- 11 months ago
Katherine Hernández, periodista oriunda de Venezuela, pisó suelo dominicano en el 2011, en busca de un mejor porvenir para ella y con el deseo de continuar haciendo lo que le apasiona que es el periodismo.
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00:00One of the things I want to do with Yayo Pinto is talk to you about different topics.
00:14And today I'm going to talk to you about one that is a constant topic that everyone talks about.
00:20I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that everyone, at some point,
00:26has been fed up with politics and politics.
00:32Because the truth is that political activity focuses on governments.
00:38And governments are the ones who receive, in a way, all the frustrations of a citizenry.
00:45You have a stopper and it's the government's fault.
00:47It rains and floods the front of your house and it's the government's fault.
00:50The price of the supermarket goes up and it's the government's fault.
00:54And I think that happens to us all constantly.
00:57And yet, it is responsible to say that since human beings left the cave
01:03and we have organized ourselves in life in society, in collective life,
01:08someone has to direct us.
01:10And for someone to direct us, it has to be associated, it has to be grouped,
01:14and it has to have a mechanism for us to establish who directs collective life.
01:22And that is what, in a way, we call politics.
01:26So, politics has many ways of expressing itself.
01:30There are politicians who come out of the media, there are politicians who come out of the academy,
01:35there are politicians who come out of the business world.
01:37And there are many ways of organizing politics, and among them are the parties.
01:44And the parties are also...
01:46Sometimes I say that the parties end up being a kind of trash can,
01:53or the garbage of social criticism.
01:57Because the party doesn't have a face, it doesn't have a brand,
02:01and it's populated by a lot of people who, let's be frank,
02:05do a lot of things that irritate us, that bother us, and that are wrong.
02:10However, if we take the history of humanity and we see the countries that have prospered,
02:15the countries that have human development levels, that have stable economic growth,
02:19that have acceptable per capita income, each and every one of them,
02:24you can look for them, you can look through the mechanisms that the internet offers us,
02:29and you will find that the common denominator of all those countries
02:33is that they have a stable political system, that they have stable political parties,
02:37that they have a democracy where power is altered,
02:40and that that power of those who direct us is done through those formal mechanisms.
02:47I'm not saying this, I'm not defending the parties, I'm not defending politics.
02:51God forbid.
02:52I have spent my life fighting against many political affectations
02:58that irritated and bothered me.
03:00And today, coincidentally, I am in a position of government,
03:03accompanying my dear friend, President Abinader, in these efforts.
03:08And we have many things that can criticize us, and there are many things that we must improve.
03:12But I believe that in this environment, where this is already a communication instrument
03:17as powerful as it was at the time any mass media,
03:22it is important to remember that to direct us, to choose who directs us,
03:28we have to organize it.
03:30And we have to be careful with false prophets and with these sudden attitudes,
03:36and these populisms that many times, if we go back to the history of humanity,
03:42I always say that there were some anti-politicians who became very famous.
03:46There is one called Benito Mussolini, there is another called Adolf Hitler,
03:50there is another called Hugo Chávez.
03:52For that, I only mention three anti-politicians who did many things in their country.
03:57If you can evaluate if that is positive or not positive.
04:00In the end, there are many things that need to be improved,
04:02you have to pull the strings, there are many people who do not do what they have to do,
04:05and it is a constant struggle.
04:07But let's always remember that the countries that advance the most are the countries that are best organized.
04:12Thank you very much.
04:13A great friend of mine, who is Venezuelan, but who is Dominican, but who is Spanish,
04:18who came to the country to work in the communication industry.
04:21He has made his way on several television channels,
04:24and even recently moderated the first presidential debate in the history of our country.
04:29My dear friend Katherine Hernández.
04:32Women and men are the first human beings subject to the rights of the most privileged.
04:40You are a newspaper that I made mine, I made myself yours.
04:53We are going to talk about Venezuela, we are going to talk about the media,
04:56we are going to talk about the life of a journalist who came to triumph in the country,
04:59and who is also a charming person.
05:01In a few moments.
05:06Well, as I was saying, today I have a great friend.
05:11There are so many experiences, there are so many things that we can say about Katherine Hernández,
05:17because she is a journalist, but she is also an international journalist.
05:21She is a Dominican by conviction,
05:24a Venezuelan by origin,
05:26who has lived many very interesting things.
05:31Katherine, thank you for being here.
05:33And to start this conversation,
05:35I think a way to guide you is because you are a journalist.
05:42Hello, Yayo.
05:43How nice, how nice to have you on that side of the chair.
05:49I got tired of you interviewing me,
05:52and now we are going to interview you anyway,
05:56because communicating is a beautiful passion.
05:58It's very nice.
05:59And I have to tell you that I was a little tiger,
06:02I always wanted to be a journalist.
06:04I became a lawyer, for other circumstances.
06:07At least you didn't want to be a journalist.
06:08But there was a journalist inside of me.
06:10A journalist inside of me.
06:11So maybe now we will see.
06:12Well, but there is always time.
06:13Of course.
06:14I think there is always time,
06:15and journalism is also a career,
06:18and journalism is a beautiful profession.
06:19It is a profession that allows you to live many lives.
06:23It is a profession that allows you to always be attentive
06:28to causes that sometimes are alien to you,
06:31but that captivate you.
06:33That allows you to have sensitivity
06:36to things that you normally don't pay attention to.
06:40When you ever think that your needs are relatively covered,
06:45you suddenly turn around and say,
06:47what am I complaining about?
06:48Or how can I help?
06:50And I think that the journalist has in his DNA
06:53the intention to always help things get better.
06:58I'm a critic.
06:59All the time I want to be fixing things,
07:01fixing this and that.
07:02I think journalism is very useful for that.
07:04You know, Katherine,
07:05that one of the things I admire about you
07:07is obviously how you have adapted.
07:09I have been watching you for a few years
07:12in the Dominican media,
07:13where you started as a reporter,
07:15and today you are an important part
07:19of the influence of public opinion
07:21through one of your vehicles,
07:24which is being honest.
07:27We're going to talk a little bit about that.
07:29But tell me about the process of being in Venezuela
07:34and how you got to the Dominican Republic.
07:36How did you make your way there?
07:38Because one of the focal points of this podcast
07:42is to talk to our audience
07:45about how to overcome obstacles
07:47and how to achieve things.
07:49Part of what I want to do here
07:51is to tell people that things can be done.
07:53Things can be achieved.
07:54And you, obviously,
07:56are going through a difficult process
07:58with what our Venezuelan brothers are going through.
08:01And I want you to tell us a little bit about that story.
08:04How did you get to the Dominican Republic and why?
08:06Well, because the heart is a wonderful thing.
08:08It's love.
08:10That's always an important reason.
08:12Love brought me to the Dominican Republic
08:14and presented me with this wonderful opportunity,
08:17this wonderful country that smiled at me from the beginning,
08:20that welcomed me with beautiful people,
08:22taking a president in a hug,
08:24and with incredible people who opened the doors
08:26to great job opportunities.
08:28So I said, we don't look like a lot.
08:30And the truth is that in Venezuela,
08:32opportunities for free journalism
08:34have been closing down for years.
08:37I was in Globovisión,
08:39which was my home of journalism,
08:41my school,
08:42since I was 18 until I was 25.
08:45And at 25, I thought
08:47that I was very old.
08:50And the truth is that I was a girl.
08:52But well, I had done
08:54six years, seven years of my career
08:57in that free journalism school
09:00that was totally threatened.
09:02And I was already looking for some alternatives.
09:04I had thought about Spain.
09:06My family is also an immigrant.
09:08My grandparents are immigrants from the Canary Islands.
09:10They already immigrated to Venezuela
09:12and made Venezuela their country
09:14in the 40s, 50s.
09:16And I thought that
09:18maybe that was going to be the way.
09:20But I met my husband,
09:22who already lived here in the Dominican Republic
09:24and introduced me to the country.
09:26And I had the opportunity to come
09:28to many opportunities for a year,
09:30during the year 2010.
09:32And look, here they told me,
09:34you have to come here.
09:36And I said, why not?
09:38This is a fantastic country.
09:40And when we go before
09:42that beautiful love story
09:44that your presence in this country
09:46gives us,
09:48tell me a little bit
09:50about the deterioration process in Venezuela.
09:52Yes.
09:54I even remember,
09:56you came to interview Hugo Chávez.
09:58Like in the news
10:00that you worked in Venezuela.
10:02You came to interview Hugo Chávez.
10:04You came to interview Nicolás Maduro.
10:06Tell me a little bit about the deterioration
10:08for you Venezuelans
10:10of that freedom
10:12at that time. What do you remember?
10:14How do you feel about that?
10:16Look, Yayo,
10:18the truth is that the process of deterioration
10:20of freedom of expression in Venezuela
10:22is fully documented.
10:24Today, in Venezuela, there is no free journalism.
10:26There is no freedom of expression.
10:28There are no media that do not have the authority
10:30to do that.
10:32How did it start?
10:34Well, with a president
10:36who said he was not a communist
10:38on television.
10:40A president who also said
10:42that he was not going to expropriate anything.
10:44A president who said
10:46that he was going to respect
10:48all the principles and rights of the people.
10:50And we already know
10:52the path that he ended up taking.
10:54I remember in Globovisión,
10:56for us to cover peaceful demonstrations
10:58in favor of democracy,
11:00you had to come out
11:02with a bulletproof vest
11:04and a bulletproof helmet.
11:06That was the rule.
11:08You could not go out to a demonstration.
11:10It was forbidden.
11:12It was a logistic.
11:14You came out with your vest and your helmet.
11:16And with your gas mask.
11:18In more than one opportunity,
11:20we had to swallow tear gas.
11:22In more than one opportunity,
11:24we had to run away from gunshots.
11:26In more than one opportunity,
11:28I was in Globovisión.
11:30Groups related to the government,
11:32the so-called Bolivarian Circles,
11:34threw tear gas bombs
11:36in the air conditioning of the channel
11:38where we were.
11:40The air took us out of the channel,
11:42we were all drowned.
11:44And the last thing that happened
11:46is that I can tell you
11:48that in my particular case,
11:50the first investigative work
11:52that I did,
11:54because it was not possible
11:56to do an independent investigation
11:58with a government like the one we had,
12:00was that I was burned in a car
12:02in the channel where I worked.
12:04And that, well, I assumed it
12:06as a direct threat.
12:08We finished the series,
12:10we made a series of 15 chapters
12:12showing the country
12:14how the government of Hugo Chávez
12:16had become an absolutely corrupt
12:18and totally betrayalist government.
12:20What they said was popular sovereignty.
12:22But what was interesting to me
12:24was that the people who decided
12:26were the Cubans in the offices
12:28next to the presidential palace.
12:30You know that,
12:32I think that story
12:34that you tell and that
12:36other Venezuelan friends
12:38that you are already Dominican
12:40also tell
12:42but we here,
12:44I don't get tired of talking
12:46about that experience
12:48because I think that we here
12:50live in a democratic climate
12:52with all its mistakes,
12:54with all its deficiencies,
12:56with all its difficulties
12:58and that's why I ask you the question
13:00because that deteriorated.
13:02I went to Venezuela
13:04many times in my youth
13:06for a relationship we had there
13:08and I worked
13:10with Venezuelan clients
13:12in my lawyer's office
13:14when they started coming to the country
13:16to make investments
13:18It was like that.
13:20And I think that experience,
13:22the Dominicans, we have to always,
13:24not only the Dominicans,
13:26all of Latin America,
13:28because Venezuela was for decades
13:30a leader country of Latin America
13:32for all natural resources,
13:34for democracy.
13:36If there is something you remember
13:38to share that experience
13:40of when Venezuela
13:42was overthrown
13:44towards this authoritarian culture,
13:46do you remember
13:48a point of inflection
13:50that you can tell us,
13:52something specific that happened?
13:54Look, Yayo, I'm going to take
13:56a little of your previous reflection
13:58to move forward to that question.
14:00When we make the assessment
14:02of the moment in which
14:04democracy and above all
14:06freedom of expression began to crumble,
14:08I remember that,
14:10as you point out Hugo Chavez,
14:12he gave interviews
14:14in private communication
14:16and went to the media.
14:18And I remember that one could
14:20interview some ministers,
14:22as it happens here.
14:24Look, I'm sitting
14:26with the customs director.
14:28Correct.
14:30And that in Venezuela is unthinkable.
14:32That's not possible.
14:34Less knowing, for example,
14:36not Yayo,
14:38not Yayo Pinto of your podcast,
14:40but the customs director,
14:42some critical approach, right?
14:44This is a matter of openness and a matter of democracy.
14:46In Venezuela that is unthinkable.
14:48And I remember that,
14:50covering the legislative source,
14:52at some point the journalists were removed
14:54from the Legislative Federal Palace
14:56and never again were allowed
14:58to enter the protocol of sessions.
15:00Something that in the Dominican Republic is
15:02simple, a process.
15:04You go to Congress,
15:06interview the deputies, interview the senators,
15:08you send a WhatsApp to an official,
15:10there is an openness of the official source.
15:12That doesn't exist in Venezuela.
15:14And that gives you an idea
15:16of the state of democracy.
15:18But if you ask me, what is the moment
15:20in which I believe that it began to distort
15:22completely
15:24the political destiny
15:26of the country,
15:28well, I definitely have to say that
15:30with the confiscation of
15:32estates, farms,
15:34because Hugo Chávez called them
15:36unproductive land,
15:38but productive for socialism.
15:40With the constitutional modification
15:42and, above all,
15:44with all the abuses of the so-called
15:46enabling law, which were 40 laws
15:48that allowed the president to do
15:50whatever he wanted.
15:52That's when it began to break.
15:54Subsequently, the suspension
15:56of the concession for radio
15:58and television, Radio Caracas Televisión,
16:00gave a blow to freedom of expression,
16:02took people to the streets,
16:04that, if I'm not mistaken, was in 2007.
16:06And after that,
16:08we already know what happened.
16:10And how do you
16:12stay in contact, Catherine,
16:14with that community
16:16that is already significant
16:18in the Dominican Republic of
16:20Venezuelans who have come, somehow,
16:22coming out
16:24of the climate of difficulties
16:26that in recent years
16:28has been growing in Venezuela.
16:30The Venezuelan community
16:32in the Dominican Republic,
16:34do you have contact with them?
16:36Yes, of course.
16:38Do you think they are organized?
16:40What can you tell me?
16:42I think we are not as organized as we should be.
16:44There is an important challenge.
16:46The Venezuelan community in the Dominican Republic
16:48is very diverse.
16:50There is an important group of people
16:52who came to the country,
16:54I can say, more than 15 years ago.
16:56There is another important group
16:58that came, like me,
17:00about 10, 12, 15 years ago.
17:02And then you have a group
17:04that I think is the majority,
17:06which was the group of people that came
17:08from the year 2017,
17:10when, of course, the economic and political crisis
17:12in Venezuela escalated to unsuspected levels
17:14and led the country
17:16to be in a condition
17:18of almost absolute poverty.
17:20So, of course, that
17:22diverse community has to find
17:24a meeting point.
17:26And you find them every time
17:28there is an electoral process,
17:30and it is clear that people
17:32could not vote.
17:34The 8 million Venezuelans
17:36who are abroad could not vote.
17:38Simply,
17:40obviously, the government is not interested
17:42in that very important community
17:44of Venezuela voting for it, because obviously
17:46they would not have had any kind of legitimacy.
17:48In fact, I think they don't have it,
17:50but it would have been more scandalous.
17:52So people meet, there are places
17:54where people meet and eat cachapo,
17:56although now you get more Dominicans there than Venezuelans.
17:58I'm going to tell you something, I'm a fan of the Venezuelan community.
18:00Do you like cachapo or arepa?
18:02I like cachapo and I like arepa.
18:04And I like...
18:06And the Venezuelan carne mechada, I think it's the best.
18:08It tastes so good.
18:10Forgive me, Cubans, but the carne mechada,
18:12I think it's the best.
18:14We have an interesting taste for bananas.
18:16That's right.
18:18But we don't want to know anything about ripe bananas.
18:20No, but you call them patacones, right?
18:22Patacón, patacón is super tasty.
18:24Patacón is typical of Maracaibo,
18:26which is in the western region,
18:28which is ripe fried bananas,
18:30carne mechadita, cheese,
18:32and flattened like a ripe banana sandwich.
18:34I don't know what they do to cheese in Venezuela,
18:36but since I ate cheese in Caracas,
18:38I've never eaten it again.
18:40Fresh cheese,
18:42hand cheese, Guayana cheese.
18:44It's an incredible thing.
18:46I'm going to send you cheese next time.
18:48Please, please.
18:50So now tell me,
18:52you're already in the Dominican Republic,
18:54you're already
18:56in this environment of the media,
18:58in the Dominican Republic,
19:00and why this thing of being honest?
19:02Explain to me what honesty is
19:04in your perception of communication.
19:06Look,
19:08I remember
19:10when we started thinking about our own project,
19:12because we were already in CDN for a few years,
19:14doing final focus,
19:16we said,
19:18let's do an interview show,
19:20and I said, what I want is for people to tell me the truth.
19:22Because sometimes,
19:24in the news, you didn't have time
19:26for people to be able to
19:28extend themselves in concepts
19:30that an informative space
19:32doesn't allow you.
19:34Sometimes you get a short 20-second piece
19:36in the news,
19:38and it's not true that in 20 seconds,
19:40for example, a minister or a person
19:42from any party
19:44or someone from the street can tell you
19:46an entire idea.
19:48That's why I'm sometimes a bit stubborn,
19:50because I don't want people to talk.
19:52Let people talk, because
19:54that's where people can express themselves
19:56and you can find where the truth is.
19:58So that much more relaxed space,
20:00being honest, allows people to let go
20:02and ask questions
20:04that make people show
20:06their real face.
20:08I think there's a...
20:10and that was also one of the perspectives
20:12of the program,
20:14that also,
20:16as I come from a country where politicians
20:18are Satanized,
20:20put on a pedestal
20:22that they're bad, bad, bad, so bad.
20:24So, well, that situation of anti-politics
20:26led me to think and get to know
20:28many good politicians.
20:30Here we can look
20:32and we can ask
20:34to see their faces,
20:36that they're not so bad,
20:38maybe they've done things that aren't good,
20:40but they have other things that are important
20:42to be said, and also
20:44contribute to the debate.
20:46The issue of honesty
20:48is the main search of journalism,
20:50the search for the truth.
20:52So, for the whole sentence, being honest.
20:54And how do you feel
20:56that your guests,
20:58do you recognize their level of honesty,
21:00or do you feel dizziness?
21:02There's everything, there's everything.
21:04There's dizziness, sometimes there's dizziness,
21:06but I think people realize it.
21:08Look, I think the same as you,
21:10I think that authenticity,
21:12I feel that
21:14authenticity is something
21:16that people perceive. People perceive it?
21:18People perceive it when you,
21:20when someone is expressing himself
21:22in a way that you won't see.
21:24When it's not a pose. Of course.
21:26That's why we have the honestometer.
21:28That's right.
21:30So, what we do is that,
21:32and I've always said this, a journalist isn't a judge.
21:34No, it can't be.
21:36A journalist is a vehicle.
21:38And I'm here to ask questions,
21:40to look for the points
21:42where people want to know things.
21:44But if you're telling me the truth or not,
21:46of course, I can do an investigation, etc.
21:48But that's not the purpose of the show.
21:50People will see in their homes perfectly
21:52if you're saying something
21:54that's not true.
21:56And that's why you get penalized later
21:58with the honestometer and you end up doing badly.
22:00One of the experiences
22:02where I saw you, which I think is a great recognition
22:04of your work, is that you were
22:06the moderator of the past presidential debate,
22:08which was the first
22:10in the country,
22:12where a current president participates,
22:14which I think was a very interesting democratic exercise.
22:16Tell me about that experience.
22:18A tremendous experience.
22:20And I'm super grateful.
22:22You were with my friend Roberto Cavada,
22:24who is a character.
22:26We got along well.
22:28Of course, everyone.
22:30But since Roberto is so hot and so current,
22:32we thought he might be
22:34one of his currents.
22:36Look, I was convinced that
22:38all of us who participated in that initiative,
22:40including the candidates,
22:42we knew, and although no one
22:44ever got together, I mean, I got together,
22:46I, Cavada, with Tuto Guerrero and the Ange team.
22:48But, for example, I never got together
22:50with any of the candidates.
22:52But I think there was a logic
22:54in which everyone wanted it to go well.
22:56And people prepared
22:58to show the country
23:00this incredible exercise
23:02of democracy. I am convinced
23:04that that was a before and after.
23:06I am very grateful to Ange.
23:08I think she did an impeccable job.
23:10I think the country,
23:12as you point out, Yayo,
23:14was grateful
23:16that a president in office
23:18participated, and was also grateful
23:20that an ex-president in office,
23:22an ex-president,
23:24sorry, participated
23:26in that great debate.
23:28And the other candidate,
23:30who had never
23:32exercised an executive role,
23:34executive, except as mayor,
23:36said, look, let's all go.
23:38I think it was a clean exercise.
23:40I don't think anyone got lacerated,
23:42everyone won. And it's very cool
23:44that such an exercise happened
23:46and that everyone feels like
23:48they're going home with a plus.
23:50That's incredible, that doesn't happen.
23:52That doesn't happen. Normally,
23:54when you go on stage, someone feels
23:56like they got hit. Tell me, who lost in the debate?
23:58Don't tell me who won.
24:00Because everyone is going to have
24:02to participate. Who lost?
24:04I don't think anyone lost, and I think
24:06the Dominican society won, and it was
24:08a process
24:10that many of us had fought
24:12for a long time,
24:14and I think that was a conquest
24:16of the freedom climate of this country.
24:18And if now,
24:20in your journalistic experience,
24:22I always like to talk about
24:24what was the most difficult
24:26moment you've had in your
24:28professional career, and how did you
24:30overcome it?
24:32You ask this question recurrently
24:34because I checked you.
24:36You asked several of my colleagues.
24:38It's a theme, it's a...
24:40Look, one of my...
24:42I'm going to tell you because it's a question, and it's recurrent.
24:44Which one was yours?
24:46One of the... I can tell you mine, but...
24:48When I go...
24:50When I go being honest again.
24:52That's not good for you.
24:54But the truth is that one of the things
24:56that always worries me
24:58in my interaction with youth and my interaction
25:00in the leadership processes
25:02in which I've been involved,
25:04is that the vast majority
25:06of people don't fail
25:08due to a lack of
25:10competences, due to a lack of
25:12capacities.
25:14They fail due to a lack of energy,
25:16due to a lack of resilience.
25:18And that's why
25:20I like these people
25:22who are overachievers,
25:24who are singular.
25:26I like that you tell people
25:28when they fell and how they got up.
25:30Look, Yayo, I don't see it as a fall.
25:32You talked about the issue of
25:34migration. I'm going to talk about that chapter
25:36because it's something that many people live,
25:38and that many people will have to live in their lives.
25:40Before, emigrating was
25:42a much more complex thing, right?
25:44My grandparents came from the Canary Islands
25:46to Venezuela in a boat
25:48that spent many days
25:50at sea. They were going to get to a totally
25:52unknown place, they didn't know
25:54how the food was.
25:56Now you do an exploration of everything and migration is
25:58different. However,
26:00I have to tell you,
26:02I worked in the
26:04most watched news channel in Venezuela.
26:06A channel
26:08in which I, from the age of 18
26:10to the age of 25,
26:12I was able to develop from teleprompter
26:14exercises to
26:16all the news sources,
26:18events, judicial, political,
26:20everything, everything, and then I ended up doing
26:22a lot of research, and
26:24I believe
26:26it's also a fairly
26:28hard job,
26:30because you don't live a very stable life,
26:32and if you are not in a good place,
26:34you are going to suffer all day.
26:36So, I started
26:38being aware of where
26:40I was going and
26:42how I was going.
26:44I was aware of what was going on
26:46and the challenges that I was facing,
26:48the challenges that I was experiencing.
26:50And I got to the Dominican Republic, and even though in the corner they were waiting for me with a full beer and people with their divine smile,
26:59and I had work at 11 days, I got to the Dominican Republic, which is a blessing, that does not happen to everyone.
27:05It is also true that I got to a tremendous institution, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development,
27:10but I sat in a desk because I was going to work in institutional communication.
27:15And I said, this is a radical change, that is, that energy, that adrenaline from day to day on the street, that is eliminated.
27:25It is eliminated.
27:26To a desk job.
27:27To a desk job, which evidently was going to have other opportunities, but the work dynamic was going to be very different.
27:36So I said, well, that's why I don't feel it like a fall, what I feel was like a rethinking,
27:43like when you are in a storm and suddenly the boat takes a minimum.
27:48Okay, here the sea got soft, but suddenly another storm comes, and the point is not to be afraid.
27:54Let's go up again, because the storm is always there.
27:57I think that phrase that you say, not to be afraid, I remember I was an immigrant once, Caterine,
28:03when I went to Europe to study, to France specifically.
28:08And I remember, look at the little things that happen to you, and it seems funny, but what I missed the most was the sun.
28:16Because I arrived in Europe in the month of October, September, and I came to see the sun in spring, May, June,
28:23at least the sun that we are used to, which is a present, important sun that warms you.
28:29And that for me was so shocking, and the cold, I never, before going to Europe, I had never seen snow.
28:35The furthest I had gone was to Puerto Rico, I had not even traveled to New York or the United States,
28:41but I had just boarded a plane to go to Puerto Rico, and I had not done anything else.
28:46And then I arrived in Europe, and that cold, after having spent the 20 years,
28:5320-odd years that I had in the Caribbean, then those changes, which are not dramatic,
28:58because the fact of having cold, I had a coat, it was not that I was going to starve,
29:02but those things, and I think the phrase, you sum it up very well when you say,
29:07not to be afraid.
29:08Don't be afraid.
29:09Not to be afraid, which is not the same as being reckless, arrogant, and other things,
29:13but you have to not be afraid.
29:15Look, and in a recent interview, they asked me something similar, and I said,
29:22I today, and every day it happens to me more that I feel that what one does is to go back to the origin,
29:27is to go back, because that's what holds you, that's what has you tight.
29:31I come from a family that already had to emigrate.
29:34My grandfather arrived in Venezuela.
29:39My grandfather came from a very poor family, both, in both cases, both are from the Canary Islands.
29:43One of them had 16 brothers, and he was the youngest.
29:47And he left the Canary Islands, and one of the things that my great-grandmother could give him
29:52was like a blanket, like a hand-embroidered blanket.
29:56What a beautiful story.
29:57And my grandfather arrived in Caracas, first he arrived in La Guaira,
30:00and he had to sit like in a ship where the migrants arrived.
30:05And he had so much pain, which is what saddened him the most,
30:08now that he had to put that blanket on the floor to be able to sleep.
30:10And he said, this that my mother did to me with so much love,
30:13I have to throw it on the floor to be able to sleep.
30:16So I say, if my grandfather did that, who am I going to complain to?
30:20I think that, yes, the strength of the experiences of those who surround us
30:24and of those who precede us.
30:26And now, what interviews, what situation,
30:31in the exercise of your functions as a journalist, as a professional,
30:37what has captivated you the most?
30:39What makes you feel the most?
30:40When did you say, wow, I'm here now,
30:43I'm Caterina Hernández and I'm where I have to be?
30:47Well, that's a difficult question,
30:50because I have many interviews that I treasure,
30:55interviews that have given me jobs,
30:58and interviews that I have not done.
31:00Interviews that I have not done and that,
31:03as I have not done them, but I have dreamed of them so much,
31:05I feel that they are there.
31:07For example, who have you not done that you would like to interview?
31:10Barack Obama.
31:11Barack Obama, ok.
31:12That's one I want to do.
31:14I want to interview...
31:19I would love to interview Hillary Clinton.
31:22It would be very interesting to ask her a few things.
31:26Hillary has to give an interesting interview.
31:28Hillary has to give a great interview.
31:31I would like to interview Donald Trump too.
31:34That would have to be a good interview.
31:36Yes, but I don't know if he's going to give it to me.
31:40But well, maybe yes.
31:42You don't have to agree to interview people.
31:44Do you know what happens?
31:45In the case of exercise presidents,
31:47the issue of an exercise president is that sometimes,
31:51in an interview,
31:52you are going to do a 100% current interview,
31:55but maybe you can't do a background interview.
31:57Because a background interview is going to imply things
31:59that he is going to want to say, but he is not going to be able to say.
32:02So sometimes talking from experience is incredible.
32:05Reading books, for example, about biographies,
32:07has that magic.
32:08Of course.
32:09Which is that, for example, you see ex-presidents
32:11telling the story of situations that people don't know why.
32:14Someone can, for example, explain why
32:16right now Trump is acting one way or another.
32:20It doesn't make sense.
32:22I can't find the reason.
32:23He will say it.
32:24No, no.
32:25He will say it.
32:26And if he observes his story and follows it.
32:28Of course, of course.
32:29It would be like that.
32:33Wait, there's another one I couldn't do.
32:35Sorry, sorry, tell me.
32:36Which one?
32:37There's one I couldn't do and I would have loved to do.
32:39And it's Freddy Veras Goico.
32:41Ah, yes, I understand you incredibly well.
32:43I would have loved to do that interview.
32:47Look.
33:01I have to tell you that I had the privilege of meeting both of them.
33:04Wonderful.
33:05And they were, first, two exceptional human beings.
33:09Two noble and rebellious souls.
33:12I think those two things normally go together.
33:14Nobility and rebellion usually go hand in hand.
33:17Yes, it's a marriage.
33:19But the truth is that...
33:21I'll tell you that yes, that would have been a very interesting interview to do.
33:26Very cool.
33:27I myself join that desire of yours.
33:30I would have loved it.
33:32Of having seen that interview.
33:35One thing that I, as a novice in this topic of the media...
33:42Listen to him.
33:43How do you always maintain content?
33:47That is, how...
33:49The one who speaks every day, the one who has to interview in a gradual way...
33:54I'm learning that now.
33:56I would be interested...
33:57This question is for the audience, but more for me than for the audience.
34:00How do you maintain a quality?
34:02How do you maintain a level?
34:04How do you always maintain a level of innovation and expectation
34:10in this that has a tendency to be monotonous?
34:13Because the one who does the same thing every day can get tired at some point.
34:17Sure.
34:18It's a super challenge.
34:20I understand your question.
34:22It's a tremendous...
34:25It's a challenge for the production team.
34:28It's a challenge for us.
34:30I mean, for us who are now in this topic.
34:32Yes, I'm already in this too.
34:33It's a super challenge, Yayo.
34:35Look, normally one...
34:39Well, I guess you have to have a big list.
34:41Yes, yes.
34:42Of people who want to come here to the space.
34:45But you have to keep your eyes open.
34:47Because suddenly things come out that you say,
34:51from here, that no one expected.
34:54A great interview comes out, a tremendous interview.
34:57And there are stories that you say,
34:59wow, and that's incredible, and you have to enjoy it.
35:02Because there are interviews that you go with over-expectation.
35:05And there are some that you don't go with any expectation,
35:07and suddenly it surprises you.
35:09So I think what you have to do is enjoy the way,
35:12surf that wave.
35:14I read like crazy.
35:15I even read the letters on the toilet paper.
35:18I read everything.
35:19I read newspapers, magazines, everything.
35:22And I'm asking people all the time.
35:26Who are they talking about?
35:28And from there you generate the content.
35:29Sure.
35:30You jump in the subway.
35:32The truth is that here I don't do it often,
35:34but I did it for many years.
35:35Here?
35:36For a long time.
35:37Here I've done it, here I've done it two or three times.
35:40I have a lot that I don't do,
35:41to be honest.
35:42We're going with one day for the subway.
35:44You put on a hat.
35:46Calm down.
35:47Hey, I don't have a problem.
35:48I'm going as I am.
35:49Yes, but the thing is not that they see that you're pending,
35:51but that you go half unnoticed,
35:53and that people don't notice that you're listening.
35:55Listening to what people say.
35:57You listen to what people say and you say,
35:59Por ahí puede ir el tema.
36:01Por ahí puede ir el tema.
36:03Igual el metro, igual el colmado, igual el carro público, igual la señora que te ofrece un café.
36:09Hay que preguntarle a la gente, que no es la que normalmente está sentada con nosotros en la mesa,
36:14qué quieren saber, qué es lo que están pensando.
36:17Porque ahí hay un gap.
36:21Nosotros, que a veces estamos en televisión y estamos metidos en la noticia, en la actualidad,
36:26tenemos un sesgo.
36:29Hay un sesgo.
36:31Si en cualquier posición de algún nivel de liderazgo tú te aíslas del todo,
36:38llega un momento que te desconectas.
36:40Totalmente.
36:41Eso es así en la política, en el empresario, en la comunicación.
36:46Es una pregunta obligada cuando se habla de comunicación, Catherine.
36:50Yo quería hablar del fake news, de cómo mantener la credibilidad en un ambiente
36:55donde cualquiera dice lo que quiere decir.
36:58Porque ya no solo hablamos de libertad, también hablamos de libertinaje,
37:01cualquiera coge un micrófono.
37:03Entonces, ¿cómo se logra mantener la credibilidad a lo largo de muchos años
37:09participando de temas tan controversiales?
37:13Porque tú entrevistas políticos, entrevistas a empresarios.
37:16Mira, Yayo, yo creo que el respeto se va construyendo en virtud de los momentos
37:22informativos que tenemos que vivir y los eventos a los que tenemos que acudir.
37:28Yo te voy a poner un ejemplo que yo sé que para ti es cercano y doloroso.
37:34Cuando le quitaron la vida a Orlando, Jim Suriel y yo estábamos al aire
37:40en el noticiario del mediodía.
37:43Y la primera información que nosotros recibimos pasó en varios grupos de redes
37:50y en el mismo canales hubo un tiroteo en el Ministerio del Medio Ambiente.
37:57Hubo tiros.
37:59Y de repente, de una vez, mataron a Orlando.
38:05Para nosotros poder decir que Orlando Jorge había sido asesinado en su oficina,
38:10pasamos quizás una hora y media después de que teníamos la confirmación,
38:16de que teníamos el dato.
38:19Y yo dije, yo no voy a decir eso hasta que yo lo tenga absolutamente corroborado.
38:25Y Jim y yo estuvimos de acuerdo y dijimos, es que no hay.
38:29No hay ninguna necesidad.
38:31Orlando tiene un hijo, tiene una esposa, tiene una familia, tiene unos amigos.
38:37Tiene una hija.
38:38Tiene dos hijos, exacto.
38:40Y yo dije, no.
38:42Yo no tengo por qué.
38:43¿Cuál es el apuro?
38:44¿Cuál es la prisa?
38:46Además, vivimos en una sociedad en donde la gente está enferma de notoriedad.
38:52Correcto.
38:53Pero de esa notoriedad vaga, no de la notoriedad relevante.
38:57Es la notoriedad pendeja.
38:59No, y Catherine, hay un peligro.
39:02Yo recuerdo ese día, tú sabes bien y lo sabe todo el que me da seguimiento,
39:06cuando era sin quizás mi mejor amigo.
39:09No era amigo.
39:10Incluso todavía es un tema para mí.
39:11Pero yo te vi entrando ese día en imágenes.
39:13No, porque yo te voy a decir la verdad.
39:14Tú estabas en el canal y te vi entrando en imágenes.
39:16Y cuando yo te vi, tú no sabías, evidentemente,
39:19que nosotros estábamos transmitiendo.
39:21Pero cuando yo vi a Yayo entrar, creo que llegaste acompañado de alguien más,
39:25que no recuerdo ahorita mismo quién era, pero yo dije,
39:27Yayo está ahí.
39:28Y yo dije, Yayo es uno de los mejores amigos de Orlando.
39:30Así es.
39:31Yo recuerdo que yo estaba…
39:32Aguante.
39:33Yo recuerdo firmando unos documentos y recibo como 10 llamadas perdidas
39:38de Carolina Mejia.
39:39Sí.
39:40Y eso es extraño.
39:41Carolina no llama de esa manera insistente.
39:43Ni teníamos nada puntual en lo que estábamos trabajando.
39:45Y yo recuerdo que digo, Carolina me ha llamado 10 veces.
39:47Déjame ver qué pasa.
39:48Fue como una intuición.
39:50Yo dije, guau, alguien murió.
39:52No hay que llamarme 10 veces.
39:54Yo hago así, cojo el teléfono, cojo el teléfono,
39:56Carolina está del otro lado, se le siente sollozando.
40:00Cuando yo cojo el teléfono, me dice, Yayo lo mataron.
40:03Pero no me dice a quién.
40:05Y yo, Carolina, ¿qué te pasa? ¿Dónde tú estás?
40:07Y se va la llamada.
40:09Y yo, pero ¿cómo que lo mataron?
40:11Entonces me pasó por la mente todo lo que no se te puede ocurrir.
40:14Claro.
40:15Porque el último en el que pensé fue Orlando,
40:17porque Carolina y Orlando no trabajaban juntos, etc.
40:19Preocupado por Carolina, comienzo a llamar al seguridad de Carolina,
40:22comienzo a llamar a Juan, su hijo,
40:24comienzo a llamar a un grupo de gente,
40:26hasta que doy con alguien que me dice,
40:28no, lo que pasa es que Carolina estaba en mi interior medioambiente
40:31y han baleado a Orlando.
40:34Y yo recuerdo que dije, no, no puede ser verdad.
40:37Pero Carolina no me tomó más el teléfono
40:39y yo lo que hice fue salir por mi interior medioambiente.
40:42Todavía me engrifo.
40:45Y cuando yo llegué, yo llegué junto con la magistrada Berenice,
40:49con el que era director de la policía en ese momento,
40:52y entramos y aquí fue una escena que no te la puedo ni contar.
40:56Pero déjame decirte, ahí que tú dices,
40:59ese episodio me dio a mí una experiencia muy triste
41:03de lo que es el fake news.
41:05Porque ahí llegó Orlandito, después llegó Patricia,
41:09comenzó a llegar otros familiares de Orlando.
41:14Y bueno, a mí me tocó en ese momento estar ahí en el medio
41:17y comenzar los rumores de lo que había pasado.
41:21Comenzaron a decir que había pasado esto,
41:23que yo había sido fulano, que había sido un mangano,
41:25que la razón del asesinato era esta o aquella.
41:28Todo eso comprobóse luego de que era completamente mentira.
41:33Y yo recuerdo que inclusive puse un tuit,
41:37que es de los tuits que más tuvo,
41:40y yo puse, wow, la condición humana a veces tiene unas expresiones tan crueles.
41:44Porque tú jugar con el dolor de una familia,
41:46con el dolor de amigos, de gente,
41:49en un momento así, elucubrando, diciendo cosas que no son,
41:51es muy difícil.
41:53Y aquí viene esta pregunta, o sea,
41:56¿qué rol juegan las redes sociales hoy en el periodismo?
42:00¿Y qué rol juegan en nuestra comunicación desde tu punto de vista?
42:03Mira Yaya, nosotros nos podemos pasar acá un buen rato
42:08hablando de tecnología, hablando de medios,
42:11hablando de restricciones a derechos, libertades.
42:16Tú eres abogado, tú sabes lo que significa
42:18el tema de restricción de libertades,
42:20por ejemplo, la libertad de expresión.
42:23Y también sabemos que hay consecuencias para, por ejemplo,
42:25gente que difama, gente que miente,
42:27que hay procesos en los tribunales, etc.
42:30Pero tú has dado una clave.
42:32¿Y tú sabes cuál es?
42:33Tú dijiste la condición humana.
42:38¿Qué es inherente al ser humano?
42:41Nosotros podemos, hoy van a ser las redes sociales
42:43y mañana van a ser los chicos que nos van a meter en la cabeza
42:45y nos vamos a comunicar sin hablar.
42:47Correcto.
42:48¿Sabes que hay que trabajar a la gente?
42:50Hay que trabajar al individuo que agarra y se mofa
42:55de una situación tan dramática como esa.
42:58Hay que trabajar al individuo que,
43:01ante una tragedia como la de esta turista india
43:06que está desaparecida en nuestro país,
43:09le resulta simpático colocar a una muchacha
43:13que se parece a ella,
43:15sin pensar que del otro lado hay un papá
43:18que lo que está es buscando a su hija.
43:20Entonces, nos podemos pasar aquí el día
43:22hablando de cómo cortamos las redes sociales,
43:24de que si le ponemos, de que si imponemos,
43:26de que la gente...
43:27Pero aquí hay un tema de tratamiento de la gente
43:30y de educación, educación en valores.
43:35Y hay otra cara que es que si a esa gente,
43:38que yo la voy a llamar gente basura,
43:42¿verdad?
43:44Le financiamos.
43:47Entonces financiamos el basural.
43:50Déjame decirte, yo creo que eso requiere
43:54que haya tanques de pensamiento y reflexión
43:58al respecto porque hay una conducta
44:02que está siendo monetizada por las redes sociales
44:08que ya te pagan por views, te pagan por likes
44:11y los actores, lamentablemente,
44:16los actores públicos, todos,
44:20en un momento dado en la vida en democracia,
44:24se necesita la notoriedad para influir
44:26sobre una sociedad.
44:27Entonces, este es un dilema,
44:30que las redes sociales, que mucha gente cree
44:32que las redes sociales son algo ya,
44:34pero las redes sociales son un fenómeno
44:36que tiene como muchos 15 años.
44:38Yo creo que las regulaciones legales,
44:40las regulaciones sociales,
44:42inclusive los paradigmas,
44:43todavía no están tan claros
44:45con este fenómeno.
44:46Yo creo que eso hay que seguirlo estudiando.
44:48Tú sabes mejor que nadie
44:49cómo es el tiempo en televisión.
44:50¿Cuál tiempo es?
44:51No, todavía, casi casi.
44:53Pero todavía hay cosas que no puedo…
44:54Déjame ya ir a una Catherine más humana.
44:59Estamos muy serios, ¿verdad?
45:00Sí, sí.
45:01¿Cómo vota Catherine el golpe?
45:03¿Cómo voto el golpe?
45:04Mira, por ejemplo, a mí me encanta
45:06escuchar música durísimo.
45:09Me encanta.
45:10¿Y cuál es tu música preferida?
45:11¿La salsa, el merengue, la bachata?
45:13Yo soy muy salsera.
45:14Salsera.
45:15Me encanta, yo soy salserísima.
45:17Muchachos, en estos días…
45:19¿El salsero preferido?
45:20Bueno, me encanta.
45:22Yo soy de Oscar de León, 100%.
45:25Ah, pero qué bien.
45:26Yo soy de Oscar de León,
45:27yo soy de la dimensión latina.
45:29Yo soy…
45:31Bueno, me encanta, por ejemplo,
45:32de Venezuela, la banda de los adolescentes.
45:35¿Tú sabes que en mi boda
45:36yo terminé bailando Servando y Florentino?
45:38Ah, pero qué bien.
45:39¿Y en eso de la música?
45:40Yo soy más enamorada todavía.
45:42Mira, y en esa música,
45:44y hablando de enamoramiento,
45:45yo creo que los hombres que ven este podcast
45:49y este consejo a nadie le sobra.
45:54¿Cómo logra tu esposo, mi amigo,
45:56convencerte de mudarte del país?
45:58No fue bailando.
45:59Yo quiero…
46:00No, no fue bailando.
46:01No fue bailando.
46:02Yo quiero que tú me expliques eso,
46:03porque yo creo que hay dos o tres
46:04de los muchachos que nos ven
46:05que pueden decir, bueno,
46:06yo cogí algo de Samuela
46:07que le dieron a Katherine
46:08que la mudaron de país.
46:09Sí, sí, sí.
46:10Mira, tú sabes que yo le dije a Jesús,
46:12te voy a echar el cuento largo-corto,
46:14cuando él me trajo a República Dominicana,
46:18vinimos en un viaje juntos
46:19y fue una maravilla.
46:20Yo se lo conté a tu equipo
46:21antes de que tú llegaras.
46:23Y en Las Terrenas,
46:26después de una noche de fiesta,
46:28baile, no sé qué,
46:29entonces él me dice,
46:30sí, te vas a venir.
46:31Y yo le dije,
46:32mira, yo voy a venir a República Dominicana.
46:33Y yo le dije,
46:34tú vas a ser el azúcar de mi café.
46:35Y me dice, ¿cómo así?
46:37Yo le digo,
46:38el azúcar de mi café.
46:40Anoten, anoten, anoten.
46:42Para que tú veas
46:43que la noche en Las Terrenas
46:44y un par de copas
46:45lo ponen uno creativo.
46:46Claro que sí.
46:47Yo le dije,
46:48tú vas a ser el azúcar de mi café.
46:50Yo le dije,
46:51el café sin azúcar sabe mal,
46:55pero uno se lo bebe.
46:56Correcto.
46:57Ahora, yo quiero que tú siempre
46:58seas el azúcar de mi café
46:59para que yo me lo beba
47:00y que sepa bueno.
47:01Ah, pero mira qué lindo está eso
47:02y qué chulo.
47:03Qué chulo.
47:04Y ya tienen,
47:05¿cuántos años viviendo aquí?
47:06Bueno, yo tengo desde el 2011.
47:09Ya son unos añitos,
47:1014 años,
47:11como quien no quiere la cosa.
47:12Como quien no quiere la cosa
47:13y el 10.
47:14O sea, él es del 2010.
47:16Además de que tú y yo somos amigos,
47:17me dicen que ya tú eres
47:18cogidita aquí.
47:19Yo soy cogidita full.
47:20Ah, pero eso es importante.
47:21Pero full.
47:22Eso es importante.
47:23Inclusive,
47:24este equipo de producción mío,
47:25que a veces se pasa de contento,
47:26me ha colado dos o tres liceitas aquí.
47:27Es verdad.
47:28Que yo los tengo prohibidos.
47:29No, pero dame el favor.
47:30Y un día me dicen…
47:31Pero el primero que tú trajiste
47:32no fue a…
47:33A David Ortiz.
47:34Ah, bueno.
47:35Claro, David Ortiz.
47:36Pensate bien.
47:37Claro que sí.
47:38Yo le he dicho a ellos
47:39y ellos me dicen,
47:40mira,
47:41los liceitas son mayoría
47:42y votan.
47:43Yo les voy a convencer
47:44con otra cosa.
47:45No, no, no.
47:46Porque ellos no van a votar
47:47por la pelota.
47:48Yo escogí equipo
47:49porque si no fue el año
47:50que yo gané,
47:51el primer año,
47:52como que yo le presté atención
47:53a la pelota
47:54en República Mayores
47:55y yo dije,
47:56el que gane,
47:57a ese le voy.
47:58Tenía que escoger equipo
47:59y…
48:00Tuviste suerte,
48:01con la chulería
48:02que hayas estado aquí.
48:03Gracias, ya.
48:04Te admiro,
48:05te respeto.
48:06Espero que nos sigamos viendo
48:07en estos menesteres
48:08y que sigamos,
48:09no solo cultivando la amistad,
48:10sino cultivando todas las cosas
48:11que podemos hacer
48:12por este país,
48:13desde el periodismo
48:14y ahora yo desde aquí
48:15y desde este espacio.
48:16Claro que sí.
48:17Y desde donde
48:18los caminos del Señor
48:19nos lleven.
48:20Amén.
48:21Oye, una cosa,
48:22¿cuándo vas a ser honesto?
48:23Cuando tú quieras.
48:24Tú fuiste
48:25y fue buen programa, ¿eh?
48:26Yo creo que sí.
48:27Y el onestómetro,
48:28¿cómo que no?
48:29El onestómetro te fue bien.
48:30I'm going to tell you something, I always say this, I always say this, what you see is what I am.
48:37That's how it should be.
48:38I try to be clear, they even criticize me a lot for that.
48:41Why?
48:42Because people want one of these bags and this thing, you put it on and you're like…
48:46That's what they criticize you the most, that you are more…
48:49I'm very loose, I have some advisors who have told me not to give interviews,
48:53not to do this, because now everything is formal and packaged, but…
48:57Well, I don't know, I see people who are saying the same thing as you.
49:01Well, I'm going to tell you the truth, but I'm not going to listen to them.
49:04Like you said, you have to enjoy it.
49:07You have to enjoy it.
49:08You have to enjoy it.
49:09Besides, this life is very short.
49:11That's right.
49:12Yayo, thank you.
49:13You're welcome.
49:14And go ahead with this project, I like that you take the initiative,
49:16that you take your time to think all week who you are going to take.
49:19That's right.
49:20It's not easy.
49:21A hug, Katerina.
49:23We'll keep seeing each other.
49:27Bye.
49:28Bye.
49:57Bye.
49:58Bye.
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