Venezuelan Politics Through the Lens of Music: Danny Ocean Speaks Out
By Marlene Orantes
(Photo Taken by Marlene Orantes)
Venezuela, a country ruled by an authoritarian President, Nicolás Maduro, held elections this past summer. There were two main contenders: incumbent Nicolás Maduro and Edmundo González, a member of the opposition party. Though there was an increase in hope for change in the country, the election unfortunately did not reflect what Venezuelans actually wanted: a win for President Maduro.
Opposition Party leader González was allowed to flee the country and seek refuge in Spain, according to Reuters. González was just one of millions of Venezuelans who have recently fled to other countries. Venezuela has suffered through a socialist regime since 1998, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, when Hugo Chavez won the election with a promise to end corruption and completely revamp the Venezuelan political system.
Recently, however, he has proclaimed himself to be the President-elect of Venezuela, according to El País. He has said he will be returning to the country to take place as president on their inauguration on January 10, 2025. He has not publicly said how he will return, but he already has plans to tour Latin America and is in contact with other countries, like the U.S.
According to The New York Times, for many decades, Venezuelans have had to deal with low salaries leading citizens into food scarcity, limited healthcare, and utter economic distraught though they are one of the richest countries in oil. This has not only led to immigration to countries near, such as Colombia, but also to the United States. On the other hand, some are not able to leave the country, leading protests all across the country, including the most recent one after the elections.
This type of election is not new to Venezuela, as in 2019, a GW alum, Juan Guaidó argued that the 2018 elections were also fraudulent and as Speaker of the National Assembly and by the constitution, he would become acting interim president. He was internationally seen as the acting president, and made strong promises to Venezuelan citizens that he would remove the Maduro administration from government. However, his leadership came to an end in 2023 as some Venezuelans claimed it was a “fake government” and that none of Guaidó’s promises came true, according to PBS.
After the 2024 election, many Venezuelan artists spoke out about the situation. According to Billboard, Grammy Winner Joaquina spoke out about the election through her Instagram page. So, too, did Venezuelan influencer Lele Pons. One artist took an extra step by making an EP called venequia, an EP dedicated to Venezuela.
While much of Ocean’s EP sounds at first listen like it could address themes of romance, it clearly contains an underlying message about Venezuela’s political state. In his song por la pequeña venecia (or “for the small venice”), Ocean declares, “I would change justice for peace.” In the acoustic version of his most famous song, Me Rehúso, he directly addresses Venezuelan refugees: “For all those lovely people who have been obligated to be separated.”
This is not the extent of his activism. According to the UN Refugee Agency, he has been a proud supporter and collaborator with them since 2019. Through his collaboration with the UNHCR, he has visited their projects in Mexico and met with people escaping Venezuela and Central American countries due to gang violence.
Ocean has continued to advocate for Venezuelans across the world. On his North American tour during a recent tour stop in D.C. on October 26, he called for a moment of recognition for the ongoing political conflict in Venezuela. Ocean added that he has hope for the nation’s future because, “we [Venezuelans] have the truth in our hands.”