Tag Archives: New York Times

Sep
24
2010
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PERDUE: The last election in Venezuela?

This article was originally posted by The Washington Times

On Dec. 28, 2006, Hugo Chavez played a joke on the radio for Dia de los Inocentes, the Latin American equivalent of April Fool’s Day. He announced that he was tired of being president and was going to resign. After a short pause, he impishly shouted, ”Ha ha! Gotcha!” Almost four years later, many in Venezuela feel as if the joke is still on them as elections become less of a civic exercise and more of a tool of the regime to cement its incremental autocracy.

When the New York Times and CNN reported recently that Venezuela is now more violent than Iraq, Hugo Chavez responded in a newspaper article by blaming the previous administration. Mr. Chavez has been in office for 11 years. With important elections looming Sunday, it would seem more prudent to announce a new anti-crime initiative or at least to feign concern for the country’s escalating crime wave.

Instead, Chavez regime officials have been threatening the opposition. “Our revolution is peaceful, but it’s also armed,” warned former mayor of Caracas and Chavez supporter Freddy Bernal. “If the bourgeois brings out its weapons again, we’ll bring out ours as well. Don’t forget it.” Aristobulo Isturiz, a Chavista campaign coordinator, was quoted as saying, “Either we liquidate them or they liquidate us.”

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Aug
30
2010
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Venezuela’s Chavez Criticizes Foreign Press Ahead Of Elections

This article was originally posted by The Wall Street Journal

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is accusing the international press of working with local opposition forces to slander his government and turn voters against the ruling socialist party in key upcoming elections.

“The foreign press corps’ strategy of defamation … has been put into action,” Chavez wrote in his weekly column Sunday, four weeks ahead of legislative elections. “They have powerful tools and they’re going to be using them.”

The president specifically mentioned several foreign media outlets, including CNN and the New York Times. The Times published an article recently claiming Venezuela is deadlier than Iraq in terms of civilian deaths from violence in 2009. The issue of soaring crime rates promises to be a key issue on the minds of Venezuelan voters next month.

But Chavez scoffed at the U.S. newspaper’s comparison of Venezuela to Iraq, saying the “uncorked violence” in Iraq is far worse than the “structural” public safety problem in his country.

For Venezuela’s murder rate, the New York Times article used statistics from the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence that are based on police files and are cited by many news outlets, including Dow Jones Newswires. The Chavez government has stopped releasing statistics publicly, but recent media reports suggest official figures on homicides in Venezuelan are actually higher than nongovernmental counts.

Chavez acknowledged crime and violence in Venezuela are a problem, but said previous administrations are to blame. Chavez has been in power for 11 years.

Calls Sunday to the New York Times weren’t immediately returned.

The National Assembly elections on Sept. 26 are being seen by many as a key test of support for Chavez, who is scheduled to face a presidential election in 2012.

Opposition forces that boycotted congressional elections five years ago are taking part in next month’s vote and have formed a relatively united front against Chavez’s socialist party.

Economic problems and soaring crime rates could help the opposition as they try to grab a majority control of the legislature, which would make it more difficult for Chavez to govern with the hands-on style he’s accustomed to.

But Chavez still has broad support among the poor, in part due to heavy spending on social welfare projects. As such, many pollsters say the president’s socialist party will likely retain control of the National Assembly.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is accusing the international press of working with local opposition forces to slander his government and turn voters against the ruling socialist party in key upcoming elections.

“The foreign press corps’ strategy of defamation … has been put into action,” Chavez wrote in his weekly column Sunday, four weeks ahead of legislative elections. “They have powerful tools and they’re going to be using them.”

The president specifically mentioned several foreign media outlets, including CNN and the New York Times. The Times published an article recently claiming Venezuela is deadlier than Iraq in terms of civilian deaths from violence in 2009. The issue of soaring crime rates promises to be a key issue on the minds of Venezuelan voters next month.

But Chavez scoffed at the U.S. newspaper’s comparison of Venezuela to Iraq, saying the “uncorked violence” in Iraq is far worse than the “structural” public safety problem in his country.

For Venezuela’s murder rate, the New York Times article used statistics from the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence that are based on police files and are cited by many news outlets, including Dow Jones Newswires. The Chavez government has stopped releasing statistics publicly, but recent media reports suggest official figures on homicides in Venezuelan are actually higher than nongovernmental counts.

Chavez acknowledged crime and violence in Venezuela are a problem, but said previous administrations are to blame. Chavez has been in power for 11 years.

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