(The image was taken from HERE, no copyright infringement intended) This blog has a lot of self censorship. I think this is my responsibility to admit. For every story I publish here, there are at least ten more even more worthy of your attention that I never tell. For every thought I display in this virtual space, there are a hundred more thoughts which never come out off my mind. Plus, every story I write and publish to you did not happen in the exact same way I wrote about it. I consciously change names, many details, even dates if necessary and omit many parts. For a journalist, to do such a thing is irresponsible; it goes against the principle of free speech and the also beautiful and democratic idea of transparency, objectivity, and the accuracy of information. But I’m not a journalist, not I’ll ever be one. To every person who comes with the story about bloggers and “citizen journalism”, I tell the same thing: I don’t pretend to replace any newspaper or agency. Not every blogger telling a testimony is a “citizen journalist”. Must of us are just bloggers.
For me, being a blogger means that I’m just another person and nothing else. Blogging is too much of a broad activity for having any code, or rules or principles. As a blogger and as a person, my intention is not to spread out some valuable information. My intention is only to bring you my reality a bit closer of your understanding, using as many possible resources I can use to achieve my mission. My only code is to speak honestly about my perception of certain events, without adding any unnecessary drama to touch you more or to attract more readers. Details may change, but no word written here has been made up.
As for the rest, I need to protect myself and the ones around me. Many stories here are about me, but many others are about people around me. Those people are not only “sources”: are family, friends, acquaintances, neighbors… They are people I truly appreciate, and I think their lives are much more valuable than this blog.
I’m telling you all this because this is reason why I haven’t updated this blog lately. I have had many moments of inspiration during the past few weeks, thinking than this or that could become an interesting entry. It could open some eyes. But unfortunately, I can’t write such entry.
I have this dream of being able one day to tell you all, because is safe doing that, because I have enough basis to not be afraid of speak out anymore. I dream about writing one day the stories I’m afraid to tell right now and not only to bring this reality closer to foreigners. I would like to write those stories one day because whoever comes after us has the right to know what happened, how do we lived, what did we do. Whoever comes after us might finish this. Or they might do something so this will never ever happen again.
In the meantime, I’ll keep writing and posting what I feel it can be published. And who ever read this must keep in mind this blog’ self imposed limitations. You must know that this is only a tiny part, an incomplete story, a glimpse, a quick look of what’s really going on in our lives in Venezuela, inside the Bolivarian Revolution.