Harmony and Discord: The Political Symphony of Venezuela’s Musical Landscape

Abstract

Venezuela is currently known as one of the greatest exporters of immigrants in the world. Despite being a wealthy country in resources, the oppressive dictatorship of the state during the last few decades has led to a collapsed society. During the 90s, political turmoil and corruption generated widespread distrust of both political parties in Venezuela; this led voters to elect political outsider Hugo Chavez during the 1998 presidential election (Grau, 2019). Chavez’ government, promising to put an end to corruption, implemented a wide variety of aggressive wealth distribution policies and social programs. Over the course of time, these policies created financial instability, high unemployment rates, and scarcity of goods like food and medicine. Due to this, the political polarization in Venezuela became so extreme that tolerance between groups is nonexistent. Venezuelans can be either for or against the government, and in the eyes of the society, and even if you are dependent on government programs, utilizing them makes you part of “the problem” according to many in opposition. From traditional Venezuelan genres like Gaita, to modern sounds like rock, many different types of music have become part of the soundtrack of Venezuela's political crisis. Songs and hymns are used by both sides of the spectrum as a means of recruitment and activism.