Venezuelan actors re-enacting the scene of Venezuelan migrants abducted and sent to the CECOT prison in El Salvador. Photo: Venezuelan Culture Ministry.
The Román Chalbaud National Theater in Caracas has opened its doors for the premiere of Ni enemigos ni extranjeros (Neither Enemies nor Foreigners), a play that explores the harsh and violent reality of Venezuelan migrants kidnapped in El Salvador.
At its premiere last Friday, June 27, Venezuela’s Culture Minister Ernesto Villegas emphasized that the play “is much more than a spectacle. It is an experience of feelings, emotions, and awareness offered by Jericó Montilla, the director. Neither Enemies nor Foreigners uses art and culture to confront this campaign of demonization, satanization, xenophobia, and persecution against Venezuelans.”
“[What has been done to us] is a persecution, an attack against all of us who consider ourselves children of this land,” Villegas added, moved by watching the performance. “You have to have the blood of horchata not to be moved, to not feel how it tears you apart, how it energizes the audience who sees the play, to continue the fight for their liberation, for the complete and absolute respect for the Venezuelan people.”
He also stated how “the arts and culture stand up for our cultural diversity, for our beloved homeland. We are confident that with this contribution, we will not only achieve the liberation of Venezuelan migrants and other comrades suffering persecution, but we will also expand the universal awareness required to ensure that no one feels superior to another.”
The Venezuelan culture minister extended an invitation to the public to enjoy the play this Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29, at the National Theater, and then on July 3, 4, and 6, at the Rómulo Gallegos Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CELARG) in Altamira, Caracas. The play is also scheduled to tour throughout Venezuela.
For Jericó Montilla, the work is a moving tribute to our Venezuelan migrants around the world. This work “touches us deeply,” he said. “While art doesn’t have to reflect real life, it has the power to transform it. It’s a work for all those who have a distant relative who is experiencing difficult times,” he explained.
Carlos Arroyo, director of Venezuela’s National Theater Company (CNT), emphasized that the play features an exceptional team of theater, dance, and circus professionals. He said that it is a work that “speaks of the dignity of peoples, of human love, and of people who have been unjustly imprisoned.”
“Neither Enemies nor Foreigners” features a large cast that includes Juvel Vielma, Arnaldo Mendoza, Gerardo Luongo, and Rafael Gil. It also features actors from the CNT’s artistic creation cast, both long-standing and new, along with talented performers from the circus arts and dance. The show also featured a special appearance by Francisco Pacheco.
Photo gallery
Below, you can see some of the photos captured by the Venezuelan Culture Ministry staff (Roiner Ross, Edys Glod, and Gustavo Quintana).
(Alba Ciudad) by Ulises Briceño
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
