Venezuelan Ambassador Criticizes US Plan for Radio and TV

[cal04]

Venezuelan Ambassador Criticizes US Plan for Radio and TV Broadcasts

Venezuela's ambassador in Washington said that an amendment authorizing U.S. radio and television broadcasts to Venezuela to ensure its citizens receive "accurate news" is nothing more than a "propaganda" effort against President Hugo Chavez's government. Bernardo Alvarez said Wednesday that "manipulation and lack of knowledge" led to the approval in the U.S. Congress of the amendment authorizing future broadcasts aimed at establishing a counterweight to Telesur, a recently launched TV station backed by Venezuela, Argentina, communist-led Cuba and Uruguay.

The amendment approved earlier Wednesday was proposed by Florida congressman Connie Mack, a sharp critic of left-leaning Chavez. It authorizes the U.S. government "to initiate radio and television broadcasts that will provide a consistently accurate, objective, and comprehensive source of news to Venezuela," according to Mack's Web site.

It wasn't immediately clear when the broadcasts to this South American nation of 26 million would begin or what type of information they would contain. Telesur began transmitting by satellite on May 24 as part of the test phase for a project organizers say will bring Latin America an alternative to large commercial media outlets. Telesur broadcasts contain to much anti-Americanism and Chavez's "revolutionary" rhetoric, according to Mack.

"Today America has sent a message that we will not turn a blind eye as Hugo Chavez continues to snuff-out freedom and hijack Venezuela from its citizens," the Florida congressman stated on his Web site. Chavez has given strong financial backing to Telesur, saying it will help give South America a voice independent of traditional media conglomerates like CNN. Venezuela's information minister is the station's president. Telesur will "compete with media outlets controlled by the opposition," Alvarez said in a reference to privately-owned television channels in Venezuela that are regularly critical of Chavez.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB3VVIDEBE.html

[mcscajun]

1. How long before some other country decides it's time to...

"...initiate radio and television broadcasts that will provide a consistently accurate, objective, and comprehensive source of news to the United States."

We sure could use the help.

[Newsjock]

2. Al Gore already bought them out

We had Newsworld International, but Gore et al. are turning it into oh-so-cool "Current."

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. Yes, Newsworld International is mostly Canadian content, but

it's set to disappear at the end of the month. :cry:

Oh, well, we still have the English-language Chinese station CCTV9, which is right next to NWI on my cable system. :sarcasm:

[Cobalt Violet]

4. I hope soon.

[getmeouttahere]

3. OMG!!!!!

snuff-out freedom and hijack Venezuela from its citizens

I'm pissed!!!! Ask Venezuela's citizens if they feel hijacked. Sure, if you're talking about the 2% elite citizens, then yes, I guess they would feel hijacked - but fuck 'em!!!! The people elected Chavez democratically, with one of the most heavily monitored elections ever.

www.handsoffvenezuela.org

[Oversea Visitor]

5. But

they didnt use machine like US did to count so cannot be considered the same standard as US. Verified voting is out of fashion with BUSH.

[daleo]

6. And the U.S. taxpayer picks up the tab again.

I wonder how many right wing media wannabes suck on this sort of public teat?

[getmeouttahere]

7. I just hope that the people of Venezuela....

see through all this BushCo propoganda. I think they do, as the rest of the world does, and we've seen some backbone from the Latin American leaders (i.e. the OAS)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. Well, as I recall from The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,

seven out of eight TV stations in Venezuela are already owned by right-wingers...

[whatelseisnew]

10. Here's some media on Venezuela

http://www.venezuelatoday.net/

“Hugo Chávez is an enemy of freedom and of those who support and promote it. He is a threat to the United States and stands to undermine the balance of power in the Western Hemisphere. Today America has sent a message that we will not turn a blind eye as Hugo Chávez continues to snuff-out freedom and hijack Venezuela from its citizens.”
 
U.S. Congressman Connie Mack
================================
http://www.aporrea.org/english.php

The WALL STREET JOURNAL brought to our attention that CITGO is a wholy-owned subsidiary of the national Venezuela oil company.

The attacks on the overwhelmingly democratically elected government of President Hugo Chavez deal directly with the reforms that this government is instituting: including land reform, labor rights and protection of the nationally owned assets. Many go into affect on January 1st, thus explaining the push at this time to have Chavez resign. Otto Reich and Company have their dirty hands in the mix despite the sanctimonious declarations of "neutralilty" emenating from Bush, Inc. It is part and parcel of the US policies to foist FTAA and privitization on Latin America.

In addition to our statements and acts of solidarity, the proposal is that we purchase gasoline from CITGO. In filling our tanks, we inform the franchised dealer that the reason we are buying CITGO gasoline is to show our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and democracy in Venezuela.


Yours in Peace (sic),

Al Marder
US Peace Council
Colombia Support Network
www.colombiasupport.net

[whatelseisnew]

11. Note: Citgo (for those of you who don't already know)

http://www.citgo.com/AboutCITGO/PDVSAprofile.jsp

PDVSA Profile

PDVSA Profile
Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.(PDVSA) is a world energy corporation, owned by the Venezuelan State. Its operations cover the exploration, production, refining, transport and marketing of hydrocarbons, as well as the Orimulsión®, chemical, petrochemical and coal businesses.
Resource Base
Venezuela has the largest hydrocarbon reserves in the Western Hemisphere, representing approximately half the region's reserves, which positions the country as fifth in the world in proven reserves. With the Orinoco Belt reserves, the country possesses the largest accumulation of liquid fuel on the planet.
Production
PDVSA has a production capacity, including the strategic associations and operating agreements, of 4 million barrels a day, while production exceeds 3 million barrels a day.
Refining
PDVSA is among the leading corporations in the refining business, with a petroleum processing capacity of 3,285,000 barrels a day (1,285,000 barrels a day in Venezuela and 2 million barrels a day outside the country) through 24 refineries: six complexes in Venezuela, one in the Caribbean, eight in the United States and nine in Europe.
Marketing
Venezuela generally exports 93 percent of its total hydrocarbon production. Approximately 54 percent of these hydrocarbon exports go to the United States and Canada.
Orinoco Belt
The production and upgrading of the huge extra-heavy crude reserves in the Orinoco Belt is being carried out by four strategic associations headed by PDVSA (Ameriven, Cerro Negro, Petrozuata and Sincor). Private-sector participation includes the U.S. companies: ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and ChevronTexaco; and the Europeans; Statoil and TotalFinaElf. Total production from these projects is planned to reach 600,000 barrels a day by 2008, following a $13-billion investment.
Socioeconomic development
PDVSA is genuinely committed to Venezuela's social and economic development, and is especially active in projects focused on health, education, environment, and local economy.

The State oil company has also begun a review aimed at integrating Social Investment into the framework of a vision of Corporate Social Responsibility that works directly with communities, and emphasizes the development of local small and medium-sized enterprises in oil-related and other sectors, especially cooperatives and microenterprises.

[1932]

14. I bet the US broadcasts just buy up CNN and Fox programming and

rebroadcast it. It's probably just a sham all the way around.

[Zorra]

12. The RW finally admits it uses the media to brainwash people. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

13. The US is going to broadcast Faux to Venezuela?

Perhaps Venezuela should start broadcasting its version of "Voice of America" to keep the American people informed as to what is really going on in our country.

As to Connie Mack, let's flood his office with as much personal abuse as possible. I will no longer be polite to rightwingers!