Blog Post 8

For my artifact, I am planning on focusing on the opposition side of the Venezuelan social movement that is going on right now. This movement stems from the Bolivarian Revolution, which is what I did my research paper on. My rhetorical goals include changing perceptions of reality from what people believe is happening to what is really going on in Venezuela. Since not many people outside of Venezuela are aware of the protests and violence that are going on due to the treatment that the government has inflicted on its citizens, it is very important to enlighten the rest of the world about this issue. This would also include identification of the movement. I also plan to legitimize the movement by depicting the struggles that the Venezuelan people have endured, including being violently attacked after peacefully protesting. Hopefully, with this, I will also be able to polarize the opposition (the common citizens of Venezuela) from the government, creating a "united" mentality. I will also use symbols and slogans such as #SOSVenezuela, a common hash tag that is being used right now in order to show support and to spread the word about the current Venezuelan conflict. In terms of symbols, many of the opposition leaders have begun to use the Virgin Mary, a common symbol of peace in the Catholic country of Venezuela, as well as an upside down Venezuelan flag, something that is used when the government has been known to be corrupt. I will take these symbols into account and depict them in some way in order to emphasize the goals of the movement. With all of these tactics, the audience will then be called to mobilize for action in order to help the Venezuelan people finally conquer the government that has been oppressing them since the rise of the former dictator, Hugo Chavez.