music as both a window and a megaphone for Venezuela’s ongoing struggle. The hosts and guest capture the emotional complexity, evolution, and power of protest music—from telenovela soundtracks of the ‘90s to viral street celebrations in 2026. In a moment where both history and the future are uncertain, the podcast reminds us that music continues to unite, mourn, provoke, and imagine the worlds we hope to build.