From Propaganda to Truth: Chuckie Taylor Speaks Out

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Breaking a silence that spans nearly two decades, Chuckie Taylor speaks directly from federal prison in a raw, unfiltered conversation that challenges deeply entrenched narratives about his life and role in West African conflicts. The son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor doesn't shy away from confronting the most heinous allegations that have shadowed him since his father's regime collapsed.

With remarkable clarity, Taylor dismantles what he describes as propaganda by focusing on simple facts – born in 1977, he questions how he could have masterminded atrocities in the early 1990s when he was a teenager living in Florida. He points to the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission's findings, noting his absence from their list of those responsible for "gross abuses" during the civil war. "If I had something to hide, I wouldn't be making myself open to dialogue," Taylor asserts, establishing a system through LFTG where he'll directly address questions from Liberians seeking answers.

The conversation reveals a man who has used his imprisonment to develop articulation and perspective, directly challenging expectations that he'd emerge as "someone inarticulate, someone who wasted their time in prison." While acknowledging the trauma experienced by war victims and offering prayers for their healing, Taylor maintains that propaganda has confused his identity with his father's actions: "The son has paid for the sins of the father for 18 years." His parting message combines defiance with reconciliation: "I believe I have a genuine contribution to make, but it has to be done after we confront these lies." Have questions for Chucky Taylor? Submit them through LFTG, where he's committed to addressing the most pressing inquiries about his past and Liberia's complex history.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This call will be recorded and subject to
monitoring at any time.
To accept this call, press 5.
To block this call and allfuture calls, you may begin
speaking now.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Elliot, what's going on, chuck?

Speaker 3 (00:17):
All is well.
Are you ready to record?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
I'm already recording .

Speaker 3 (00:21):
Okay, great, okay, lftg audience.
This is Chucky Taylor GomaeSumel again.
First of all, I want to thankLFTG outlet Elliot Carter for
permitting me to be able toengage the audience, the
Liberian people, and to sort ofdeconstruct this propaganda and

(00:43):
narrative that has existed forso long.
So I'm establishing a system.
You have my information whenyou write me, I will put you on
the email and I will allow 10questions to be asked.
There are very few calls that Iwill make because I want to
make sure to preserve this onrecord.

(01:03):
I will no longer allowpropagandists to capture the
narrative.
I want to be able to recordthese responses and questions,
but if I had something to hide,I would not be going to this
length.
So that within itselfdemonstrates that it's time to
move past what many have beensaying for so long.

(01:28):
Imagine someone saying that I'mworse than Hitler.
That comment alone.
It leaves me speechless andwithout any real response, but
to say it's the most idioticthing I've ever heard.
So that is the system that Ihave in place.

(01:51):
The other factor is you cancall in the LFTG.
Try to get these questions putforward to me.
But I'll just say this to thelibrarian people I was born in
1977.
Let me say that one more time.
I was born in 1977, on February12th.
How old would that make me in1990?

(02:13):
It's a clearly establishedrecord that I was living in
Florida at the time of theheight of the war, where most of
the gross abuses took place.
How could I have helped tolaunch a war in Sierra Leone?
But this is some of theignorance that is intermingled
with the propaganda.
But I don't think that this isby chance.

(02:33):
I actually think this is byintent.
I actually think that there's amens rea attached to this
agenda.
But no more.
My openness will remain thatway and I am prepared to face
any questioning.
Another no more, my opennesswill remain that way and I am
prepared to face any questioning.
Another important fact Checkyour BBC interview.
I made it clear to the Liberianpeople my name is not on the

(02:55):
truth and reconciliation listfor those recommended for the
most gross abuse duringLiberia's war.
What does it tell you?
During Ellen Johnson's SirLeaves' government, if I had
committed anything close toabuse, if I had anything to do
with Sarah Layne, you don'tthink that they would have
wanted to indict me.

(03:15):
They were going after everybody.
So this alone deconstructs muchof what people have been saying.
Let's cut the nonsense out.
Let's come to reality.
But I will say this for thosewho have been traumatized during
the war I pray for your peaceand for your healing, and if

(03:36):
there's anything that I can doto contribute to that, I'm more
than open to do so.
But let's move past these lies.
Let's move past the ignorance,okay, and let's really talk
facts, because the son has paidfor the sins of the father for
18 years.
The first place we got to startout with is what case did the

(03:57):
government put forward and whatI'm alleging?
Is it factual?
You have access to PACER.
You have access to the docketentry and the page numbers.
Let's start there first,because if the US government
chose to bring forward that case, they believe that was the best
one to prove.
If I was eating babies, imaginewhat you people are saying
Eating babies.
Are you serious?

(04:18):
But this is the ignorance, thelies and the hatred y'all have
for Charles Taylor.
Don't transfer that on to me.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
So you're saying that ?
That's completely false.
You and General Butt Naked hadnothing to do with raping women
and stealing babies and eatingthem.

Speaker 3 (04:40):
Well, you got to understand something.
First of all, there was athree-year truth and
reconciliation committee thatinvestigated the most gross
abuses.
Every Liberian was capable ofgiving testimony free of any
intimidation during the Taylorregime.
How come that didn't come out?
You don't think that those onthe Truth and Reconciliation

(05:01):
were appointed by Ellen Johnsondidn't have the weren't
interested in finding out dirton Chuckie Taylor?
Let's be serious.
This is what I'm talking about.
This is the level of propagandathat is taking place, the level
of ignorance and no disrespectto anybody stupidity.
But let's bring it down a notch.

(05:21):
If I had something to hide, ifI believed that I did anything
of that nature, I wouldn't bemaking myself open to dialogue.
I'm no fool, Far from it, andthat's what you guys were hoping
for.
My detractors and CharlesTiller's adversaries were hoping
for an idiot, a fool, someoneinarticulate, someone who wasted

(05:42):
their time in prison.
But I'm sorry to disappoint you.
I'm here and I'm standing tentoes.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
All right Question Were you locked up in America
and the CIA freed you and sentyou back to Liberia?

Speaker 3 (05:59):
you and sent you back to Liberia.
Again, this is the confusion offactors.
Charles Taylor escaped fromPlymouth Federal Facility, not
me.
That was in the 80s, I was bornin 1977.
You see some of the propaganda.
They're confusing their facts.
Yeah, but this is part ofwhat's going on.
This is the ignorance andstupidity I'm talking about.
This.
In fact, our people, Liberianpeople, have the tendency to

(06:21):
exaggerate and lie, and this isa typical example of it.
So, yeah, we're not going tolet this happen anymore.
I'm articulate, highlyintelligent.
I didn't waste any time in here.
The only reason why I didn'tsecure a bachelor's degree in
here is because the fundingwasn't available for me to do so
.
I'm sorry to disappoint you all.
I'm here.
I'm here.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
How much involvement did America have in the war?

Speaker 3 (06:47):
Well listen, there's enough open source research to
take place for that question tobe answered.

Speaker 1 (06:55):
This call is from a federal prison.

Speaker 3 (06:57):
It's a one source, but I don't want to get ahead of
the interview.
I just wanted to address thisquickly to let the LFTG audience
know.
You have access to me at anytime, both on phone and email,
and I'm prepared to engage andaddress everything.
No more you guys have thenarrative.
No more.
You're not going to steal mylife from me and my apology is a

(07:20):
sincere one to the Liberianpeople.
I believe I have a genuinecontribution to make, but it has
to be done after we confrontthese lies.
You all have a good day,absolutely.
Be boy, you're pink.
Be boy, you're pink, real quick.