USA. Radio Free Europe and the voice of America without financing. Polish oppositionists write to Donald Trump: you make a great gift to dictators

“As a president, you demand freedom of speech. So why the Lord of Radio, which since the Cold War has been a symbol of American freedom in the world,” they asked in a letter to Donald Trump activists of the Polish opposition in the PRL. They expressed “deep disappointment” by the decision of the US president to interrupt the activities of such media as Radio Free Europe or the voice of America.

Piątkowa “Gazeta Wyborcza” published a letter of Polish activists of the anti -communist opposition of the 20th century to the president USA Donald Trump, expressing their disappointment by decision about Liquidation of Radio Free Europe and Radio Swobodawhich for decades have been an alternative to media controlled by authoritarian regimes.

“We, activists of the anti -communist democratic opposition, would like to express our consternation and deep disappointment by the decision to liquidate Radio Free Europe and Radio Swoboda” – we read in this correspondence.

The President of the USA “drowns out the words flowing from the free world”

“You were lucky to be born in a free country and may not be aware of what the oppression of the totalitarian state is in which all areas of life, and in particular the media, are controlled by the state. Our response to the monopoly of communist authorities was a free word and independent underground publishing houses” – wrote activists.

The letter reminded that “the United States' response to the oppression of the captivated nations for 75 years was Radio Free Europe and Radio Freedom.” “It is difficult to overestimate the moral and political importance of the radio. A man deprived of independent information, subjected to propaganda slowly turns into a slave. Thanks to, among others, RWE and the voice of America, Poles remained free people” – we read.

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“As a president, you demand freedom of speech. So why the Lord of Radio, which since the Cold War has been a symbol of American freedom in the world,” the authors of the letter said to the American leader.

“It is a sad paradox that today the President of the United States, suspending the financing of free media, drowns out the words flowing from the free world. It may bring some small savings in the budget of your country, but will cause irreparable losses in the position and image of the United States in the world” – it was written.

And it was added: “You make your decision a great gift to dictators and satraps around the world. We hope that you will withdraw from the Lord from this terrible decision.”

The letter was signed by participants of the democratic opposition of the PRL period and the Solidarity underground during martial law – including former prime minister Jerzy Buzek and Krzysztof Bielecki, the organizer of the strike in August 1980 Bogdan Borusewicz, former President Bronisław Komorowski or a former Solidarity activist Władysław Frasyniuk.

Interruption of the media part

In March, Donald Trump signed a regulation ordering the maximum limitation of actions and staff of the American Global Media Agency, responsible for media for abroad – including Radio Free Europe/Radio Swoboda (RFE) and the voice of America (VOA).

The broadcasts of a number of publicly financed radio and television stations, including VOA and RFE, were suspended. All VOA journalists were sent for a forced vacation, and RFE was informed about the completion of financing.

By announcing the decision, the White House stated that Trump's step “will ensure that taxpayers would no longer pay radical propaganda”, calling VOA “a voice of radical America”, citing a number of critical voices about the activities of the station.

Earlier in the agency there were dismissals at the behest of Elon Musk, a close associate of Trump, informally managing the state performance department.

However, last week, the adviser and de facto head of the Global Media Agency (USAGM) Kari Lake informed in a letter Radio Free Europe that she cancels her earlier decision to withdraw financing for the sender. This is a consequence of the court's decision, temporarily suspending receipt of the subsidy.