Boo! October Updates at the Dissident PRoject…
Boo!
October has brought a string of spooky happenings over at the Dissident Project — not the kind that comes with candy, but the kind that tries to suppress our speakers. From new rounds of censorship to targeted punishments against brave dissidents, this month has reminded us that authoritarianism doesn’t take a holiday.
At the Dissident Project we’ll keep turning the lights on: amplifying testimonies, training speakers, and bringing these stories into classrooms and communities where they matter most.
Di Martino’s Venezuelan Citizenship Revoked by Maduro Regime
The Maduro regime is now threatening to strip our founder Daniel Di Martino of his Venezuelan citizenship alongside twenty other opposition activists, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado — a blatant attempt to punish and silence those who refuse to bow.
Daniel wrote:
“The Maduro regime is seeking to strip me of my Venezuelan citizenship alongside 20 other opposition activists and @MariaCorinaYA
That is never going to stop me or any of us in our fight for liberty nor does it make us less Venezuelan 🇻🇪
Maduro will be brought to justice.”
This tactic is meant to intimidate, but it only sharpens our resolve. Daniel’s story is exactly why the Dissident Project exists: to platform voices who refuse to be erased, to bring eyewitness testimony into schools and media, and to train a new generation of speakers who can carry these truths into public life. Watch Daniel’s full video, share widely, and if you’re able, support our work so we can keep amplifying dissidents when regimes try to silence them.
October Speech Highlights
Grace Jo spoke to 568 students at Scarsdale High School in NY on their “Global Citizenship Day” event. Teacher and host, Jessica Pulford, raved about her story, commenting that it “helped our students better understand the importance of empathy, freedom, and global awareness.”
Tahmineh Dehbozorgi traveled out to SLC to give two presentations for our friends at American Preparatory Academy in front of our largest audience to date. Across both speeches her story reached 1,735! We are grateful for our partners at APA for making this incredible event possible.
Daniel Contreras appeared on FOX 5 to comment on rising tensions between the U.S. and the Maduro regime. See his news clip here!
Bring a Speaker to Your School
Do you know of teachers or organizations that would be interested in hosting a dissident? We would be delighted to send speakers their way. Put us in contact by submitting a request through our booking form, or you can email Charlie directly at charlie@joinyv.org.
Thank you, as always, for your support. See you next month, same place, same time.
– Grace
