An Open Letter to Bono
The silence about the injustices of the world is crime
Hi Paul!
It’s been a long time since I first saw a performance of you and your band U2, specifically in the 1985 “Live Aid” concert where, in a bold movement you took down the stage of the Wembley Stadium and cuddled a woman while “Bad” were blasting off the speakers. Although I saw that performance 4 months later because no Venezuelan TV network considered important an all-saturday rock concert agaisnt the famine in Ethiopia, the way you took the stage and connected with the audience along with the song -which was the first great U2 song I’ve ever heard- was amazing. From then, you won me as a fan.
But aside from the great music, you also won me as a fan for your commitment with the noble causes and sincere fight against the injustices of the world; not just with the Bob Geldof organization, but the efforts with Amnesty International (in a year U2 were in the AI’s “A Conspiracy Of Hope” world tour) and Greenpeace. I even remember buying my LP of “The Joshua Tree” -a record to last forever- and looking at the footer notes inviting us to join, not only the mentioned Amnesty International and Greepeace, but also the War Child Foundation, Jubilee 2000 Coalition, DEBT (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), (RED) Campaign, the Propaganda Magazine (from the U2 World Service) and have a moment to remember back in those days Wang Dan (from 1989 Tiananmen Square), Vera Chirwa (imprisioned in Malawi since 1981) and recently the now President of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi who was imprisoned by the former miltary dictatorship that ruled her country. In all of your albums from then, you reminded me that the rock is isn’t only about sex, drugs and excess, but also about freedom, intelligence and awareness. And I admire you for that, at risk of being mocked by calling you the equivalent of the Pope in the rock ‘n roll world.
In the all communicated world of today where everything is at our reach in terms of information, it strucked the global awareness the situation that’s happening in Venezuela, my country. To point it out: a government derived from democracy to dictatorship in a period of 15 years, facing problems of insecurity, food shortage, unemployment, inflation and extreme political violence aimed from its core with the takeover of media and censorship, power blackouts, all of that with the accomplice support of totalitarian regimes like Cuba and a brutalistic form of repression (tortures included) against college students and everyday people who are condemned for the right to protest, to demand a better country, a future of justice.
Many artists and personalities around the world has joined their voices to condemn this repression and support the fight for freedom in Venezuela, mostly using Twitter and the hashtag #SOSVenezuela. You should have seen it in the theater Paul, last March 2nd. at the Academy Awards where U2 was nominated from “Ordinary Love” of “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom” movie (too bad you didn’t win, by the way). And it was in the person of the best supporting actor winner, Jared Leto, who told in his acceptation speech, quote: “To all the dreamers out there around the world watching this tonight in places like Ukraine and Venezuela, I want to to say we are here, and as you struggle to make your dreams happen and live the impossible, we are thinking of you tonight. ” From him to Rihanna, from Steven Tyler to Madonna, not to mention Amnesty International by default, everyone has spoken and took a position against this regime and the repression in Venezuela. Everyone, but not U2 or you, Bono.
I know that the release of the new album was posponed to 2015, even after releasing the “Invisible” single, first by free download along with a contribution to the (RED) Campaign in association with the Bank Of America. Some weird thing had happen to stop the promotion. And I also know that the “North Side Story: U2 In Dublin 1978-1983 ” book was published and it’s at its peak in terms of promotion. But above all that, the fact that the band or you haven’t said a single word or took a stand of support to the protesting people or condemning the repression and the illegal government that rules my country, is hard to believe. Even personalities with less political awareness and much more shallowness has supported this cause and criticized the methods applied by this dictatorship, not to mention the protests and rallies around the world by common people and venezuelan inmigrants, even in your hometown Dublin, Ireland, where many of these inmigrants has fled there in search for a better living, for plenty of opportunities, to breath an air of freedom without the fear of being robbed, repressed, tortured or killed, something that is happening here in Venezuela, and which Larry, Adam, The Edge and you haven’t said a word.
I don’t know why you haven’t spoke yet. But one thing’s for sure: the silence about the injustices of the world is crime. The silence about the violation of the human rights is a confession of being an accomplice and supporter of felonies against humanity, and these crimes doesn’t prescribe.
I’m very aware that I might be criticized by friends or strangers that will dismise the intention of this letter, simply because I’m writing to a celebrity and celebrities are beyond all these issues. Perhaps some hater or pro goverment follower will pour some hate to my position, not to mention those who don’t like U2 for whatever reasons they might have. But one thing is certain: I’m at peace in what I do and in expressing my opinion regarding the injustices of my country, no matter of those who like it or not.
I hope you will be at peace, Paul, when you finally speak and take a position against this state of bad things happening in Venezuela. I hope God let me see it soon.
Sincerly,
A true die-hard U2 and Bono fan.
“In the trees our sons stand naked. Through the walls our daughters cry. See their tears in the rainfall”
“Mothers Of The Dissapeared” from “The Joshua Tree” album
