El Chigüire Bipolar: Mockery as the way of making sense of Venezuela’s chaotic politics

Published:

July 4, 2017

“J.R.R. Martin hard- pressed to envision what the end of Venezuela would be”

“Recently discovered Mayan calendar establishes that the end of Venezuela will occur on July the 30th

“Elderly woman nervously goes shopping, returns with 2 bottles of vinegar”

These ludicrous titles were not taken from a conspiracy theory or a work of magical realism, but from El Chigüire Bipolar– Venezuela’s  subversive, highly idiosyncratic (and once you get the “joke” – simply hilarious) news website.

Through absurdity, a genuine, uncensored representation of the highly chaotic and volatile political environment in Venezuela emerges. The reference to “Game of Thrones” underscores the unprecedented levels of police violence and oppression the country is experiencing, July the 30th, 2017, is the date of the next elections, while the shopping story alludes to the shortage of basic goods which has been plaguing Venezuelans.

This spring, the Human Rights Foundation recognized the publication for its “raw and rigorous reporting” and awarded founders Elio Casale, Oswaldo Graziani, and Juan Andrés Ravell the Vaclav Havel Award for Creative Dissent at the Oslo Freedom Forum.

#HumorAtWork

#ElChigüireBipolar