Interviewer/Host (3:06)

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Sarah McCammon (3:29)

It's Consider this NPR international correspondent Eder Peralta has covered conflicts and crises from East Africa to Latin America. His latest deployment has taken him to Colombia, where he's been covering the fallout from the US Intervention in Venezuela. For this week's Reporter's Notebook, I started by asking Eder how he and his team were trying to cross into Venezuela.

Eder Peralta (3:53)

I always say that, like, you know, 90% of journalism is, is waiting. There's a small consulate, Venezuelan Consulate here, and, you know, there's, there's dozens of international journalists here. That bridge is just, it's full and teeming with journalists trying to do the same exact thing that we're trying to do, which is to get into Venezuela. And so this little Venezuelan consulate is just, it's mobbed by journalists. And we're all asking the same question, which is can you please give us journalist visa? And they just have put us through the wringer. They, they threw people out who were wearing shorts. Why?

Sarah McCammon (4:33)

Is there a dress code?

Eder Peralta (4:34)

There is a dress code. Yes, yes, there is. And what's more, like, you know, they, they, they passed out visa forms and if you filled it out in bad handwriting, they would throw it out and, and make you buy a new form. Right.

Sarah McCammon (4:49)

Can I ask you about your own security and safety while you're reporting on a story like this? I mean, how are you thinking about, about that?

Eder Peralta (4:57)

I mean, right now we're fine, right? Because we're on the, on the, on the, you know, in another country. Right. I think it's always risk versus reward. And I know it sounds, it sounds wrong to sort of see it that way. Right. But you're thinking about what story can you get and what risk you're going to have to take to get this story. And right now here in Kukuta, we, we are watching so many different journalists make that calculation. And let me tell you, it's been dramatic.

Sarah McCammon (5:31)

And I would guess in this day and age, if they have Google, it's not hard to figure out who's a journalist or not as hard.

Eder Peralta (5:37)

Right. It wouldn't be difficult at all and also, I think NPR has a policy of declaring, declaring that you're a journalist. A lot of what we do that never gets on air, it's not part necessarily of reporting, is trying to figure out, even if I do make it past that border crossing, what happens afterwards. Can I make a 12 hour ride to Caracas without getting sent back or getting thrown in prison? Right. So far, the decision we've made is we're not going to try and cross in that way.

Sarah McCammon (6:14)

Now, there have been, as I understand it, protests in Colombia. Our colleague Greg Dixon sent some sound through from one of those. Can you tell me about those protests? I mean, what are the protesters asking for?

Eder Peralta (6:34)

You know, where we are? It's, this is a kind of right wing city. And so it was just, you know, maybe 100, 200 people chanting anti American slogans, right? No, no, no, we will not be an American colony is what they were chanting. And so we heard a lot of anger about what the United States had, had just done. And, you know, these, these 200 or so people moved through the streets, they waved Colombian flags, they, they finally made it to a square. And what was interesting, right, is that like, as often happens, like, a couple of people came up to me and they were like, hey, like, don't be covering them. Come here. I'll tell you the truth, right? And, and this one lady was just, she was so angry, right? She's like, you know, we know the real suffering of the Venezuelan people. We've received millions of people. She's like, and we don't even like our own president. And President Trump should have started with him first, right? So it's interesting, I think the protest gave us a little view into the many protests that we've seen on state TV from Venezuela that the government has called for in Venezuela as well to denounce what has happened. And so it gave us a peek of how Latin Americans are feeling about what is a significant historic event on the continent. I mean, I think it's worth pausing on the fact that the United States hasn't done something like this since 1989, when President George H.W. bush sent troops into Panama to extract Manuel Noriega, who was the military ruler at the time.

Sarah McCammon (8:28)

Eyder, you've been an international correspondent for many years now. You've been based in a variety of different places. But, you know, each place is different, each story is different. How much have your past experiences prepared you for this story?

Eder Peralta (8:43)

I think they just make you patient, honestly. And also, I think this is in an odd way, I feel like the world is changing, governments are changing. And what governments across the world have learned is that they don't have to allow journalists into their country. I think in the very recent past, since I've been a journalist, countries would allow you in when big stuff was happening, right? Either because it was chaotic and they couldn't control it or because they just couldn't be bothered to keep you, to keep you out, right. And they were just like, you're being a pest. So come in. And, and I think, you know, I saw this first in Ethiopia where, you know, the Ethiopian civil war, I covered it for two years. That happens, 400, 500,000 people, by some estimates, we were killed in that war. And very few journalists were allowed in to cover it. Right. And, and then from there, you know, we have Gaza where journalists have not, international journalists have not been allowed in to cover Gaza, to cover what's happening in Gaza. And then, you know, this is another example of how much, how much a government is trying to limit journalists from coming in to cover what is happening.

Sarah McCammon (10:04)

NPR's Ader Peralta speaking to us from Cuda, Colombia. Ader, thanks so much for your reporting.

Eder Peralta (10:09)

No, thank you, Sarah.

Sarah McCammon (10:11)

This episode was produced by Gabriel Sanchez. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. It's considered this from npr. I'm sarah mccammon.

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