US Embassy Accusses Venezuela's President Chavez of Conspiracy

[bobbie]

"By Theresa Bradley

May 4 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuela's Foreign Ministry dismissed a formal complaint by the U.S. State Department that Venezuelan state television put U.S. embassy officials in Caracas at risk by divulging personal information about them.

In a diplomatic note handed to Venezuela's ambassador in Washington, Bernardo Alvarez, on May 1, the State Department voiced concern about the diffusion of embassy personnel details on a nightly Venezuelan talk show. The broadcast violates the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, the U.S. said.
...
Venezuela has meanwhile spent tens of millions of dollars to beef up its state broadcasting apparatus, creating the international television news network Telesur, as well as dozens of government-funded community radio and television stations to spread word of Chavez's socialist and anti-U.S. ``revolution.''
...
On ``La Hojilla,'' broadcast weeknights on the largest state television channel, Venezolana de Television, host Mario Silva regularly refers to members of the U.S. government as ``imperialist'' ``coup-mongers,'' responsible for a 2002 uprising that ousted Chavez from office for two days. The station's headquarters were attacked by anti-government crowds at the time.
...
The show, whose name ``La Hojilla'' means ``The Razor Blade,'' has also accused Venezuelan staff at the U.S. embassy in Caracas of conspiracy, blamed Brownfield for inciting riots, and in November broadcast the home address, car license plate number and names of business frequented by an embassy employee.

``This network is wholly owned by the Venezuelan government, which means it reflects Venezuelan government policy,'' U.S. embassy spokesman Brian Penn said today in a telephone interview in Caracas. ``It's a Venezuelan government entity making statements that the State Department is concerned could put the safety of its personnel at risk.''
..."
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a6nauuK6I8w4&refer=latin_america

Interesting turn of events in the ongoing skirmishes between my favorite and least favorite presidents.

When did Venezuela take over the television stations? I know they were privately owned, and against him, during the big coup attempt.

[bobbie]

1. I hope it's ok to discuss this on DU...

The original article includes the word "conspiracy."

[eringer]

2. Are You Kidding?

Who cares about Venezuela. We do not need to validate their government by complaining. We should either keep a very low profile or get out all together.

[bobbie]

4. What do you mean by "get out"?

Remove diplomatic staff?

[mitchtv]

6. you are right We should stop meddling

in their internal affairs, and trying to overthrow their government. If we can't , we should go home

[EFerrari]

8. I agree. We should stop trying to sabotage nascent democracies

in Latin America. Or at very least, we should keep CIA out of it so the sabotage can't be traced to us.

[ck4829]

3. Of trying to overthrow the government?

Oh wait! That's what THEY tried to do to Chavez!

[Judi Lynn]

5. Maybe you'd better check your information again. The Venezuelan government has not

taken over any private stations.

Maybe an article many DU'ers have read will help put things in perspective for you:

lookout | posted February 13, 2003 (March 3, 2003 issue)
Venezuela's Media Coup
Naomi Klein

~snip~
Venezuela's private television stations are owned by wealthy families with serious financial stakes in defeating Chávez. Venevisión, the most-watched network, is owned by Gustavo Cisneros, a mogul dubbed "the joint venture king" by the New York Post. The Cisneros Group has partnered with many top US brands--from AOL and Coca-Cola to Pizza Hut and Playboy--becoming a gatekeeper to the Latin American market.

Cisneros is also a tireless proselytizer for continental free trade, telling the world, as he did in a 1999 profile in LatinCEO magazine, that "Latin America is now fully committed to free trade, and fully committed to globalization.... As a continent it has made a choice." But with Latin American voters choosing politicians like Chávez, that has been looking like false advertising, selling a consensus that doesn't exist.

All this helps explain why, in the days leading up to the April coup, Venevisión, RCTV, Globovisión and Televen replaced regular programming with relentless anti-Chávez speeches, interrupted only for commercials calling on viewers to take to the streets: "Not one step backward. Out! Leave now!" The ads were sponsored by the oil industry, but the stations carried them free, as "public service announcements."

They went further: On the night of the coup, Cisneros's station played host to meetings among the plotters, including Carmona. The president of Venezuela's broadcasting chamber co-signed the decree dissolving the elected National Assembly. And while the stations openly rejoiced at news of Chávez's "resignation," when pro-Chávez forces mobilized for his return a total news blackout was imposed.

Izarra says he received clear instructions: "No information on Chávez, his followers, his ministers, and all others that could in any way be related to him." He watched with horror as his bosses actively suppressed breaking news. Izarra says that on the day of the coup, RCTV had a report from a US affiliate that Chávez had not resigned but had been kidnapped and jailed. It didn't make the news. Mexico, Argentina and France condemned the coup and refused to recognize the new government. RCTV knew but didn't tell.

When Chávez finally returned to the Miraflores Palace, the stations gave up on covering the news entirely. On one of the most important days in Venezuela's history, they aired Pretty Woman and Tom & Jerry cartoons. "We had a reporter in Miraflores and knew that it had been retaken by the Chávistas," Izarra says. " the information blackout stood. That's when it was enough for me, and I decided to leave."
(snip/...)

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20030303/klein

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's a lot of information available on the InternetS you can start studying as you do your homework to bring yourself up to speed on what is and isn't true about Venezuela.

[bobbie]

9. Wow, a link to a four year old article...

And to a publication that masquerades as left wing while spewing a lot of right wing propaganda.

Thanks but no thanks Judi Lynn.
I'll just have to get "up to speed" without your outdated, misguided, and attitudinal input.

[EFerrari]

7. LOL! Another BushCo Project-O-Rama

LOL

:rofl: