Carlos Consalvi and Radio Venceremos - Wed., Feb. 16, 2005, 7:00 PM

Carlos Henriquez Consalvi, better known in El Salvador as Comandante Santiago, founded Radio Venceremos in 1980. The founding of Radio Venceremos corresponded with the beginning of a civil war in El Salvador that pitted a group of militant rebels, the FMLN, against a brutal military dictatorship. For the next 11 years, Santiago served as the voice of the clandestine FMLN radio, broadcasting his reports with a 40-yr-old transmitter that had seen service in World War II while constantly evading capture by the military in the northeastern hills of the nation. Radio Venceremos was one of the few sources of oppositional press in El Salvador during the reign of the repressive military regime. As such, Santiago and his team were among the first to report on the infamous massacre at El Mozote and other atrocities commited by government troops, played a major role in recruiting campesino support for the rebel cause, and provided popular education about socialist ideals and Salvadoran history. Radio Venceremos was also used to assist in military operations. After the war ended in a negotiated peace settlement in 1992, Consalvi turned his attention to documenting the history of El Salvador, because he felt that so much of the historical record had been lost during the war. He founded a museum, El Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen, has collected an impressive collection of archival information, and has produced several documentary films. His visit will be of interest to scholars of communication, social movements, democratization, war, and history.

Event will take place in 102 Jones Hall.