Freedom of the Press

all the facts and news in Venezuela on Freedom of the Press and how it influences all decisions made by Hugo Chavez as president implications for Freedom of the Press of the Venezuelan people

Nov
13
2012
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ICYMI: Venezuela, the bane of human rights

The Washington Post
November 11, 2012
By Editorial Board

Hugo Chavez Frias 300x197 ICYMI: Venezuela, the bane of human rights

Courtesy of: Reuters

ON MONDAY, new members will be selected for the United Nations Human Rights Council, the top-level group for the protection and promotion of human rights. Its members have not always been paragons of respect for human dignity. Those leaving the 47-member council at the end of this year include China, Cuba and Russia. But up for a seat this time is a truly unqualified candidate, Venezuela. Its strongman president, Hugo Chávez, has brazenly trampled human rights in his quest for power and political control.

A new member must get at least a majority, or 97 votes, from the General Assembly, and while the assembly could prevent Venezuela from joining, it probably won’t. Since the council was created in 2006, the assembly has never voted down a candidate, according to Freedom. Some candidates, such as Sudan, have dropped their bids in the face of opposition. But the assembly selected Moammar Gaddafi’s Libya.

In choosing members, according to the founding resolution for the council, the General Assembly is supposed to “take into account the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights and their voluntary pledges and commitments” to do so. Moreover, the “members elected to the council shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.”

Venezuela under Mr. Chávez has no place at this table. According to Human Rights Watch, the judiciary has largely ceased to function as an independent branch of government. A human rights travesty has been evident in the case of Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni. In 2009, she angered Mr. Chávez with a ruling that gave conditional release to a businessman who was a prominent critic of the president. The businessman had been awaiting trial for almost three years. Soon after her ruling, the judge was arrested, and Mr. Chávez denounced her as a “bandit” on national television. She was held for more than a year in a two-by-four-meter cell in a Caracas prison that included 20 women she had sentenced as a judge. They confronted her with death threats. After she underwent surgery for cancer in 2011, she was released to house arrest but under onerous terms, including that she not be allowed to step outside for exposure to the sun.

Mr. Chávez has an equally poor record on freedom of expression. He has bullied and punished the news media for critical reporting on the government’s handling of such things as water pollution, violent crime, a prison riot and an earthquake.

In its bid to become a member, Venezuela offered pledges to respect human rights, including to take action “to protect freedom of expression and opinion.” But the words are hollow. By deeds, Mr. Chávez has shown what he stands for, and it is not the protection of human rights. In 2009 the Obama administration announced plans to join the Human Rights Council and engage from the inside rather than criticize from without. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton declared last year, “Membership on this council should be earned through respect for human rights.” By that standard, Mr. Chávez should not be allowed in the door.

To read this article on The Washington Post, please click here.

 
Oct
25
2012
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Venezuelan Assembly Considers New Media-Control Law

hugo chavez Venezuelan Assembly Considers New Media Control Law

Courtesy of: Reuters

Having secured reelection, Hugo Chávez has signaled his intention to pivot back to his most extreme socialist policies. After presenting a more moderate face as a candidate, Chávez has pledged to deepen his socialist revolution as president. The pace of expropriations slowed in the politically crucial months before Oct. 7, but now the administration promises to begin nationalizing private companies with renewed vigor. Just weeks after his victory, even the remaining trace of Venezuela’s independent media, already one of the most harassed, has been put on notice.

The Chávez-friendly National Assembly appears set to approve legislation that extends the government’s strictest information-control requirements to cable TV. Previously the most severe restrictions – enshrined in the Ley Resorte law – applied only to broadcast television stations. These entities were required to abide by content requirements and to air Chávez’s “cadena” addresses at a moment’s notice. The Assembly’s proposed law would extend these restrictions to Venezuela’s private cable stations as well.

This legislation, which includes the Orwellian proposal to ensure “the enforcement of cultural information,” could deal a blow to Venezuela’s scant remaining free media. In addition to forcing stations to broadcast cadenas, the law would also limit the amount of “foreign” content aired on Venezuelan cable stations, infringing on Venezuelan TV viewers’ ability to get news or commentary from sources outside the country. Carabobo state Rep. Miguel Cocchiola, a member of the opposition, calls the law “a tool [for the government] to enhance communication hegemony.”

During the election, Chávez’s abuse of his cadena power was well documented, as it allowed him to saturate Venezuela with campaign propaganda and interrupt coverage of Capriles campaign events. Meanwhile, the Capriles campaign was forced to pay for airtime, while many noted that compiling the resources needed to match the reach of the state media would have been an impossible task. According to the watchdog group Transparency International, Chávez used cadenas for more than 87 hours during the campaign.

Such attacks on free media are nothing new for Chávez’s “21st Century Socialism,” which militates against the free economy and free media alike. From the closure of the popular network RCTV to the constant fines and sanctions levied against Globovision, Chávez has systematically censored, harassed or otherwise silenced privately-owned media outlets he deems critical of his persona or government.

Multiple watchdog groups have affirmed that independent media remain an endangered species in the country. Since 2005, defamation of the president has been punishable by six to 30 months in prison. Mr. Chávez has revoked the broadcast license of at least 240 radio stations – nearly 50 percent of all radio stations in the country – perceived as critical of the government. Today, Chávez controls at least two national radio networks, six television channels, 72 regional television stations, four newspapers and over 600 radio stations across the country.

As expected, news coverage on government-owned television is far from balanced. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, during the last week of September – just days before the Oct. 7 election – government news channel VTV dedicated 18 hours of coverage to Chávez. Its tally for Mr. Capriles was 30 minutes.

 
Oct
19
2012
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In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 10/19/12

Venezuela Chavez Maduro In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 10/19/12

Courtesy of: AP

Less than a week after winning reelection, Chávez swore in his new Vice President, former Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro and six other cabinet ministers. On Monday Chávez will submit his fiscal year 2013 budget to the National Assembly, largely based on his socialist model. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), Venezuela’s inflation rate will reach almost 20 percent by the end of the year. The country’s international reserves are also far below an optimal level. Recent political polarization is threatening freedom of speech in Venezuela, as a new report reveals “mistreatment, detentions, insults, confiscation of equipment, and fundamental rights violations” against journalists, camerapersons, and others in the press. Meanwhile, Chávez has begun to develop Venezuela’s defense industry with plans to build drones with the help of China, Russia and Iran. Chávez breaks diplomatic ties to Paraguay with his decision to expel their diplomats following the ouster of his ally, former President Fernando Lugo. Simultaneously, Chávez’s ties to former Brazilian President Lula are strained after Lula said in a recent interview that Chávez should prepare for his succession. In most recent news, the Venezuelan National Assembly stirs up controversy as they take steps to regulate cable TV.

Venezuela’s Chavez swears in vice president, 6 other ministers in post-election shake up, The Washington Post

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez swore in his new vice president and six other Cabinet ministers on Saturday, less than a week after winning a new mandate to extend his self-styled Bolivarian revolution.

Venezuela’s 2013 budget bases on socialist model, El Universal

The Venezuelan Government on Monday will summit to the National Assembly a FY2013 draft budget that will be based on the socialist model.

Venezuela Official Inflation Just Under 20%, Latin American Herald Tribune

CARACAS — According to the government’s National Institute of Statistics (INE), Venezuela’s September inflation came in at 1.6%, above the value in August of 1.1%. Factoring in September’s rate, inflation for the first nine months of the year has been 11.5%. One-year inflation stands at 19.98%.

Venezuela’s international reserves far from optimal level, El Universal

Venezuelan international reserves remain below the optimal level (USD 26.8 billion) established by national authorities.

Polarization threatens freedom of speech in Venezuela, El Universal

The Venezuelan Press Block (BPV) presented a report on Sunday at the 68th Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) General Assembly, held at the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, denouncing increased aggressions against journalists, due to political polarization in Venezuela.

Venezuela serious about producing drones, UPI.com

CARACAS, Venezuela, Oct. 16 (UPI) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is pursuing plans to develop a home-grown defense industry topped by a drone built reportedly with Chinese, Iranian and Russian help.

Venezuela’s government expelling the last of Paraguay’s diplomats in Caracas, envoy says, Fox News

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela’s government has decided to expel Paraguay’s remaining diplomats from the country, the top envoy at the Paraguayan Embassy said Wednesday. Charge d’affaires Victor Casartelli said that he and three other Paraguayan diplomats in Caracas were told by Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry to leave within three days.

Venezuela’s oil exports to Asia to jump to 2.8 million bdp, El Universal

State-run oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) is in negotiations with India’s Reliance Industries and Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) for investments in the Ayacucho and Boyacá oil fields, informed on Wednesday Pdvsa’s Corporate Planning Executive Director, Fadi Kabboul, at a press conference in India.

Venezuela’s Chavez should prepare for succession: Lula, Chicago Tribune

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Venezuela’s newly re-elected president, Hugo Chavez, should start preparing to hand over power, former two-time Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a newspaper interview published on Thursday.

Venezuela’s National Assembly to regulate cable TV, El Universal

The Venezuelan National Assembly (AN) is to make a law for the regulation of subscription television services, informed the President of the People’s Power and Media Committee of the AN, Darío Vivas, deputy for the ruling party United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).