Free Speech Initiative | Don't lose your freedom

Freedom of expression is a new concept in human history. It appears when human beings became fully aware of the importance of being free. For thousands and thousands of years, human beings lived deprived of their freedom, with no more value to their lives than a horse or a cow could have.

It was only in 1789, with the declaration of the Rights Of Man And The Citizen, that the idea of freedom of expression was established as a fundamental and inalienable human right. Since then, all generations have fought to ensure that this right is maintained. The struggle has not been an easy one, since the power is not interested in being told the things it does not want to hear. That is why freedom of expression is always at risk, and society cannot be neglected, because the enemies of freedom are always lying in wait.

When I tell you that society cannot be neglected and that there is always a risk of losing freedom, I am telling you from my own experience. I live in Venezuela, a country that neglected itself and handed over power, twenty years ago, to people who are enemies of freedom. Since then, we Venezuelans have seen how Chavism has been disappearing the most basic freedoms from our lives.

To this day, there is no media left in Venezuela that is not intervened by the government. The press, radio and television only broadcast the information that the government allows. Censorship and the closing of media is a daily reality for us.

Even the Internet is the target of government censorship. There are many blocked sites that can only be accessed by installing a VPN on our computers. However, the internet is still the space where we get the possibility to express ourselves. There are still some media outlets that are fighting hard to maintain freedom of expression.

Reporting in Venezuela always implies a risk. Many people have been taken to prison for expressing an opinion in a Tweet. One of the most recent cases is that of the journalist Darvinson Rojas, who was arrested after publishing some Tweets where he reported on persons who had been infected by COVID19 ; information that the government denied until the last moment.

We have to learn to care for freedom of expression as if it were a great treasure. It is difficult to maintain it and very easy to lose it, when it is not valued enough. Initiatives like this one proposed by our friend @theycallmedan are important to reflect on its importance, to not let down our guard, to remain vigilant and to pay attention to those signs that indicate that our freedoms may be in danger.

Our most precious asset is freedom. It is the only one that gives us guarantees to develop our personal projects. Without freedom, we are nullified as persons, we are condemned to live under the whim of some authoritarian.

It is true that our world is not a perfect place, that there are many things to correct. But only in those places where there is freedom, is there a chance to solve problems. In other places, like my country, where freedom has long since disappeared, all the problems become worse.

Once again, I thank my friend @theycallmedan for proposing these excellent initiatives that allow us to reflect on transcendental issues of our time. I invite everyone to participate in the initiative. To know the bases you can click on this link.

Thank you for your time.

All your comments are welcome on this site. I will read them with pleasure and dedication.

Until the next delivery. Thank you.

The photos, the digital edition and the Gifs are of my authorship.