Venezuela Repression Condemned by World’s Press

[Freddie Stubbs]

The Board of the World Association of Newspapers has strongly condemned the repression of freedom of speech and the press in Venezuela, and has called on President Hugo Chávez to stop proposed legislation and other measures aimed at silencing the independent press.

"The government "has once again threatened to apply military measures and repression against the media and to enact new and pending legislation limiting freedom of the press," said the WAN Board in a resolution which was passed on the eve of the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, which brought more than 1,000 newspaper executives to Istanbul, Turkey, for the global meetings of the world’s press.

In cracking down on the opposition press, Venezuela has recently created a government-controlled committee to regulate the content of news broadcasting and has reopened discussions that would criminalize libel statutes. Recently, the majority of pro-government members of Congress have approved a petition that asks the Attorney General to annul the nationality of several Venezuelan journalists, media owners and other opposition personalities. The resolution said: Whereas

The government of President Hugo Chávez Frías, ignoring his obligations and his commitment to respect the freedom of speech and the free press in accordance with the Venezuelan Constitution of 1999, has once again threatened to apply military measures and repression against the media and to enact new and pending legislation limiting the freedom of the press;

more: http://www.wan-press.org/article4403.html

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

1. That is a slanted view as this "independent media" vastly outnumbers

the legitimate government's voice. The Oil Oligarchy monopolizes the media and is rabidly anti-chavez and is backed by US interests. They are stacking the deck against him and forcing him into a corner. The media and political thumbscrews are being tightened around him because he favors spreading the country's oil wealth to the 80% of Venezuela's population that is impoverished.

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. Do US interests control all world newspapers?

This is an international organization made up of newspapers from around the world:

http://www.wan-press.org/article1719.html

Do US interests control the European press as well? And the African press?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

3. Are you trying to tell me Chavez is threatening military force on

European and African media?

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. Oh course not

I am illustrating how your argument that this story is the result of some sort of anti-Chavez cabal backed by the US.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

6. I would have to imagine the oligarch media can complain to any world

press monitoring entity claiming they are independent media and that Chavez is against them - however I trust them not at all. I don't fault the publisher of the story but the source - this independent media which is backed by US interests which are in line with their own.

[Vladimir]

4. Neverthless its a fact

that the vast majority of media in Venezuela is owned and operated freely, by opponents of Hugo Chavez.

[weedthesmoke]

36. I'll trust all the worlds press long before an up-and-coming dictator

I've noticed his cheering squad is shrinking everyday that he overplays his hand of authority. He would do well to create more jobs and boost his economy rather than just raise the tax on the few that work for a living.

[resident bunnypants]

37. Do you have any evidence or sources for your claims or are you just

pulling this out of your ass?

[The Magistrate]

40. The Few Who Work For A Living, Mr. Smoke?

That is an incredible statement: the problem is that the greatest proportion of Venezuelans work without receiving much in exchange. Perhaps you definition of work is collection of rents...?

"Works consists of two things: expending energy to alter the position of matter, and the direction of others in that action. For some reason, the latter is more valued and rewarded."

"There are two Spains: one that works, and one that eats."

[The Magistrate]

7. The W.A.N., Mr. Stubbs

Could doubtless find many far more egregious offenses against the freedom of the press than this, and with damned little expenditure of effort. The attempt to paint Col. Chavez as a brutal despot is mere vapor, consisting of exaggeration and dire prediction: it lacks corpse to give it any real body....

"They were going to say that we interfered with freedom of expression. That is a lie, and so of course we could not allow them to print it."

[ret5hd]

8. mr. Stubbs could find many far more egregious offenses...

against the freedom of the press in the very city that this was held...instanbul, turkey.

[demdave]

9. No free speech for fascists!!

n/t

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

10. No ones saying they don't deserve free speech - but they can and should

be called out as liars or manipulators if they are. Their motives should be exposed.

[weedthesmoke]

38. Some proof or evidence should be presented

If one is going to call them liars or manipulators.

[Imperialism Inc.]

39. See below. (nt)

[Vladimir]

12. The correct position

freedom of speech is both misunderstood and overrated by too many who fetishise it in its abstract form.

PS I know you were being sarcastic. I ain't.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

13. Did I miss sarcasm?

Sometimes I get so damned riled up!

[Vladimir]

16. By who, me or demdave?

I in any case am quite serious when I say freedom of speech is overrated - racists and their ilk who call Chavez a monkey on Venezuelan TV should certainly make friends with a jail cell, and quickly.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

17. Demdave - i didn't get sarcasm there but I'm deficient in that regard

Hey I hear what you're saying. I think sometimes I fall into the purist category - maybe its because I wish more people would call Bush a monkey on TV the way I do every day at home

:)

[Vladimir]

18. Bush is fair game though

I never said I had morals :P

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

21. Touche! n/t

[demdave]

20. You endorse jail time for those that call a president a chimp? REALLY??

What an interesting position to take on the DU.

[Vladimir]

22. Absolutely

jailtime for racists, allowance for pot smokers. Am I truly alone in this?

[Jim Sagle]

23. I sure hope so. Giving w more power to jail people just isn't smart.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

24. Just a guess - I think my sarcasm detector is starting to work again

I could be wrong. I AM wrong sometimes you know!

:)

[The Magistrate]

26. My Salute To Your Principled Commitments, Mr. Vladimir!

"I am a man of principles, Sir, and chief among them is flexibility."

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

27. Ah flexibility!True my name seems to deny it but I view mental flexibility

as a high virtue!

[Vladimir]

29. You, Sir, never fail to crack me up!

"Things being equal, they will change. But they are not equal."

[Vladimir]

11. Ha!!!!!

Words cannot convey the sounds which came out of my throat upon reading that quote. Fucking Brilliant!

Who said that?

[The Magistrate]

15. To The Best Of My Recollection, Sir

Someone in the old Sandinista Ministry of Information, asked about suppressing an issue of La Prensa.

It is, of course, a keen weapon, that not all could be trusted to wield, but it does shed some light on a basic dilemna in these matters: no lie, and no liar, makes a useful contribution to debate....

[On the Road]

14. There is the Complicating Factor

that the "independent press" in Venezuela has by their own admission cospired in the recent coup and has every intention of wanting to overthrow the government again.

Rights are always balanced against other rights. The right of the people to a representative government comes first.

The idea of freedom of the press began at a time when the press was composed of many small independent newpapers. When the press is complosed of monied opposition to a populist candidate, it is time to do some reconsideration.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

19. "Independent press" indeed.

What were the words spoken by one of the conspirators on national TV as soon as he thought the coup succeeded. "Gracias a los medios. Gracias Globovision. Gracias Venevision. etc" (I don't think it needs to be translated.)

[bemildred]

25. A bit full of themselves.

"The Board of the World Association of Newspapers" == "The World's Press".

[Algomas]

28. The Board of the World Association of Newspapers

should take a look at the sorry state of the press here. They might want to start with the NYT.
It seems the media in Venezuela is even more corrupt than they are here.
I have no sympathy for corporate propagandists claiming they have the "right" to distort and manipulate a duly elected official out of office.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

30. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[bemildred]

31. Welcome to DU.

It's a tricky question. However, given the number of "sedition"
laws we've had here in the good old USA, and the fact that this
is merely a proposal, and that the Venezuelan press is hardly a
collection of government stooges, I think it is safe to say that
this story is propaganda; and that we can safely leave it to the
Venezuelan Supreme Court to rectify any legislative excesses, as
we do in the USA.

[AP]

32. Even three paragraphs in, I thought I was going to see link to The Onion.

[Imperialism Inc.]

33. Isn't this essentially arguing against a Venezuelan version

of the Fairness Doctrine?

While that is certainly a debatable topic it is hardly worth a condemnation in my opinion. After all, Jimmy Carter himself, who some view as beyond reproach, just yesterday chided the Venezuelan media for not being balanced.

Here is a story I related in another thread about a part of the movie The Revolution Will Not Be Televised to maybe help people understand the nature of the Venezuelan private media.

For those who haven't seen it here is one part of it. There was an opposition march that was supposed to take a certain route to the state oil company(day of the coup), as well as a Chavez supporter rally at the palace. At some point the leaders of the opposition march changed their route(illegal) to go the palace instead of their original destination. Next thing that happens is government supporters are being fired on (snipers) from somewhere (is not clear at first). Eventually, after a few deaths and injuries, since in 1 in 4 Venezuelans carry handguns, some of the government supporters draw their pistols and start firing in the direction of the shots. So the private media runs the government supporters shooting with a camera angle that only shows the shooters but not the empty street below. They try to make it seem like the government supporters are firing on the opposition, but the documentary contains a camera angle that shows the empty street below clearly. Very devious shit.

One should also consider just who is running the Venezuelan media outlets before becoming too "outraged". I think most people here would like to see less of these right wing guys and some semblance of blanace in our own country.

From: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1284
According to union spokespersons, workers at a Coca-Cola plant in Antimano, Caracas, were fired from their jobs for refusing to go repair their signatures, which were included in the anti-Chavez signature drive without their authorization or under pressure. The workers introduced a formal complaint at the Ministry of Labor, and claimed that similar situations were experienced at Coca-Cola plants in the states of Carabobo, Lara, Bolivar, and Monagas. The Venezuelan subsidiary of Coca-Cola is owned by billionaire Gustavo Cisneros, who also owns Venzuela's biggest TV network, and who is believed to be the main economic supporter of the anti-Chavez movement in Venezuela.

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0424-04.htm

The tycoon who led the media onslaught that preceded the coup and whose television station announced it, Cuban-American Gustavo Cisneros, is an old fishing pal of Bush senior.

[bemildred]

34. I was thinking about bringing up the FCC.

But I don't know if they are allowed to say "shit" in Venezuela.

[Imperialism Inc.]

35. Here is a complaint from Human Rights Watch

on a similar topic. What I think is interesting to note is the amount of praise given Chavez by the person filing the complaint. Kind of puts the complaint in perspective doesn't it.

http://hrw.org/press/2003/06/venezuela062303-ltr.htm
Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to reiterate my concerns regarding ongoing threats to freedom of the press in Venezuela.

First of all, however, I’d like you to know that I’m very pleased that after months of negotiations your government has reached an agreement with the opposition on a mechanism to manage the current political crisis. That it was possible to reach a consensus to address Venezuela’s political disagreements within the framework of the Constitution and the rule of law is an important achievement.

The main purpose of this letter, however, is to urge you to take steps to address serious threats to freedom of the press in Venezuela. Under your government, I would emphasize, the press has enjoyed considerable freedom. Indeed, as part of the often heated and acrimonious debate between supporters of the government and its opponents, the press has been able to express strong views without restriction. Although we fully acknowledge your government’s lack of censorship, Human Rights Watch is concerned that many journalists working for media that support the opposition have been victims of aggression and intimidation by your government’s supporters.

We condemn these attacks, just as we condemn the intimidation of journalists working for media that are sympathetic to your government. While defending your right to express openly and frankly your views about the media, we have urged you to make it clear to your supporters that the government does not condone or tolerate physical aggression, intimidation, or threats against journalists, whatever their opinions may be. We therefore welcomed comments that you made in your April 27 Hello President program urging restraint and respect for the work of journalists, even those with whose views the government disagrees.

[lil-petunia]

41. I've spent some time in Caracas

and there were, until Chavez' election, two distinct classes: a very small, extremely rich and pampered upper class, and a devastated, suffering multitude of extremely poor and destitute. no surprise that when he came to power, most of the rich left. The fact that his faction took over the mansions and made his top supporters the new upper class was no surprise either.

Unfortunately, the man's a thug and probably insane. Even worse, our president has made things worse by trying to help the overthrow - especially when the common folk were well along the path to get rid of him on their own. Then he had the balls to deny we had done so, despite written proof from our embassy personnel!

Despite his promises, the destitute remain so. The upper class is still gone, and the oil riches fail to provide relief to those most in need.

Mr. Bush has made things worse, not a surprise given his track record.