Monthly Archives: April 2011

Apr
22
2011
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Freedom House Documents Internet Restrictions in Venezuela and Beyond

A new study by Freedom House released this week, “Freedom on the Net 2011: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media,” finds that many countries are experiencing a significant shift in their web freedoms due to government intervention and intimidation.

Out of 37 countries analyzed, 11 received a ranking of “Not Free,” including Iran and Cuba – two of Mr. Chavez’s closest allies. Coming in at 46%, Venezuela received a “Partly Free” ranking.

Some of the takeaways of the Venezuela country report include:

–In March 2010, President Hugo Chávez declared that the Internet could not be “a free thing where you do and say whatever you want.”

–Government-controlled CANTV, which was renationalized in 2007, monopolizes ADSL service and controls more than 90% of the Internet market.

–In December 2010, Venezuela approved laws increasing state control over telecommunications networks and laying the foundation for website managers and service providers to be required to censor users commenting on the platforms they host.

–Although the Venezuelan authorities do not engage in systematic Internet censorship, several measures have been taken to restrict the circulation of information deemed displeasing to the government, and officials have warned of their intention to control online content. According to free expression advocates, the objective of such measures is to gain the upper hand in a medium that is heavily used by the political opposition.

–The Chávez government has taken steps to intimidate news portals and hosting companies, encouraging them to engage in self-censorship. This effort has centered recently on Noticiero Digital, known for its aggregation of content from other media outlets and the anti-government viewpoints of its columnists and commentators.

–Venezuelan courts are subject to the influence of the Executive, particularly with regards to politically important cases. Since 2001, Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice has passed down at least 10 judgments that have placed curbs on freedom of expression.

–When it comes to Press Freedom Status, the report labeled Venezuela “Not Free.”

 
Apr
22
2011
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In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 4/22/11

In this week’s roundup… alleged drug lord Walid Makled earns more headlines as he threatens to expose the role of the Chávez government in drug trafficking; and power outages, inflation, and rising food prices persist in Venezuela, plaguing the country’s economic indicators.

First come, first served, The Economist
As drug traffickers go, Walid Makled was a rather small catch. His family in Venezuela owns an airline, a transport company, and loading docks and warehouses in the port of Puerto Cabello, all of which he allegedly used to ship at least 10 tonnes of cocaine to the United States. But since his arrest last August in the Colombian border town of Cúcuta, the United States and Venezuela have both been salivating over the prospect of getting their hands on him.

Analysis: Drug case shows Venezuela-Colombia detente, Reuters
An accused drug lord sitting in a high-security jail outside Bogota has become an unlikely symbol of friendship for Colombia and Venezuela whose rivalry for years mirrored Latin America’s deep ideological fissures. Walid Makled, a Venezuelan also known as “The Turk”, is suspected of being one of the world’s biggest traffickers, helping ship tones of Colombian cocaine to the United States. He boasts of a $1.2 billion fortune — and alleges members of President Hugo Chavez’s socialist government helped him make that.

Venezuela Raises Some Food Costs 48% as Chavez Struggles to Slow Inflation, Bloomberg
Venezuela raised government-set price caps on some food products by as much as 48 percent even as President Hugo Chavez’s government struggles to contain one of the highest inflation rates in the world. The government raised the price on cans of powdered milk 48 percent to 23.7 bolivars ($5.50) and on corn oil by 36 percent, according to a resolution published today in the Official Gazette. The costs of sunflower oil and mixed vegetable oil were also raised.

Power Shortages Spark Doubts Over Venezuela’s Economic Growth, The Wall Street Journal
Blackouts and electricity rationing across Venezuela are raising doubts that the country will reach ambitious economic growth targets set by the government in recent days. To meet the lofty goals, economists and analysts say President Hugo Chavez will likely need to offset lost productivity as factories and businesses grapple with the unreliable power supply by propping up the economy with increasing public spending.

 
Apr
19
2011
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No End in Sight for Venezuela’s Housing Crisis

In April 2011, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez embarked on an ambitious mission, promising to build two million homes by 2017. The housing crisis has been for years a top-of-mind issue for Venezuelans. After the devastating 2010 rainy season, at least 140,000 Venezuelans lost their homes due to torrential rains and landslides. While that was a contributing factor to the current housing crisis, experts also attribute Venezuela’s shortage of affordable housing to Mr. Chavez’s own lack of leadership in addressing the issue. The Venezuelan Construction Chamber calculates that the housing deficit has grown from 1.1 million homes to 2 million homes during Chávez’s presidency. According to the chamber, 284,000 homes were built between 1999 and 2010 – down sharply from 490,000 homes constructed by governments from 1989-98. The government is not even trying to deny this. The National Institute of Statistics estimates the housing deficit at more than 2.5 million homes.
A survey conducted by the Venezuelan polling firm Datanálisis last may shows that 52% of Venezuelans do not believe the government will be able to deliver on its so-called “Great Housing Mission” promise. A vast majority of Venezuelans – 80% – also believe that the private sector has an important role to play in finding a solution for the housing crisis. Yet, not surprisingly, the Chávez government refuses to allow any involvement from Venezuela’s entrepreneurs.

Another major issue slowing down the construction of homes is the ever more frequent blackouts that plague more than half of Venezuela. The constant blackouts not only halt construction operations but also disrupt the production and distribution of construction materials. As part of the recent energy crackdown, all entities have to go through a lengthy process, which can take up to four months, to get the proper authorization from the Chávez government to build. In the meantime, homeless Venezuelans keep waiting – in the dark.