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TechnoratiVenezuela's Oldest Private TV Network Played A Major Role In A failed 2002 Coup.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's refusal to renew the license of Radio Caracas Television might seem to justify fears that Chavez is crushing free speech and eliminating any voices critical of him.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists and members of the European Parliament, the U.S. Senate and even Chile's Congress have denounced the closure of RCTV, Venezuela's oldest private television network. Chavez's detractors got more ammunition Tuesday when the president included another opposition network, Globovision, among the "enemies of the homeland."
But the case of RCTV — like most things involving Chavez — has been caught up in a web of misinformation. While one side of the story is getting headlines around the world, the other is barely heard.
The demise of RCTV is indeed a sad event in some ways for Venezuelans. Founded in 1953, it was an institution in the country, having produced the long-running political satire program "Radio Rochela" and the blisteringly realistic nighttime soap opera "Por Estas Calles." It was RCTV that broadcast the first live-from-satellite images in Venezuela when it showed Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in 1969.
But after Chavez was elected president in 1998, RCTV shifted to another endeavor: ousting a democratically elected leader from office. Controlled by members of the country's fabulously wealthy oligarchy including RCTV chief Marcel Granier, it saw Chavez and his "Bolivarian Revolution" on behalf of Venezuela's majority poor as a threat.
RCTV's most infamous effort to topple Chavez came during the April 11, 2002, coup attempt against him. For two days before the putsch, RCTV preempted regular programming and ran wall-to-wall coverage of a general strike aimed at ousting Chavez. A stream of commentators spewed nonstop vitriolic attacks against him — while permitting no response from the government.
Then RCTV ran nonstop ads encouraging people to attend a march on April 11 aimed at toppling Chavez and broadcast blanket coverage of the event. When the march ended in violence, RCTV and Globovision ran manipulated video blaming Chavez supporters for scores of deaths and injuries.
After military rebels overthrew Chavez and he disappeared from public view for two days, RCTV's biased coverage edged fully into sedition. Thousands of Chavez supporters took to the streets to demand his return, but none of that appeared on RCTV or other television stations. RCTV News Director Andres Izarra later testified at National Assembly hearings on the coup attempt that he received an order from superiors at the station: "Zero pro-Chavez, nothing related to Chavez or his supporters…. The idea was to create a climate of transition and to start to promote the dawn of a new country." While the streets of Caracas burned with rage, RCTV ran cartoons, soap operas and old movies such as "Pretty Woman." On April 13, 2002, Granier and other media moguls met in the Miraflores palace to pledge support to the country's coup-installed dictator, Pedro Carmona, who had eliminated the Supreme Court, the National Assembly and the Constitution.
Would a network that aided and abetted a coup against the government be allowed to operate in the United States? The U.S. government probably would have shut down RCTV within five minutes after a failed coup attempt — and thrown its owners in jail. Chavez's government allowed it to continue operating for five years, and then declined to renew its 20-year license to use the public airwaves. It can still broadcast on cable or via satellite dish.
Granier and others should not be seen as free-speech martyrs. Radio, TV and newspapers remain uncensored, unfettered and unthreatened by the government. Most Venezuelan media are still controlled by the old oligarchy and are staunchly anti-Chavez.
If Granier had not decided to try to oust the country's president, Venezuelans might still be able to look forward to more broadcasts of "Radio Rochela."
Bart Jones spent eight years in Venezuela, mainly as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, and is the author of the forthcoming book "Hugo! The Hugo Chavez Story, From Mud Hut to Perpetual"
© 2007 The Los Angeles Times
65 Comments so far
Show AllMoonraven please stfu I am trying to gather information for a research paper. Your lies and bigotry are getting in the way of me doing this assignment.
We should continue to point out what would happen to a broadcaster in the US if that broadcaster even once called for the assassination of the president, to say nothing of continually--continually wouldn't happen here.
If anything, President Chávez has displayed a remarkable restraint.
I would have lined the stations´principals up against a wall and summarily shot them at dawn. But that´s just me, and, thankfully, I am not president (lol).
On the flipside, you can call for the assasination of specifically foreign leaders--as Pat Robertson did--on national television in the US. That´s ok. I think it might even be encouraged, as it increases the networks´ratings.
independent pedant: I guess only YOU and other fascist-leaning folks are allowed to make typos while posting in internet in the middle of a bunch of kids playing video games in acommercial center in Caracas?
Of course you are snidely implying that Mexico is doing well--and Venezuela isn't. Nice distractive move.
You looked up the statistics. I don't have to put them out there for you. Venezuela's growth over the past 3 and a half years is just over 10%. Mexico has not had that percentage of growth anytime since I have been an adult--and that's more than 40 years. Come and live in Mexico--see for yourself. Maybe that's the difference between me and other posters on this forum: I get on a plane and go to see for myself.
The issue here--let's get back to it--is FREE EXPRESSION.
The only place MORE DANGEROUS for a journalist than Mexico is not Venezuela, sweetie, but IRAQ! (That protest march that CNN showed as being against killing journalists in Venezuela was actually in--you guessed it smart guy--MEXICO. CNN has since said it was an "innocent error". Right.)
Of course it is true that the Mexican government is not doing ALL the killing of journalists. Now the narcotraficantes have pretty much taken over the biggest part of that job.
But the narcos have taken power because they paid for it--they paid for their stooges to be elected as mayors and governors and--some claim, presidents.
Fox was the worst president in Mexico's history. That's not just this poster's opinion--a fairly large survey was taken by La Jornada (your Spanish is good enough to go the www.jornada,unam.mx and check it out) and Fox even beat out Santa Anna--who sold half of Mexico to the US for a plate of lentils.
Y tú ¿Cuánto te pagaron? O mejor ¿Cuánto estás cobrando?
PS: soyyo, if you ever turn up in Central Mexico, do not ask for chimichangas, flautas and the like. That's border crap that we wouldn't be caught dead eating.
soyyo,
For you to assume that a 62 year old semi-retired university professor is here in Caracas to get laid shows that you are less than 22 years old.
Why didn't your mamá teach you some manners?
FYI:
1. Only people born in Mexico City are called chilangos.
2. This is an English language site--it's RUDE to write in a language which excludes the other readers.
3. I have written 5 books in Spanish. How many have you written?
4. I develop and teach university classes in Estrategias de aprendizaje in Spanish. No te vendrÃa mal inscriberte en una serie de ellas.
5. I live in a small village in Central Mexico which was the birthplace of Emiliano Zapata. I formed a camepsino theater group there to recover historical memory as well as a livestock cooperative so that folks can stay in their villages in the area and support their families.
6. Never been anywhere near El Paso, and don't plan to go there anytime in this lifetime.
7. Snap out of it, chavo. Somos adultos aquÃ.
Right--Robertson was probably given a nice fat contribution to his bogus religios organization for calling for Chavez' assassination--direct from the Oval Office.
Che Guevara was of your like mind, flavio--but he did wait until the traitors to the patria had been tried and convicted before he sent them against the wall. (¡Al paredón! is the order.)
I am still waiting for independentlywealthy to tell us who is paying him--and how much.
To Nuttychilanga… I mean Moonraven
Hey girl, lay off the jalapeño and don't bent out of shape!
You proved my point. When I wrote in Spanish to you, I expected a response in the same language, but probably you are like many, many texmex that can't muster a decent sentence in Spanish.
Go back to your posts and see how many contradictions there are in your vitriolic outbursts.
Did you offend me? Not at all. See, as the little inexperienced girl you are, you fell for my task. I didn't expect you to like anything from Venezuela, but if you were so knowledgeable about that country, you could have given me more information of where you go, places you visited, and the food you dislike, but now… all you did was trying to "offend" in a very passive/aggressive manner. Didn't work girl. The only thing you proved is that you probably know about Venezuela is through watching telenovelas and reading whatever is posted in CD or other sites. You didn't like arepas? Surprise, surprise… though that's what people in El Paso know about Venezuela, there's more about the culture of a country you have no idea about.
In one post you claim to be in Venezuela as you wrote the post…I hope you took a big load of pupusas and flautas with you! Oh, girl and your president "Vivente" (??) spelling girl, spelling… check your Spanish.
See, the point is, because you are a passionate student in a little college in the south of US, who can put together some sentences trying to pass as a knowledgeable scholar, doesn't mean you really know what you are talking about.
Just lay off the chimichangas and pulque, relax and get laid.. It'll make you feel and think better
Oh my god! Crushing free speech. I heard Chavez on NPR the other night. The latest TV station who's liscence was not renewed had advocated "on air" his assination. How would you feel if FOX News was shut down or CBS or NBC. I know how I would feel. JUST FINE! They are pigs and pigs should be slautered. ( Sorry to all the animal rights folks) In the 60's we called the establishment big wigs "pigs." I think we should bring the term back at use it as much as we can. As in: IMPEACH THE PIGS!
soyyo--Your English reading skills could use a tuneup, cuate, as I never said I lived in Venezuela.
I have made it very clear that my home is Mexico, and that I visit Venezuela fairly frequently as I am interested in the political project.
When I am here I stay fairly close to el Parque Central, en la Candelaria.
I frankly do not like Venezuelan food very much--would visit more often except I am what is called a "foodie", and since Mexico's food is so outstanding, I consider it a real sacrifice when I spend time ANYWHERE in South America. Sorry if that offends you, but you offended first and anyway arepas and such are just not the lovely corn tortillas we eat in Mexico--they are too heavy for my preferences.
I believe you are a venezolano--mainly because of your peculair conflictive style of discourse--but I don't believe for one minute that you support the Bolivarian process.
In response to kathyodat...
From a Washington Post column, concerning an update to a chart maintained by economist Stephen Rose.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/29/AR200705...
... In fact, living standards for most Americans are improving. Not everyone is flipping hamburgers or working at Wal-Mart. To the degree that the middle class is shrinking, it is because more people are rising out of it than falling from it.
...
For example, it is often reported that the median household income in the United States is $44,500. Of course, that takes in households of varying size, from singles to the Brady Bunch. It also includes households headed by workers in the prime of their working years (29 to 59), as well as those just beginning or ending their careers, when earnings tend to be lower. So, to get a truer picture of economic well-being, Rose adjusts the data for household size and excludes those headed by people younger than 29 or older than 59. And when he does, it turns out that the median income for the "typical American family" jumps to $63,000, which in most parts of the country buys a pretty comfortable middle-class lifestyle.
This doesn't mean the middle class isn't shrinking. In fact, from 1979 to 2004, Rose calculates, the percentage of households in the "middle class" category -- those with incomes of $30,000 to $90,000 -- fell to 39 from 47 percent. But it would be hard to describe that as bad news when the proportion of well-off households -- those with incomes of more than $90,000 -- rose by nearly nine percentage points. During the same time frame, the percentage of households that were poor or near-poor remained about the same.
Later,
To Moonraven (2)
Other numbers, 2 to 10, to follow as needed.
Please make sure to put on your poinst (2 to 10) which area of Venezuela do you live. What is your favorite food, etc... if you are so familiar with the Venezuelan customes, prove it.
And if you feel offended... there's a lot more going on to be concern about your feelings, which I didn't mean to hurt in the first place.
To Moonraven,
So your claim "I am also a little bit suspicious of your constant claims to be a low-roller mestizo. As a specialist in Foreign Language Teaching, I know full well who takes English lessons or is taught in bilingual schools in Caracas. And it isn't–except in a small measure–mixed-race people. If you are the exception, I owe you an apology, but I frankly believe you are a ringer."
Que lastima que te haya ofendido, pero tu impulso es llamarme "ringer"... way to go girl.
Dices que has vivido en Venezuela y latinoamerica por 15 años. Ok. Donde vives en Venezuela? Y si solo vienes de paseitos, donde te quedas?
Si piensas que los que tenemos un dominio moderado del ingles son aquellos quienes tu tienes supervisados...buena suerte!!!
Afortunadamente en Venezuela no todos estamos numerados, ni estamos codificados.... como me imaginos ustedes quieren que estemos.
Buena suerte y si te quedas cortada... ponte una curita.
Yo creci en la UD3 - La Hacienda Caricuao. Fui a la escuela en Antimano y a los liceos Francisco Fajardo y Ramon Diaz Sanchez. Por supuesto, en tu parecer para ser pobre en Venezuela uno tiene que ser indio, o mestizo... somos un pais muy mezclado... sigue enseñando ingles... y manteniendo controlado quienes son los que "saben" hablar ingles.
Entre tus proximos puntos.... dame la urbanizacion donde vives y trabajas... y cuales son tus platos favoritos (venezolanos)
Other numbers, 2 to 10, to follow as needed.
soyyo,
I am feeling offended by your comments. Why?
1. I am in Caracas as I write this--admittedly I am not a venezolana but I have spent the past 15 years in Latin America, made many trips to Venezuela, have given a number of presentations about the Bolivarian process in both Latin American and Middle Eastern universities and US churches. My home is Mexico, and let me tell you that after 6 years of red numbers (zero growth in the PIB and inflation of more than zero means red numbers), the pocketing by Vivente Fox and his compinches of all the petroleum excess profits, increasing poverty, a polarized civil society and a narco state very close now to that of Colombia--we would be exstatic to have Venezuela's government and the conditions of its people!!!
You see, things are relative. I don't expect Chavez to be perfect, as I am a Native American (Mohawk tribe), not a native Latin American with a Caudillo Complex deeply imbedded in my unconscious. I don't expect miracles or magic, I don't practice a religion and I assume that I--no one else--am responsible for my actions.
The young protestors, as I mentioned in an earlier post which if you were really interested in having others view your country's conditions FIRST HAND you would have had the courtesy and the plain common sense to read, are being given extra points in the private universities to protest against the government. There are also students marching in support of the government--I see them daily with my own eyes. Nobody else is marching because adults are BUSY working and living their lives--they don't have time for this stuff.
I am also a little bit suspicious of your constant claims to be a low-roller mestizo. As a specialist in Foreign Language Teaching, I know full well who takes English lessons or is taught in bilingual schools in Caracas. And it isn't--except in a small measure--mixed-race people. If you are the exception, I owe you an apology, but I frankly believe you are a ringer.
I don't have access to the internet at home. Right now it's difficult to even get on the net because the Cafenets are closed or not available.
I don't want to keep going in a discusion wherther Chavez is right or wrong.
Most of you who are posting defending or criticizing the situation in Venezuela, are looking to it from a very far away place. Comparing Venezuela with Cuba, Soviet Union even Chile. Failing to see Venezuela as the country it is.
Some of you claim to have a knowledge about Venezuela, however, most of you haven't even been here. Most of you are in your home comfortable, without having to run around without a car, trying to get by.
I wanted a change in Venezuela, supported Chavez for a long time. However he is using the retoric of "la oligarquia opresora" as a tool to silence oposition.
We still have high inflation.
We still have to belong to the party in goverment in order to get a decent job.
The industry is living the country. Therefore, most people are working selling stuff in the streets.
and I could go on, but I know it'll be dismissed by most of you.
I only would have to signal, when USA invaded Iraq, most americans didn't have any idea about the Iraqui culture, ethnicity and way of living... Same situation here with Venezuela.
Keep debating, that's good. To those who say the "Oligarquia" owns most of the media. Just something to reflect on: After 9 years governing, with 6 years of political majority in the Congress and the Senate How come the Oligarquia is stil so powerful? Why the middle class has been reduced to crumbles?
For those who keep insisting in Chavez representing the "opressed mestizo". I have news for you: Venezuela is a very mixed country. And we the middle, working class are screwed up.
Venezuela is a very literate and urbanized country. After 9 years the hospitals are in crumble. There's cuban doctors and teacher helping the poor "en los ranchos". That's good, but why are venezuelans doctors, teachers and engineers unemployed and/or driving a taxi??? Are they part of the powerful Oligarquia...and they live in El Paraiso, El Silencion, Carapita??? I don't think so.
Why after 9 years there homeless people living under bridges? Why the Hospital "Los Magallanes" en Catia, one of the most populous and poorest neighborhood is almost collapsed? Why "El Hospital El Algodonal" "Hospital Perez Carreno" "La Maternidad Concepcion Palalcios" who are run by the goverment and used to serve the poor, are not running efficiently?
Is excellent that Chavez paid Venezuela's international debt. But Why we have so much deterioration in our infraestructure and Venezuela is giving so much money to Cuba, Ecuador and other countries. I know we should help, but like we say in Venezuela, fix your own house first before going to the neighbour.
And to those claiming that the oligarquia or the US is financing the protests in Caracas... take a deep breath, be objective and try to get information from every aspect of the expectrum.
here is a link taken in one protest. All the protesters are young man. to those doubters, these guys are not teutonic rich people trying to pass a middle class. These students are as mestizo as me and Chavez is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXSS9aEQEp4&mode=related&search=
is this link doesn't work, just do a search in you tube, Protesta en San Antonio.
And no, most people who live in San Antonio are not rich and powerful. We try to survive as the very poor in los ranchos do.
independentmind, you must be talking about a WELL REGULATED capitolistic system because right now that is not what we have, and we're getting screwed. Our median income has dropped by over $2000/year in the last 5 years, and a study shows that the purchasing power of today's median income (just over $43,000) compared to that of 1970 is the equivalent of earning only just over $22.000. Capitolism run amok is ruining our lives. Back then, we had a large and vibrant middle class. Now a large percentage of that middle class has turned into the working poor. And God forbid they get sick or they will join the ranks of the homeless. And this doesn't include the costs of college, health care, our deteriorating infrastructure, the raiding of the Social Security Trust Fund to conceal the reality of the deficit. And I haven't even started on the condition of our public health care system, or that after the billions spent on 'Homeland Security" our first responders STILL can't even talk to each other. Capitolism? It needs to be on a leash.
And Voltaire, your comment back at the beginning of this discussion had it upside down. It's public policy that doesn't dissent from the media viewpoint.
I urge everyone to go to www.nationalinitiative.us and register to become citizen legislators and then we can make our country what it should be, with the citizens writing and voting on laws. Read about it and send it around.
The democratic capitalistic system that has enriched and freed Americans??
What about the indigous peoples of the Americas are they free? Spend some time on the res
cheguevara,
The number of people killed in Latin American leftist struggles is absolutely NOTHING compared to the number of people killed by capitalists - by the systems normal workings in addition to the (south to north) Argentine Junta (tens of thousands) the Brazil Junta (thousands) Pinochet (thousands) Andres-Perez in Venezuela (thousands) US-sponsored Colombian death Squads (Tens of thousasnds) the US invasions of Panama most recently in 1989 (3-4000), Nicaragua under Somoza and later the CIA-trained contra thugs (tens of thousands) El Salvador under the CIA death squads (tens of thousands), Guatamala under Rios Montt (thousands). Most of all this stuff took place with generous assistance of the USA.
Now what bad things did Castro do? Closed a bunch of gangster's casinos and night clubs? Imprisoned and executed some people who with US help, had attempted to murder him?
And Chavez's coup attempt (against the hated Andres-Perez) is irrelevant since he was subsequently elected, but there is nothing wrong with staging a "coup" (also called a revolution) against a tyrant, as the Sandinistas did against Somoza and Castro did against Batista.
And, as far as Che quote, didn't US hero Gen. George Patton say about the same thing, and doesn't every Marine get indoctrinated to "hate the enemy" in boot camp?
Wow, this blog is the home of paranoia.
Among so many opinions, most of you ignore one of the few proven facts, Chavez did (failed) a coup.
If you dislike mdeia moguls, oligarchs, imperialsts, corporate america, leave this country and enjoy the paradise in Cuba, You must learn what happen when no media mogul, no corporate america own media, but the goverment in the name of "the people". No "common dream blogs", no open discussion of ideas.
There are still some ill minds talking about "false freedom of speech"
I cannot forgive you, just for talking about what you do not have a clue. True dictatorship is born out of such mindset, I hope they just keep a minoriy in this country. For the sake of the freedom
..and FYI, 3000 death people blamed to Pinochet is a piece of cake compared to what Fidel did in Cuba.
For the demential leftist killing is OK when the victim is a person who disagree.
As the leftist Icon Che Guevara once said in his "Message to the Tricontinental": "hatred as an element of struggle; unbending hatred for the enemy, which pushes a human being beyond his natural limitations, making him into an effective, violent, selective, and cold-blooded killing machine."
Yep, there sure is a need for pluralism in Venezuela--where over 80% of the media are owned by the opposition to the government.
To this poster, pluralism would mean getting that number down to 50%--which did not happen with the RCTV non-renewal--and other channel owners were renewed. Including Globovision, which has picked up the space left by RCTV to propagandize for the opposition position (which is only being against Chavez, nothing more) and call for overthrowing the government and murdering the president. Don't tell me that I don't know what I am writing about as within 4 feet of me is a t.v. set with Globovision on it right now!
All cultures in Latin America are FEELING-dominant cultures (in Jungian terms)--which means that decision-making is made right up front on an emotional basis. Being part of a feeling culture is a good thing--it means there is a street life, there is music everywhere, people don't guard their personal space the way they do in THINKING-dominant cultures. It also means that folks can be manipulated at the feeling base--and that analysis and classical debate are simply not part of the decision-making process.
The US leaders have been doing as much as possible to change the dominance in the US to feeling as well--primarily by instilling FEAR. Given the complete lack of meaningful debate in the US now--even in the two houses of congress--the US government has been having some success.
Lots of good stuff happens here in Venezuela--but the opposition has consistently used the FEAR FACTOR to mobilize folks--with crap on the order of the chavistas being ready to go to the wealthy communities and kill the people that live there, that private property will be abrogated, that folks will lose their money.
Absolutely criminal! Venezuela' economy has been booming for more than 3 years now--the highest growth in the hemisphere, among the highest in the world (well more than 10% per year--hell, in Mexico folks would kill to see 2%--but the Internal Brute Product has been zero over the past 6 years--and since inflation has NOT been zero, that means the reality is red numbers)--and the highest sector of growth is not the PUBLIC sector, but the PRIVATE sector.
That means that these opposition oligarchs want to have their cake and complain they don't have it at the same time.
They are also gulible eough to believe that the Bushites are going to invade Venezuela and give THEM back the petroleum revenues they pocketed for years.
Fat chance!
Oops, my last post was a re-writing of the previous one after I thought it failed to post. I'll leave it be...
And neoconned, unlike the US, Venezuela is among the civilized majority of the world's countries which regard the death penalty as barbaric. They abolished the death penalty long ago.
At least the truth made it into the back pages of the LA Times. While I hesitate at the thought of shutting down any private owned media, if Chavez had a case within the law he should have held the individuals responsible and had them executed for treason. This type of disinformation is what the US and EU are supporting though.
"Would a network that aided and abetted a coup against the government be allowed to operate in the United States? The U.S. government probably would have shut down RCTV within five minutes after a failed coup attempt — and thrown its owners in jail. Chavez's government allowed it to continue operating for five years, and then declined to renew its 20-year license to use the public airwaves. It can still broadcast on cable or via satellite dish."
Sadly we still have FoxNews.
Soyyo,
Thanks for the clarification. You should know that our views of the Venezuelan media are influenced by the situation in the USA where there is very little diversity of opinion. The mainstream media, both its' news and entertainment is uniformly pro-corporate oligarchy, pro-war, pro-imperialism, pro-Zionist, even (in the case of FOX) pro-torture. It it's programming and advertising, promotes the basest instincts of greed and selfishness over compassion and solidarity. And they have been wildly successful. As Cindy Sheehan implied in her resignation message, USAns are largely a passive, brainwashed, profoundly ignorant lot.
The space for dissent is almost nonexsistent - the Pacifica network - 5 radio stations over the entire continent - some programming on low-power college stations, and internet "samizat" like this site. That's it.
You may think what I just wrote is exaggeration or hyperbole; it is not.
In such an environment, the shutting down of network broadcasters transmitters could only promote freedom of expression. It would be is comparable to, say Soviet dissidents shutting down Isvesta; would anyone call that an affront to free expression?
Maybe we are mistaken, but we assume the same situation exists in Venezuela, except that the Bolivarian movement has somehow been able to bypass it and obtain power. We are quite envious of this; it would be impossible here.
So, we also assume that that with RCTV on-air broadcasts gone, there will still be plenty of right-wing news and opinion, but there will now be some space for non-corporate opinion besides Chavez Speeches and the government TV network.
Maybe we are wrong in these assumptions, and you can clarify the matter.
I question the motives as to why anyone would dissent against Chavez. Why are there some Venezuelans who can't stand him? What is wrong with him? Tell me please? I want to learn where dissent against Chavez is coming from in Venezuela and why. Of course, I am hoping these dissenters will tell me the truth. Honestly, the ones who are against Chavez and his nationalistic policies are the ones who are screwed over the most financially since his election. After all, he stands for the poor and the working class and not rich people - who stop at nothing to make the majority in a society suffer I must note. Under Chavez "the rich," "the financially well off" do not have that luxury. Those who are against Chavez are the ones who are agaisnt altruism. That is my assumption and it is only an assumption. So tell me, every Venezuelan who is pro RCTV, why is what Chavez did morally wrong? Tell me upper class wealthy people? I wager that Chaveaz is making the point that millionaires and billionaires are scum of the Earth for all the BS they do to make poor people's lives even worse. It's payback time to me and I think Chavez symbolizes that.
soyyo:
"It's about plurality." My knowledge of 2002 coup d'état is limited. However, in my frame of reference the immediate support to it given by otherwise inept Bush Administration and particularly by Condoleezza Rice, make it plausible that coup was supported if not inspired by the USA. In mathematics it is called prove by induction.
If that is the case then freedom of speech for RCTV is freedom to falsely cry FIRE in crowded theater.
By the way freedom of warmongering was punishable crime in former Soviet Union. Well, nothing came good out of 1917 Russian Revolution, as they say. But I don't think so. And I suspect neither do you.
radicaljesuslover:
You said it all. You have you dogmas such as FREESPEECH in one word. You have another dogma that FREEDOM is what YOU think freedom is. You have yet another dogma that centralized government is some elementary concept and the subject of further clarification.
You pay lip service that "The World Bank and Empire are more worthy objects of criticism than Venezuela" as if World Bank and even Empire may be judged in ABSOLUTE terms not depending on in whose interests they operate; world evil almost slipped to my keyboard.
I understand that this space does not allow for expansive tractates, but one can tell cliché when one see it.
Don't take it personally, you are not alone; and I would be the last one to blame you. Superficiality of last three generations of educators planted cliché based "civilization", which brought about its lethal fruits.
"One thing I have noticed: on these internet forums–whether right wing or left wing–whenever Chavez is the topic the nuts come out in full force."
Actually what I notice, on left sites anyway, is that after a delay of several hours to a day, where there is general agreement with the article in discussion, the trolls then all come out of the woodwork. They seem to have some kind of alert network. In many cases I suspect they misrepresent themselves.
So, why don't we on the left have similar troll-action networks for right-wing sites? Well one problem is that right wing sites aggressively ban contrary views, no matter how (or particularly if they are) well-reasoned. Also, considering even the mainstream is pretty right-wing these days, we would be spending all our time on just the Wash. Post, NYT, or local TV station sites. Finally, the left seem to be prone to too much honesty and integrity to engage in such "dirty tricks". Maybe we have to gt over the latter.
Answer to PJD:
Well, PJD, I'm glad that though you considered my opinion at some point too "preposterous it doesn't deserve an answer", you still managed to dissect it.
That's the beauty of pluralism. I'm not anti Chavez, my friend. I am a Venezuelan as mestizo, as he is. I do not belong to the "oligarquia". I lived in UD3, Caricuao, Caracas. Not many people would admit that. I do.
My point is that regardless which side of the spectrum one is, plurality is what we have to agree on.
There's a lot of good stuff Chavez has brought to Venezuela. I and my family see that. Specially my sisters, who as single mothers have been able to gain more power as human being in the Venezuelan society.
Do I support RCTV? I didn't even watch it!
Do I support "la oligarquia imperialista"? Of course not!
Do I have the right as a human being decide what RCTV, Venevision, Globovision or VTV report is correct? OF Course!!!
My comment is not about embracing or repudiating Chavez. It's about plurality. Every country, every community needs to have a balance between support and discent.
And if you think that all those marching, protesting in Caracas, San Antonio, Charallave, Barquisimeto and other cities, are the manority from the priviledge "oligarquia"... Good for you!
Come to Venezuela and join the Bolivarian Revolution!!
Voltaire and Aymon miss the point.
Of COURSE Chavez is at this point preferable to the Bush administration. Of course The World Bank and Empire are more worthy objects of criticism than Venezuela.
But censorship and the stifling of journalistic free speech - even biased opposition free speech - ESPECIALLY opposition speech - is dangerous and problematic, especially when coming from a centralized government.
Chavez is still worthy of support, but he is sending up big red flags.
Chavez is not infallible. The progressive community should be wary about any powerful politician suppressing opposition speech.
Don't forget, before Chavez came to power, these oligarch medias were in bed with the right wing regimes, not unlike the 4th column here in the US in their coordinated propaganda campaign on pushing for the start of practically all wars. Those oligarch medias were just pissed off that their partner in cahoot were elected out of office, thereby continued their part of business as usual or running the country while at the same time trying to bring back a willing partner in the president's office.
Lets also not forget that the not renewing of RCTV's license is not some trick Chavez pulled out of his hat. It was the law that predates him and he was just following its process.
I do think that Chavez should not have shut down the station. He should have had put all the perpetrators of the coup on trail for treason, including all the stations and the people behind it that were involved.
Don't forget the genocide in Rwanda, where the Truth and Reconciliation Commission did not give amnesty to the private radio station operators such as Radio Machete that incited the Hutus to kill all the Tutsis. Hate journalists were still convicted of genocide and sent to jail.
One thing I have noticed: on these internet forums--whether right wing or left wing--whenever Chavez is the topic the nuts come out in full force.
It doesn't matter whether they are discontented venezolanos or gringos who have never set a foot outside the borders of the US--something about Chavez' freewheeling style releases the rabies in their systems and spews it out HERE.
I do not expect any politician to be a saint--or either, as we say here in Latin America, a little gold coin that everybody likes. What I admire about Chavez is his persistence (yes, Richard Nixon was persistent too so it is not necessary a virtue) at maintaining and promoting a positive attitude about the future of our species on this planet.
He is a good example of Gramsci's famous maxim, Pessimism of the intelligence and Optimism of the will. I respect that, as it just isn't that easy to maintain.
Especially when most of our species is committed to genocide against all other species and racism leading to the same genocidal madness against much of our own.
The bottom line here, is that the folks who are discontented with the president of Venezuela are primarily so because they FEEL (this is not a rational issue that one debates) that non-whites should not have power either over their own lives or those of others. It's a question of privilege: whites in Latin America have always assumed everything for themselves and nothing for anyone with brown or black skin.
And that assumption has always been held hypocritically--stemming primarily from the Catholic Church's still huge influence here which was made obvious--and about which Chavez COMPLAINED two weeks ago--when Benedict XVI, the latest honcho of what Fernando Vallejo (colombiano, naturalized mexicano a month or so ago) calls La puta de Babilonia, had the AUDACITY to claim that the indigenous folks in this hemisphere had just been sitting around waiting to receive the Catholic religion through the barrel of a rifle (the invasion of Iraq to impose Christianity and democracy sounds so similar that it could have happened in the 16th century), and that no abuses were committed against them.
Chavez was right to demand an apology and the pope hemmed and hawed and did his usual dance saying that he had been misinterpreted--just like he did when he threatened to excommunicate the bureacrats and legislators in Mexico City a week before that because the Assembly passed a law permitting abortion.
None of this RCTV nonsense has anything to do with free speech. Again, it's about privilege--the committment of the criollo to the belief that only HE should have anything to say about his interests--and everybody else´s.
It's too bad that there are still so many folks here in Venezuela committing themselves to conflict as a lifestyle and stridency as a form of expression. It's the tragedy of Latin American societies--the most unequal on the planet--writ large.
soyyo wrote,
"You BART JONES might not be so understanding and defending if George Bush decided to close NBC (to name a network)."
Your comparison is ludicrous. NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CNN, and with few exceptions, so-called "public" PBS are all supportive and unquestioning of Bush's policies so of course Bush wouldn't shut any of them down. But if a future president shut them all down for the perfectly legal reason of failing to serve the public interest, I would fully support it. But as far as Bush shutting down potential sources of criticism, he doesn't have to, there is a very powerful system in place to prevent the rise of any effectvive media that would be critical of Bush, Imperialism, Corporations, or Capitalism.
You attempt to portray some kind of symmetry between criticism from the left and criticism from the right is nonsense. The right-wing media has all the power of the wealthy and corporations behind it, any media on the left -if it existed at all, would have to rely on whatever meager contributions the workers could give it.
I refer you to the writings of Chomsky and Herman.
"Of course, that scenario would be unthinkable, because after all, it would violate the freedom of speech of Americans"
Beyond ineffective, ignored fora like this one, Americans don't have any freedom of speech. People overheard merely flippantly threatening Bush have recieved visits from the FBI. People wearing antiwar T-shirts in a shopping mall have been arrested.
"Venezuelans should have the option of believing what VTV or RCTV say"
Even with RCTV no longer broadcasting (but still on cable and atellite) the Venezuelan media is overwhelming anti-Chavez.
finally, you attempts to portray our opinions on this issue as racist is so preposterous it doesn't deserve an answer. Is it not true that RCTV commentators often made racist comments regarding the Mestizo ancestry of Chavez and the Venezuelan poor?
I, too, wish to salute Aymon and Voltaire for making unimpeachable cases for the TRUTH with respect to Chavez and dis-information campaigns, in general. Good arguments, gentlemen!
Hey Bart Jones...So, your point is that the EVIL RCTV was trying a unseat President Chavez. Did they have an army? Did they use guns?
I'm aware of the powerful message of a network, but you failed to mention that the Venezuelan goverment has a TV station called VTV, the one that professes the point of view the Bolivarian revolution is doing in Venezuela. VTV is a Venezuelan version of FOX Network
So RCTV was against the Venezuelan government. What's wrong with dissent?
I guess to you it is OK and justifiable the closure of Radio Caracas Television , because Venezuela is a brown third world country. You BART JONES might not be so understanding and defending if George Bush decided to close NBC (to name a network). Of course, that scenario would be unthinkable, because after all, it would violate the freedom of speech of Americans, but in your mind, third world people shouldn't have the luxury to make up their minds.
Venezuelan's are way more sophisticated than you are trying to portrait. We are very conscious of what's going on in our country; we live in a dichotomy of having the urbanization and education of a first world country and the living conditions of a third world.
To silence a media outlet is dangerous for a 'democracy'. Look at Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Russia... but, oh yeah, you are telling us the reality and true story!
Venezuelans should have the option of believing what VTV or RCTV say. They should have the power to decided to go to the streets to support or dissent the Government.
Well Said Vince Lawrence, Voltaire and aymon!
Thanks for the education and the defense of truth.
Just imagine if, say, ABC News consistently made up stories about Bush; not just the routine Fox Newsy distortions and dodges about Dems that we're used to, but full-bore Weekly Reader stuff like the president is plotting to kill millions of innocent citizens in their sleep? Furthermore, what if they regularly gave a forum to people who wanted the president assassinated and showed image-manipulated videos of the president's supporters supposedly killing his opposition. If that happened, how long to you think ABC News would still be broadcasting in this country?
I saw Medea Benjamin of Code Pink "interviewed" by that idiot Tucker Carlson the other day. I put interviewed in quotation marks because it was really just a set-up to make Benjamin look like some sort of frothing nut endorsing another Castro in the making. He used the time-tested right-wing ploy of asking a question requiring a detailed answer, and then interrupting her with outraged shouting after she began to speak with such crapola as "So you don't think Venezuelans deserve a free press?" or "How can you defend a dictator?"
In my view, Tuck's crock didn't work. Even with multiple interruptions by Mr. Nitwit, Benjamin held her own and managed to explain that the TV station in question had been airing outright lies to foment an overthrow of Chavez's populist and democratically-elected government. Their parting shot, what brought the people into the streets, was airing a doctored videotape that supposedly showed Chavez supporters killing his opponents. No such thing ever happened, but that didn't matter to Fryer Yuck — he still grilled her like she was Stalin's ghost.
It seems that Chavez has been a thorn in Bush's side long enough. Now that the disinformation campaign is in full roar, how long before Our Glorous Leader gives the order to start bombing the presidential palace in the interest of "bringing liberty" to the poor Venezuelans — and pilfering their nationalized oil, of course.
Chavez is by no means perfect, but you have to have a soft spot for any world leader who'd stand up before the UN assembly and deliver a combination devil/fart joke to the world, complaining of smelling Bush's 'sulfur' from The Decider's visit the previous day.
vinlander, you have been watching to much FOX..
I recommend to you the documentary, "The revolution will not be Televised".This documentary, is about the April 11, 2002, coup attempt against Chavez..
Their were two independent filmmakers that were inside the presidential palace on April 11, 2002, when he was forcibly removed from office. They were also
present 48 hours later when, remarkably, he returned to power.
Whoops, how did the CIA boys miss that one!
Here is the link to the website for the film. http://www.chavezthefilm.com/html/film/home_film.htm
Anyone remember Howard Stern and the fight with the FCC.
"It reminds me of something Lenny Bruce said. Something to the effect of "take away the right to say 'fuck' and you take away the right to say 'fuck the government'."
The media in this country is controlled by a facist Gov. who are we to be critics.
This whole issue raises some interesting questions about the role of the media in society. The genocide in Rwanda could have been prevented if somebody would have been able to discipline some of these radio stations there and show them the responsible role and public function that the media is supposed to play in a society. FOX news in the U.S. is also utterly irresponsible as a media institution, but how to discipline an institution like that ? If people WANT to buy all this hate speech and other crap, there is nothing to stop them.
It is a slippery slope, but I don't blame Chavez for trying to discipline some of these media institutions. Recent history, for example Rwanda and the U.S., has shown that media institutions are not necessarily 'beacons of light and democracy' and can be as tyrannical as your worst despot.
If an idea is worthy, it will stand on its own merits.
Please join the real world!
"Ideas" are chosen based on their "merit" in serving the wealthy and powerful. Those get shouted with the power of many millions of watts. Truly meritorious ideas are ignored or left to be debated in ignored corners of the internet like here.
If Hugo is "unpalatable" then surely Bush, Blair and Sarkozy must be pure poison.
It is not right to give a courageous leader a backhanded compliment. This Hugo is uncorrupted so far, and he has brought literacy to 90% of his people, basic health care to the masses, and universal primary school education within just 4 years or so working with Castro using the Cuban development model. He barters oil with Castro for medical care from Cuba's vaunted medical system. In the meanwhile, 50 million Americans are without medical insurance. Did you know that during the Pakistan earthquake about a couple of years ago that rendered millions homeless and without medical care, Cuba had the largest medical contingent of any nation working day and night in that bitter cold weather?
Chavez is "unpalatable" partly becuase he is not a Latino white but a genuine product of the majority of the majority "indio et negro" (in his own words) people in his country. He is smarter than the hedonistic, white oligarchs and their spoilt kin who used to rule with an iron fist on the poor. He has the charisma to pull off his Bolivarian Revolution. That scares the living daylights out of the remaining white oligarchs in Latin America and their corporatist soul mates in the US. Because, as Chomsky points out, he is setting a "bad example" for the Latin American masses, and which may prove to be infectious. That the Empire cannot stomach (hence "unpalatable").
In Chile, you had a genuine white social democrat who came to power by fair election but which the white oligarchy there with Pinochet at its helm, and voluble support from the US and its cronies in Europe assasinated. They want the same to happen to Chavez, and all those who write "I like Chavez, but he does not brush his teeth, or he smiles too much, and so forth and so on" are part of that same group who wish to destroy a social experiment of uplifting the poor that is succeeding. The only difference between the yahoos such as Falwell and these soft spoken neo-liberals is the tone of the criticism, not the substance.
Leave Hugo alone, and concentrate on the Beast of Empire if you are genuinely humane.
With the US hegemon bogged down in the Middle East and its military stretched and stressed to the breaking point, Latin America is finally getting a chance to come out from under the Yankee boot heel. Chavez, Evo Morales and others in Latin America are reinventing socialism in the interests of the long suffering people of their countries. Good for them. An alternative to the reign of greed and theft the US and its loan shark institutions, the IMF and the World Bank, have been foisting on the Global South for too damned long.
Since I posted above I tried to recall some of the details of this saga as it has unfolded. If memory serves me, within the last year a probe inside our government was close to revealing the details of dispersal of U.S. government funds to persons and organizations inside Venezuela involved in the very real coup refered to, and ongoing efforts to oust Chavez. Some of these groups are indigenous in name only and represent (in the Venezuelan government's justifiable view) foreign nationals actively engaged in efforts to destabilize their government.
If I'm not mistaken the evidence revealed in this probe has been put under lock and key so as not to "jeopardize the safety of our contacts" in Venezuela. And it would be very embarassing to have documented proof revealed of our ongoing efforts to destabilize and remove a democraticaly elected leader.
Yes Hugo is unpalatable for many different reasons, and he may have stepped on it (again) this time, but that may be the result of finding himself wrong-footed. What government would not take some sort of action against a media source that agitates for the overthrow of that government and the assassination of their highest leader?
Some here say it is about free speech. I continue to observe powerful moneyed interests, encouraged and supported by a hostile foreign government (ours) engaged in attempts to destabilize and overthrow a democraticaly elected government.
Okay, you choose....Pinochet or Chavez?
If the author's facts are just that, facts, then I can continue to hold Hugo Chavez in high regard. His actions appear to be in the interest of the People. Remember us, the people?
And, to disgustedvenezuelan....the FCC/American government has tried many, many times to take Amy Goodman and Pacifica Radio off the air. Broadcasting freedom will always be in question and the question should always be, "whose interest does it serve?"
There are a number of people here going on and on about "free speech", and these faked fears always come out when a commited socialist who is using his country's wealth to uplift his poor people such as Chavez merely reassigns a propaganda outlet - RCTV - for fascists which advocates armed coups against him, a popularly elected leader. Thus now Chavez is a "brutal dictator". What is his erath-shaking "human rights" crime for all this angst from pseudo-progressives? his crime is that he has lower prioritized, not shut down mind you,a TV station catering to the rich "oligarchy" ( which simply means a collective of dictators)and hardly of any use to the vast numbers of barrio-poor. All these crocodile tears for progressives being duped by these brutal Latino "dictator" who won popular elections by landslidesmake me want to puke. Up North, we have a genuine fascist dictator who stole two elections, assumed extraordinary habeas corpus powers without allowing any dissent in the MSM, which is owned by his cronies, and is inflicting death and destruction on a people who never harmed anybody in his country is rarely excoriated by the neo-con trolls on this website.
Chavez, like Castro, is here to stay, and you better get used to it you neo-con pseudo-progressives. Cuba is now considered to be among the top 50 or so countries with the highest human development index, an expected life span of 80 years on average for the population, and a lower mortality rate for births than that in the US. All of this was achieved despite a 50 year vicious economic embargo on Cuba by the world's richest economy. So why should Chavez not try the Castro model, given that he has oil wealth coming out of his ears?
Talk logic, not sophistry. And by the way, if Castro had received $6 billion a year free of charge from a wealthy country for 50 years as Israel has been privileged to receive from the US, Cuba would by now be one of the most advanced industrial social democracies in the world, miles ahead of Israel.
We don't have a free press in the US. Corporate media, which is the vast majority of it, never dissents from official public policy. The precious few Keith Olbermanns are permitted to make their brief remarks in order that people think we have a free press. But news as a whole here is wholly unquestioning toward the increasingly fascistic status quo. The difference between the US and other countries, including Venezuela, is that when a coup occurs here, as it did in 2000, it is prepertrated by the highest court in the land, acceded to by the multitudes, and supported unquestioningly by the corporate media.
Yes, it's too bad that Chavez is allowing less and less media dissent. But if you look at the history of US interference in the domestic affairs of Latin American countries, the training of death squads (El Salvador) the illegal wars, mining of harbors, etc. (Nicaragua), the gunboat diplomacy (Mexico,Central America), the CIA engineered coups (Chile), or the outrageous moblike expedition into Panama by Bush I to grab Noriega (killed 5,000 Panamanians),on and on, you might be able to see why Chavez is wary of the opposition. The US has considered all of Latin America to be its "back yard" and has acted brutally and imperialistically to stop any country there from nationalizing its resources or doing anything to stop US corporations in their continuous plunder of Latin American economies.
This perpetual spinning of the 11 April 2002 coup is getting pretty tiring. This happened some 5 years ago. If you look at the history of Venezuela, you will realize that the coup is just another political tool, same as elections. It happens regularly and Huguito himself failed one 10 years earlier. So, lets move on and wait for the next coup.
As always, erudite Americans discuss the terrible issues taking place in Latin America.
If anyone bothered to actually investigate the facts, (besides reading the very pro-Chavez Bart Jones), you'd learn that:
- The Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled that the events of April 11 were not a "coup," but a power vacuum. In fact, the head of our military said on TV that Chavez had resigned, and most of us believed it. (He later became a Minister in the re-instated Chavez government.) The government at that time promised to create a "Truth Commission" to determine exactly what happened on April 11-13, 2002, but this commission was never established to determine who and what contributed to the incidents of April 11 –13, including the role of the private media.
- Where is due process? To date, RCTV has never been allowed to defend itself in any court proceeding. Why was it allowed to operate five more years, if it plotted a coup?
- What about the other networks which didn't air the events of April 11-13th? If this is the reason that RCTV lost its license, then where are the proceedings against Venevision and the others? Oh yes. There are no proceedings because these networks have curiously become more pro-government. I don't think they'll face a punishment for their partipation in "the coup".
- I'm sorry - did Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters without Borders, andthe Committee to Protect Journalists fail in their due diligence before writing reports criticizing the measure? Is Bart Jones the only reporter able to fish out the "truth" and unravel the "misinformation" campaign?
Please don't denigrate us by claiming that Venezuelans are just upset over lost soap operas and comedy shows. Americans may fry their brains with All My Children and SNL, but Venezuelans who didn't agree with this farce of a government actually depended on RCTV as one of the only two remaining sources of information which wasn't controlled by the government. I'd challenge Bart or the genius American professor who opined above to provide a list of networks left which broadcast any opposition material. Did anyone say ONE? Yes, there's one left. And this morning, Chavez threatened to close it down. You can imagine how you would feel if the government were threatening to take Amy Goodman off the air. It wouldn't feel pretty.
Thanks Bart for keeping us informed about Venezuela. Whatever happened into the investigation of the money trail from the U.S. gov. to those that were caught red-handed in the coup? Looks like Hugo got some very legal and justifiable satisfaction. In America we call those people (Granier and ilk) traitors and enemies of the state. In Texas he'd be hanged.
Much as I admire Chavez, it will always rub me the wrong way to see any sort of censorship exercised, even by such non-brutal mehods.
That said, I think the RCTV/Fox News comparison is an apt one.
Today I forced myself to listen a little bit of Neal Boortz's radio show. His right wing panties are in a wad over his certainty that when the Dems come to power in '09, they will reinstate the Fairness Doctrine and by so doing will destroy right wing talk radio--by forcing radio stations to present opposing viewpoints. Oh! The horror! Actually having to play fair! That is truly the only thing that right wing bullies like Boortz fear--a level playing field.
Chavez ought to have kept his mitts off of RCTV and instated something like a Fairness Doctrine for Venezuela radio and tv stations instead. That would at least have had some positive effect.
The fact is (whether you want to believe it or not) that "progressive" thought demands free speech. No speech should EVER be censored, nor should thought or ideas.
This is a basic tenet of true thinkers. If an idea is worthy, it will stand on its own merits. Shutting down the television station is not the road to "progressive" thought.
Whether or not you agree with Chavez or his policies, the fact that he assumed to control the media is a step backward for freedom everywhere.
If Bush assumed dictatorial powers and shut down a television station, especially for dissenting against the government, I would hope to meet some of you on the road to D.C.
As progressives, let's begin to embrace the notion that freedom is for everyone, even those we disagree with. Dictatorial control of media and academia are some tried and true methods of silencing dissenters. Is that something that you, as a progressive, want to embrace?
Chavez not only took away a media outlet, he effectively censored all of the media in Venezuela through the threat of government intervention.
It reminds me of something Lenny Bruce said. Something to the effect of "take away the right to say 'fuck' and you take away the right to say 'fuck the government'."
Hugo took away that right. Not something to be praised and defended, IMHO.
i love how that arrogant hypocrite grenier is trying to frame this as an issue of free speech and rile up all the brainwashed middle class anticommunists. whose freedom of speech is in question? grenier and other elites are the ones who've shaping everyone's uninformed opinion for them. did anyone see rctv's tawdry farewell broadcast? good riddance.
Zsolt,
Do you remember morons comparing Hilary Clinton's book "It take a village to raise a child" with socialism? I just watched MCNBC's moron Tucker who compared the same Hilary Clinton's new slogan "Shared responsibility" with Soviet Union.
In defense of the second 'moron', I think he was mocking the first one. Nonetheless, morons are plentiful, but not on this forum thankfully.
I wonder if CRTV is against Iraq war, which provided and still provided Chaves with modicum of freedom of action. In a sense war in Iraq fast becoming safety net for nations around the world that allow for little breathing space. Hail to Chavez.
With regard to moron who compared Chavez with Pinochet, he is but little step ahead of another moron who banded together home-grown Communists, Islamic Terrorists, Illuminati, UN-worshipping liberals, and others who want to overthrow the US government.
We can eliminate poverty in the world forever by simply taking all morons for food; for they grow effortlessly without fertilizers anywhere in any climes.
This similarity would eventually be made... so I might as well be the one to make it.
What RCTV has failed to do in over-throwing a democratically elected leader and destorting the ideas and minds of the people, FOX News has succeeded in doing here. They ran a News corp in the red for over ten years always coming in last place behind ABC CBS and NBC. But they stuck with their bias reporting and helped make the false call for Bush in the Florida recount and have been doing their "RCTV" job ever since. They have successfully intimidated the other networks from being center and somewhat unbiased to what we now have where all the networks are heavily right leaning and pro-neocon.
I feel there may have been a coup here in the U.S. only that it was successful and the one in Venezuela failed. Chavez is a friend of his people and therefore an enemy of the rich Corporatists and Oligarchy or Plutocracy.
Considering that much of our embedded media knowingly aided and abetted the neocon junta's illegal war plans, we should follow Chavez's example. The airwaves belong to the People!
Other reasons is right--the largest petroleum reserves on the planet may be one of those "other reasons"....
Why aren't Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch out to destroy the World Bank, WTO, Nafta, etc, and applauding Chavez for daring to throw some of these organizations out of his country? The amount of coverage the loss of some stupid tv station is getting...shows that it is being used by people who want to attack Chavez for other reasons.
Every forum seems to have its trolls. Why should this one be any different? Ignorance is not only the province of folks that frequent the rightwing sites.
Here on the ground in Caracas there are probably more police--at least here in the center of the city--than there are protestors. Last night there was beating on pan bottoms for maybe 30 minutes down here, in an attempt to whip people up. This afternoon there are a few onlookers--along with the police, of course. The onlookers, the marchers and the police are in the majority probably in their 20s. Young cannon fodder for the interests of media owners.
Chavez made an excellent point about media manipulation--playing on the emotions of folks to make them FEEL that they have actually lost something very important to them and now have nothing. It's sad that folks are so easily manipulated over the loss of time wasted watching soap operas, but it's not something unique to Venezuela--it works like a charm in the US as well.
Much has been made of the number of students from private universities "spearheading" the protests against Chavez´ government. Several students from private universities told me this afternoon that professors are giving extra points to students who protest--and threatening to fail chavistas. I have no hard evidence of that being true, but considering I have 15 years of experience as an educator in Latin America, I would bet some money on it's being true.
As this is the first opportunity the opposition has had in quite some time to vent its spleen against Chavez, it is going to milk the RCTV NON-RENEWAL (not closure as it's being made out on CNN and here on Globovision) for as much as they can get out of it.
Although it's always dicey to generalize, what I have observed over the past 5 years or so is that Venezuela is very loud and fairly conflictive culture, and this stuff is a way of blowing off some steam.
"Sorry, but what's wrong with plotting to overthrow a government? Or better yet, succeeding in doing so?"
OK, so that means you're fine with home-grown Communists, Islamic Terrorists, Illuminati, UN-worshipping liberals, and others who want to overthrow the US government? Or do you mean, its OK so long as its someone else's government? Or, most important of all, one we're in favor of overthrowing?
Chavez is no different than Pinochet? Boy you sure know your history! Ever spent any time in South America, know any people from there? Heck, try reading a book or using the Intertubes (like "teh Google"). What if Rush Limbaugh and Fox News are just playing you for a sucker? Just a thought.
BTW, only one country officially supported/recognized the military coup leaders (Carmona) during that 48 hours. Yep, the US (look it up; though we flip-flopped after the coup failed).
The truth trickles out.
RCTV was a seditious enterprise that should not have survived the failed coup attempt.
Bravo to Chavez in showing restraint and encouraging rule of law.
What is BS is comparing Chavez to Pinochet. Pinochet came to power in a bloody coup during which the democratically elected president was killed in his office. Pinochet then went on to capture, torture, and disappear thousands of his opponents in a well-documented, ruthless reign of terror.
Chavez, who was several times elected with huge majorities in internationally recognized free-elections, denied a TV station the use of public airwaves. Bart Jones describes pretty convincingly the reasons for doing so. Even if you disagree, to compare this event to thousands of murders? That is absurd.
What's in it for you "vinlander" to attempt to undermine a democracy in someone else's country, with such stupid lies and distortions? Please try to have some respect for facts and reality before you join in the discussion.
Sorry, but what's wrong with plotting to overthrow a government? Or better yet, succeeding in doing so?
Let's not swallow the BS that Mr. Chavez isn't an authoritarian just because his opponents are. He's no different from Pinochet -- save that he works from the left side of the aisle.
Overall good article.
But Mr. Jones fails to mention that RCTV actively participated in the coup, with planning meetings held in their corporte offices. Therefore, if it had happened in the US, the RCTV executives would also have been chargable with high treason under the US Constitution, detention with charge or legal council under the Military Comissions Act, and a death sentence under Clinton's Anti-Terrorism and effective Death Penalty Act. All of this carred out in secrecy, using torture, under the general ongoing US disregard of the US Constitution, Geneva Conventions and various UN conventions.
So, who is the "dictator"?