Caracas, Venezuela. The last issue of Jazoera, the newsletter from the Caracas Basque club, includes a series of articles dedicated to “La Txalupa,” a clandestine radio that ran from 1965-1977 taking over for Radio Euzkadi that was broadcasting secretly all over the Basque Country during the Franco regime from Venezuela.
The experience of “La Txalupa” was recently recognized during the awarding of the “Bizkaitar Argia - Iustre de Bizkaia” award to Radio Euskadi by the Provincial Government of Bizkaia. As stated in an article in Jazoera by Iñaki Anasagasti, attending the event were some of the surviving members of the group that supported “La Txalupa,” Gerardo Bujanda, Paul Aguirre and Jone Insausti.
As Anasagasti recalls, in 1954 Radio Euzkadi was closed in Baiona and the Basques who lived under the Franco regime were left without news from the Basque Government in exile and the resistance. The local Basque community, that had arrived after the civil war “with heaven above and the earth below,” had begun to prosper economically and lived in the area of the Eusko Etxea in Caracas, but always aware of Euskadi.
This group from Caracas decided “to raise money” and take over for the station. The group bought some old antennas that came from an oil company and started to broadcast from the outskirts of Caracas in total secrecy.
Anasagasti named the supporters in his article:
“Jokin Inza, was the real economist of the Group and based on his persistence was able to raise money; Jose Joaquin Azurza, was the engineer who created the technical infrastructure so that the short wave would reach Euzkadi; Alberto Elosegui, created the programs and slogans; Xabier Leizaola, the good man of the group, was the problem solver and put out the fires during this adventure of 13 years of broadcasting without anyone knowing a thing; and Iñaki Zubizarreta was in charge of permissions from the Venezuelan government.”
The station had a lot of collaborators and contributors, the complete list of which is highlighted here:
"These are their names: José Abasolo, Paul Agirre, Peru Ajuria, Aita Patxi Albizu, Bingen Ametzaga, Julian Amezkua, Iñaki Anasagasti, Tomas Andondegi, Feliciano Aranguren, Iñaki Aretxabaleta, Joseba Arriaga, Ixaka Atutxa, Isaias Atxa, Jose Luis Atxa, Julian Atxurra, Jose Joaquín Azurza, Felix Berriozabal, Txomin Biskarret, Miguel Briceño, Jontxu Castañero, Vicente Cervera, Ventura Chico, Jose Eleizalde, Iñaki Elguezabal, Alberto Elosegi, Iñaki Erkoreka, Domeka Etxearte, Jesús María Gallastegi, Jon Garaigordobil, Luis Jose García, Maite Garitaonaindia, Jon Gomez, Santiago Guruzeaga, Jone Insausti, Jokin Inza, Jesus Irazabal, Pello Irujo, Joseba Iturralde, Iñaki Landa, Jon Leizaola, Maite Leizaola, Xabier Leizaola, Kepa Lekue, Pedro Leon, Ricardo Líbano, Juan Mari Lopez Eizagirre, Txomin Llanos, Aita Antonio Mendiluze, Rafael Mendizabal, Tomas Mitxelena, Sino Mugarra, Andoni Olabarri, Eukeni Olabarrieta, Jon Mikel Olabarrieta, Joseba Olabarrieta, Jon Olabeaga, Mikel Oksagasti, Juan Ortiz, Ixaka Orue, Lander Quintana, Guillermo Ramos, Miren Solabarrieta, Aita Iñaki Ugalde, Aita Bonifacio Urkizu, Garbiñe Urresti, Joseba Urresti, Josu Urresti, Paulin Urresti, Joseba Urruzuno, Julene Urzelai, Ignacio Zuazo, Iñaki Zubizarreta and José Maria Zugarramurdi".
Arantzazu Amezaga also participated. Jazoera dedicated an article to her as well, forr recently winning the Manuel de Irujo prize that was awarded the writer from Navarre (and Venezuela, Argentina and Uruguay). Amezaga is the author of a book on this radio adventure entitled, “La Txalupa from Radio Euzkadi” (More information in this interview: here and here by EuskalKultura.com).
Anyone wishing to read these, or other articles can ask Jazoera for them by emailing: jazoera@gmail.com.
Send to a friend
Add comment
