This episode marks the planned but urgent launch of BAM LATAM, Blue Amp Media’s new initiative dedicated to centering Latin American and Caribbean perspectives—without the usual U.S. filter, propaganda, or erasure. Hosted by Melissa Corrigan, the conversation brings together journalist and historian Arturo Dominguez and Caracas-based professor and architect Elizabeth Raven, offering real-time, lived insight into the U.S. military action in Venezuela and its aftermath.
Corrigan opens by naming the core mission of BAM LATAM: to platform voices from the region itself, rather than repeating narratives shaped by decades of U.S. intelligence, media simplification, and Cold War-era framing. What follows is a deeply grounded conversation that dismantles the idea of Venezuela as a political monolith and challenges the reflexive U.S. claim that regime change is either justified or welcomed.
Elizabeth Raven, speaking directly from Caracas, provides firsthand accounts of what she has seen in the streets, in hospitals, and in daily life since the attack. She explains the constitutional reality of Venezuela’s leadership transition, the atmosphere on the ground, and the profound civilian and military losses that U.S. media coverage has either minimized or ignored. Her reporting makes clear that while Venezuelans hold diverse political views, there is widespread anger and fear over foreign military intervention—and little evidence of popular celebration or consent.
Arturo Dominguez adds critical historical and racial context, explaining how Chávez-era constitutional reforms expanded rights for Black and Indigenous Venezuelans, and why those reforms remain central to both government support and far-right opposition. He draws direct parallels between U.S. narratives about Venezuela and the language used domestically to excuse authoritarian behavior, selective outrage, and political violence.
Together, the panel dismantles the idea of “political prisoners” as it is often deployed in U.S. discourse, contextualizes cycles of violence driven by sanctions and foreign interference, and questions why sovereignty is treated as conditional when applied to Latin American nations. The discussion repeatedly returns to a central point: no matter one’s opinion of Venezuela’s leadership, the right to self-determination does not belong to Washington.
This episode is not about defending any single political figure. It is about confronting reality, amplifying the voices of those who live it, and refusing to let propaganda replace truth.
BAM LATAM begins here—with voices on the ground, history intact, and no illusions about the cost of empire.
