An Afternoon with Santiago from Radio Venceremos

During the Civil War from 1980-1992 Carlos Henriquez Consalvi, aka "Santiago," was the most recognized voice in El Salvador. Broadcasting on the FMLN's "Radio Venceremos," his courageous tone kept people's spirits up as he denounced the daily violations of human rights committed by the Salvadorian military. Join us for this compelling discussion on historic memory and the role of community media in El Salvador.

Carlos Henriquez Consalvi is the founder of Radio Venceremos and founding Director of the Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen in El Salvador. Consalvi founded Radio Venceremos in 1980. 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 El Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen, has collected an impressive collection of archival information, and has produced several documentary films.