Venezuela's Chavez is shackling the press

[corporate_mike]

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez and his leftist “Bolivarian Revolution” are throttling that oil-rich country's free press. Half a dozen Latin countries have turned moderately left in recent years but only Venezuela, so far, is moving to silence press criticism and stifle dissent.

Chávez, a crude populist and ex-army officer, sees his critics among Venezuela's newspapers and broadcast networks as bourgeois reactionaries out to sabotage his self-styled revolution. Much of the Venezuelan press sees itself as fighting a desperate battle to preserve the country's democratic institutions against a strong-armed president whose political hero is Fidel Castro.

At first, Chávez used demagoguery and denunciation against the press. Then he resorted to direct action, inciting street mobs to attack journalists and their press organizations. Chávez's incitement has prompted a series of assaults in which journalists have been beaten or threatened.

Now, Chávez and his government are moving systematically to undercut press freedoms and silence press criticism of his lurch leftward. A Venezuelan congress and judiciary effectively controlled by Chávez are enacting laws and regulations that criminalize dissent. “Social responsibility” laws are being used to impose de facto censorship on radio and television news and commentary. A tangle of new arbitrary laws, decrees, regulations and rules is being put in place to stifle press criticism and give Chávez and his revolution an ever freer ride in the media.

While Chávez's critics in the press are hounded and harassed, Chávez gets an average of 40 broadcast hours a week, unchallenged by critics, to harangue Venezuelans.

The new laws and regulations plus higher taxes and punitive fines amount to a neo-totalitarian infrastructure for muzzling Venezuela's once-vibrant press. In an ominous portent, the 100-year-old El Impulso newspaper of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, was arbitrarily closed and prevented from publishing by government tax collectors for a day last October.

Chávez's campaign to muzzle Venezuela's press is provoking strenuous protests from outraged Venezuelan journalists, publishers and broadcasters, plus an international who's who of press-freedom defenders: the Inter American Press Association, Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, the Institute for Defense of Journalists and the International Association of Radio Broadcasters. In addition, the Organization of American States' Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has signaled its disapproval.

More must be done, by human rights groups and democratic nations in the Western Hemisphere especially, if Chávez is to be deterred from even worse transgressions against the rights of all Venezuelans to a free press. If press freedoms in Venezuela are completely extinguished, what's left of Venezuela's democracy won't be far behind.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/op-ed/editorial2/20060405-9999-lz1ed5bottom.html

[villager]

1. no wonder he and Bush can't stand each other -- they're alike!

At least, in some regards...

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Subsitute 'Bush' for Cheavez and 'USA' for Venezuela and we'd

have a winner.

[redqueen]

3. You do post other things, don't you?

Pardon me for not readily swallowing the claims made in the above article.

Or did that outlet also do an expose about the US-backed coup four years ago?

I love the non-biased language... "crude populist"... "what's left of Venezuelan Democracy"... hey whore? How about what's left of OUR democracy? How about you cover the fraud in OH, or black box voting in general? Too much to ask?

SO frickin transparent... it's a wonder people here fall for it. Hmmmmm....

[thoughtanarchist]

6. The above is not an article.

On Edit: fix link, grammar

It's an Op-Ed.

This is an article:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1773908,00.html

Chávez is a threat because he offers the alternative of a decent society.

Venezuela's president is using oil revenues to liberate the poor - no wonder his enemies want to overthrow him

John Pilger
Saturday May 13, 2006
The Guardian

I have spent the past three weeks filming in the hillside barrios of Caracas, in streets and breeze-block houses that defy gravity and torrential rain and emerge at night like fireflies in the fog. Caracas is said to be one of the world's toughest cities, yet I have known no fear; the poorest have welcomed my colleagues and me with a warmth characteristic of ordinary Venezuelans but also with the unmistakable confidence of a people who know that change is possible and who, in their everyday lives, are reclaiming noble concepts long emptied of their meaning in the west: "reform", "popular democracy", "equity", "social justice" and, yes, "freedom".

The other night, in a room bare except for a single fluorescent tube, I heard these words spoken by the likes of Ana Lucia Fernandez, aged 86, Celedonia Oviedo, aged 74, and Mavis Mendez, aged 95. A mere 33-year-old, Sonia Alvarez, had come with her two young children. Until about a year ago, none of them could read and write; now they are studying mathematics. For the first time in its modern era, Venezuela has almost 100% literacy.

This achievement is due to a national programme, called Mision Robinson, designed for adults and teenagers previously denied an education because of poverty. Mision Ribas is giving everyone a secondary school education, called a bachillerato. (The names Robinson and Ribas refer to Venezuelan independence leaders from the 19th century.) Named, like much else here, after the great liberator Simon Bolivar, "Bolivarian", or people's, universities have opened, introducing, as one parent told me, "treasures of the mind, history and music and art, we barely knew existed". Under Hugo Chávez, Venezuela is the first major oil producer to use its oil revenue to liberate the poor.

Mavis Mendez has seen, in her 95 years, a parade of governments preside over the theft of tens of billions of dollars in oil spoils, much of it flown to Miami, together with the steepest descent into poverty ever known in Latin America; from 18% in 1980 to 65% in 1995, three years before Chávez was elected. "We didn't matter in a human sense," she said. "We lived and died without real education and running water, and food we couldn't afford. When we fell ill, the weakest died. In the east of the city, where the mansions are, we were invisible, or we were feared. Now I can read and write my name, and so much more; and whatever the rich and their media say, we have planted the seeds of true democracy, and I am full of joy that I have lived to witness it."...

more@link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1184723&mesg_id=1184723

Thanks to reprehensor for the original posting of this ARTICLE

[redqueen]

18. mea culpa... you're right... it's an uncredited op-ed

Even more reason to not bother wasting time with it.

Thanks. :hi:

[oasis]

32. Excellent post. great link. thanks

:hi:

[Missy M]

8. I'm with you, that is strictly an editorial written by the White House...

if you ask me. I don't swallow the claims one bit.

[redqueen]

20. Seems odd, their choice of subjects, doesn't it?

I'd say losing our democracy HERE would be a bit more important...

:hi:

[SidDithers]

4. Who wrote this editorial?...

And what is their agenda? Is this nothing more than an opinion piece?

Sid

[soleft]

5. At first, the press used demagoguery and denunciation against Chávez

[corporate_mike]

7. Free press ought to be FREE

eom

[walldude]

9. True.. but what you posted is an editorial

It's an opinion. We are looking for facts. I don't totally discount what is said in the editorial but I'm not going to assume it's true till I hear from a real source.

[0rganism]

15. Free to be bought and sold, just like it is in this country

Last I heard, Chavez got his favorable coverage on ONE TV channel, the Venezuelan equivalent of the CPB.

Meanwhile, there are something like 3 other privately-owned Venezuelan networks dedicated to tearing down Chavez and everything the Bolivarian Revolution has accomplished.

The private networks have always claimed that Chavez is acting to muzzle them, especially after the failed coup attempt. This is nothing new, nor has it been substantiated by any perceptible reduction of the private networks' ability to broadcast their anti-Chavez opinions to viewers.

I admit that I can't really predict how magnanimous our government would be with the "free" press in the wake of a failed armed overthrow by its political opponents, but for some reason, Chavez's approach strikes me as restrained.

[stepnw1f]

39. Then Why Not Worry About Our Own Media?

or is Venezuala the only thing you specialize in demonizing?

[Old and In the Way]

10. Hey corporate_mike-

Could it be that the Venezuelan coporate_press is in cahoots with the Venezuelan corporate_oil interests? Somehow, given the parallels of Big Oil's interests in our politics and media, I don't see this as being too far fetched. Getting the truth on the state of Venezuelan politics is doubley difficult for the typical US citizen. His viewpoints are influenced by a double filter, the political bias of the media reporting in Venezuela and the selective cherry picking of same by the US media.

[Jed Dilligan]

11. Yeah, give Venezuela back to the oil cartels

THEN they'll have a FREE PRESS...

Uh-huh. yeah, right.

[partylessinOhio]

12. This doesn't change my opinion. Viva Chavez!

Chavez over Bush any day, any week, any year.

[peacetalksforall]

13. corporate mike, you have an ability to come up with slanted words when

it comes to Chavez. You seem intent on converting and influencing DUers about Chavez (only?). Not this DUer. Keep on trying.
It would help if you provide context and background on the writer and mission statement. But it's OK if you don't, we can do that ourselves.

[LaPera]

14. Fucking media loves to use "leftist" as if Chavez wasn't elected

overwhelmingly & democratically. Insinuating that being liberal and left is something bad!

The fucking right-wing is the problem on this planet...consuming everything for a very few and making corporate slaves out of the world's workers!!!

Do they ever use the "rightist" government when describing the US or other right-wing countries around the Globe?

[RethugAssKicker]

22. My words exactly !!!!.... This post is nothing more than bull SHIT

[Bridget Burke]

16. Not just an opinion piece...

But an anonymous opinion piece.

[Dhalgren]

17. And my "ignore" list grows by one more name.

Vios con Dios, aptly named Corporate Mike. :hi:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. Question.

Are you being paid to post this stuff here and other sites?

I don't see any other reason why you'd keep it up.

You remind me of the guy who keeps calling me and wants to sell me time shares. I don't think he's doing it because he really wants me to buy a time share. I think he's doing it because somebody's paying him six bucks an hour to do it.

[RethugAssKicker]

21. Don't believe a word you "RIGHTIST" say !!

You can back the "rightist" corporate media in Venezuela and here in America all you want... But its totally BS. They have been after Chavez for a long time, and with people like you they just may succeed... Why the hell don't you support someone who wants to help the common man !

[Recursion]

26. Jeez guys...

Can't we agree that Bush and Chavez are assholes who are stifling their countries' freedoms?

The enemy of my enemy is not always my friend.

[RethugAssKicker]

28. You actually buy the BS in this post ???

If you do , you need to go do your homework !

[Recursion]

35. I've done a good bit of homework

And I came up concluding Chavez has done some pretty serious abuses. I mean hell, I've got friends who will swear up and down that Castro and Che never killed anybody, they were just framed by the US.

But for Chavez's case, if you start with http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/ven-summary-eng">Amnesty International's report on him, some of his rosy glow fades. Election fraud, intimidation and jailing of dissidents, etc.

[BrotherBuzz]

41. That's a 2005 Amnesty International report

Oh, your link is incomplete and needs to be pasted directly to view, but I wouldn't bother correcting it because the info is bogus.
It appears there wasn't as much there there as people thought, beyond lots of allegations brought forth by Chavez's opposition.

Problems included naming the same person repeatedly on lists of alleged murder victims. Many claims were made without names or dates. There were also, “frequent inconsistencies in victims’ names, ages, and location of alleged incidents."


Venezuelan Opposition Case Thrown Out of International Criminal Court


Friday, Feb 17, 2006
By: Alex Holland – Venezuelanalysis.com

Caracas, Venezuela, February 17, 2006—The International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected an appeal by Venezuelan opposition groups to prosecute the Venezuelan government for human rights violations. Chief Prosecutor for the ICC, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said the charges had a, “lack of precision as well as internal and external inconsistencies in the information.”

The ICC was set up by international treaty in 1998. Its purpose is to deal with the most serious human rights violations such as war crimes or crimes against humanity. Venezuela signed up to the ICC in June 2000.

Charges were first brought to the court in 2003 by Venezuelan lawyers representing Venezuelans associated with the opposition. The lawyers argued that they had suffered crimes against humanity at the hands of the Venezuelan government.

Most of the crimes they say they suffered were during the April 2002 coup, when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his government were briefly removed from power before being restored days later by the military and popular protests.

On February 9, the ICC issued a statement saying the court was unable to move forward with a formal investigation. This was because the information provided did not match the allegations.

<more>

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1900

[Poll_Blind]

23. Some interesting words in the excerpted article:

"a crude populist"

"Much of the Venezuelan press sees itself as fighting a desperate battle to preserve the country's democratic institutions against a strong-armed president whose political hero is Fidel Castro."

"demagoguery"

"systematically to undercut press freedoms and silence press criticism of his lurch leftward"

"criminalize dissent"

"Chávez gets an average of 40 broadcast hours a week, unchallenged by critics, to harangue Venezuelans"

That's it, I can't go on. This article is Fair and Balanced. The trademarked kind of Fair and Balanced, anyway.

PB

[RufusEarl]

24. Did anyone watch MTP sunday?

Gingrich mentioned Hugo three times as a dictator, and Russet never corrected him. What side do you think their on? I'll take Hugo's word over those asshats any day.

[Solon]

25. Mr. Bought and Paid for, you need to try something original...

So far you posted this drivel as if it was THE TRUTH a total of 3 times on different threads. Why not, I don't know, post something that had actual facts in it and is balanced.

[nealmhughes]

27. Corporate_Mike

This is getting tiresome. I shan't bother to reply to you any longer. It is evidently the opinion of the majority of DU's posters and readers that we support Hugo Chavez, the MVR, and the Bolivarian Revolution. I certainly do. I trust The Guardian. I don't trust some San Diego's online repost of some op-ed. The Guardian says Hugo is boss. That's good enough for me. That's my paper. It's a shame I can't say that about any US papers...
!Viva la revolucion bolivariana, viva Hugo y viva la lucha siempre hasta todo el mundo sera unido en libertad, fraternidad y egalitad!

[Solon]

31. I don't think you meant to reply to me...

But, welcome to DU and I agree with your post!

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[puerco-bellies]

34. Right ON!!!

Corporate_mike tends to post anti-Chavez crap. How dare a democratically elected leader utilize a country's resources for it's general population.

I don't have anyone on ignore, but C-mike might lead the way.

Edited to correct a spelling error.

[oasis]

30. Chavez seeks to remove the corporate shackles from the Venezuelan people.

that's a good thing.

[warrens]

33. Keep in mind that a lot of this "free press"

Conspired with the CIA and Otto Reich to mount a coup against a democratically elected government. And not tacitly conspired; ACTIVELY conspired.

[peacetalksforall]

38. It has all the flavor of the anti-Castro propaganda that should have

stopped with the fall of the Berlin wall. Same people. You don't think that they are building justification for an attack on V - take over the oil. It must really be painful for Rice, Chevron and all.

[William769]

36. What about the love fest for Chavez on DU.

Boy did I ever get chastised for even thinking about criticizing this asshole!

[stepnw1f]

37. Like You Just Did?

Great way to bait people into a confrontation.

[manic expression]

40. Nice op-ed

:eyes:

Get a grip.