The flashing neon lights. The cheering public. You lively host with her hair slicked back in a sea foam green dress. The jury in dark sunglasses. Contestants sharing emotional personal stories before belting out their songs into the microphone.
It has all the elements of a typical singing competition. But the winner of this contest will not earn any money or a recording contract.
Instead, contestants on the show “M Factor” write and perform songs in a contest to become the official campaign jingle for the party of President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela's authoritarian leader.
Maduro's repressive government, in power for more than a decade, is being investigated by an international tribunal for crimes against humanity.
But on the domestic front, Maduro has sought, at times, to promote a softer side, using state-controlled media to portray his administration as goofy, fun-loving personalities working hard to save the nation from what they call imperialist enemies, i.e. the United States.
In his weekly television program Mr. Maduro appears alongside brilliantly drawn traditional singers and dancers who promote his policies in song. Another series on state television features a cartoon superhero called “Super moustache” which bears a striking resemblance to Maduro saving the Venezuelan people from disaster.
Such shows are seen by many as a distraction from years of economic struggle that have led more than seven million Venezuelans, a quarter of the country's population, to leave since 2015.
But “M Factor” host Winston Vallenilla, a longtime TV actor and Maduro supporter who is also a national lawmaker, said this is not true.
“‘M Factor’ was born out of a movement of artists,” he said in an interview. “It was born out of people's need to express themselves through music. It did not arise from a call from President Nicolás Maduro.”
“There is no economic interest here,” he added. “The only interest is the interest of the country”.
“M Factor” producer Camilla Fabri said in a press release that the show was conceived after Maduro's campaign received multiple jingle proposals.spontaneously.”
The program, which will first air April 28 on public television station TVES, will feature 35 contestants across eight episodes. The final episode will air on June 10, seven weeks before the presidential election scheduled for July 28.
“In Venezuela there are so many singers, so much promise,” Maduro said when he announced the competition three weeks ago. “We must express this historical moment, express it with their desires, their hopes.”
The judges, all well-known Maduro supporters with business ties to the government, criticize the performance little and highly praise the president, whose approval rating otherwise hovers around 35%.
Complaints of the United States, which has imposed severe economic sanctions on Venezuela, emerge frequently: from the host, from Maduro's campaign messages broadcast during the show and from a contestant whose song included the phrase: “they want to dominate.” us, that gringo is getting worse.
“The United States has hurt us a lot,” Vallenilla said in one episode. “They always try to undermine the freedom and independence, the sovereignty of the people.” Throughout the program, Vallenilla refers to Maduro as the “president of peace” and “the greatest defender of culture in Venezuela.”
One contestant, wearing a cowboy hat and surrounded by flamenco dancers, sang: “Listen to me, Nicolás. I shout it out loud: with 10 million votes you will surely triumph.” Afterward, Mr. Vallenilla chatted on stage with the contestant, known as Neo Blanco.
“He's not here, but he's watching you on television,” Vallenilla said, referring to the president. “So what would you say to President Nicolás Maduro in this special moment?”
“Do not give up, compare. There are a lot of people out there,” Neo Blanco said. “If one day we have to hang up our hat and face the toughest battle, count on us, brother.”
Sheyla Urdaneta contributed a report from Maracaibo.
