El Sistema, the music education program founded in Venezuela, is in turmoil. Following the column published in the
Washington Post at the
end of May, denouncing the sexual abuse of which several students were allegedly victims, the alternative learning system is struggling to recover, despite the press releases made by the institution. It all started at the end of April 2021, when the #MeToo movement gained new strength in Venezuela, with a wave of accusations of harassment and rape on social media. Internet users then use the hashtag "
YoTeCreoVzla
(I believe in you, Venezuela), in order to denounce the terrible acts.
The movement is also gaining prominence in the world of culture, when an Instagram account compiles complaints about a well-known musician in the country, Alejandro Sojo.
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An institution in the grip of "
pedophiles and pederasts
"
Then the messages start pointing fingers at other artists, until the accusations reach El Sistema, the music education program founded in 1975 in Venezuela, developed in several countries around the world. A program that offers an alternative learning method for young people, especially those in need. On April 29, a former El Sistema musician, Angie Cantero, posted a message on her Facebook profile, explaining that the institution "
was / is plagued by pedophiles, pederasts and countless people who committed the crime of embezzlement of a minor
”.
She adds "
that there are a lot of disgusting people who like to cheat on girls and teenagers, taking advantage of their position of power and their fame within El Sistema
".
The young woman then confides having received sexual proposals from teachers at the age of 13, which she resisted.
But "
unfortunately that wasn't the case for a lot of my friends, who were also underage at the time, and they ended up engaging in relationships (which included sex, of course) with these guys." who were much older than them
”.
Behaviors known for a long time in the community
His story was then re-shared thousands of times, and hundreds of comments streamed under his post, some claiming to have suffered similar stories. Thus, for example, a woman admits to having been raped at the age of 14. Testimonies that push two music teachers, Goeff Baker and William Cheng, to investigate. Together, they collect other damning statements for El Sistema, and show that these abuses do not date from yesterday. Thus, under a false name, a woman member of the program for eighteen years confided to them that this type of behavior had been known for a long time: “
Many cases have been revealed, but it is the girls who have paid the consequences. The role of teachers has been swept under the rug
She said.
Still others claim that some teachers traded musical perks (tours, lessons, promotions) for sex.
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Unacceptable behavior that Goeff Baker had already tried to highlight in a book in 2014, but to which El Sistema had reacted by qualifying all the accusations as "
false
".
Then, in 2016, it was a former violinist of the organization who admitted in a magazine that relations between teachers and students were "
the norm
".
A scandal that does not only affect the Venezuelan branch of El Sistema, assure the authors of the forum, since several professors have worked in the different branches of the organization. Last week, the English organization of El Sistema reacted in a statement, explaining that it is "
seriously concerned to learn of the allegations of sexual abuse and of a culture favoring sexual assault and harassment within the group
". The Venezuelan branch, for its part, published a press release in which it half-acknowledged the wrongs, and committed "
to take the necessary measures to strengthen their philosophy and values recognized by hundreds of institutions around the world.
We will continue to focus on the well-being, health, and physical and emotional protection of our children and adolescents.
"
A statement that did not fail to react Geoff Baker, who on Twitter asked the institution to apologize for having described the accusations as "
false
" at the time his book was released.