In Latest Move To Silence Opposition, Chavez Raids Opposition Broadcaster

By Mario A. Flores
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

 

CARACAS, Venezuela – Police and soldiers raided a property belonging to the head of Venezuela's only remaining opposition news network on Thursday amid a growing confrontation between the station and Chavez's government.

 

"I don't know if they're trying to find something to try to shut me up. They won't shut us up," Globovisión president Guillermo Zuloaga told reporters.

 

Broadcast regulators are investigating Globovisión for inciting "panic and anxiety" by criticizing the government for its slow response to a moderate earthquake earlier this month. Globovisión is Venezuela's only remaining anti-Chavez television station on the open airwaves. The news network has a reputation for aggressively reporting on the government's mistakes.

 

Globovisión broadcast information about the earthquake which rocked Caracas and other parts of the country in early May. It did so before government officials, and it is alleged it had been told to wait. The broadcast used data from the United States Geological Survey and an appeal to the public to keep calm. Later, Interior and Justice Minister Tarek El Assaimi accused Globovisión of working for the United States.

 

Chavez warned private media last week that they're "playing with fire." He specifically targeted Globovisión director Alberto Federico Ravell, calling him "a crazy man with cannon," who needed to be stopped. According to Comptroller General Clodosbaldo Russián, the Venezuelan private media outlets enjoy excessive freedom of expression.

 

Human Rights Watch criticized Chavez's government for investigating the station. The organization's Americas director, Jose Miguel Vivanco, accused the government of using the probe to harass critics.

 

To protest what is seen as the government’s increasingly open hostility towards private sector media it considers adverse to its cause – Globovisión being the latest crackdown -- university students decided to hold a march last Wednesday at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. The protest march turned violent and several vehicles were damaged by fire in a series of incidents involving masked men wielding firearms.

 

Interior Minister Tarek El Aissami has held the university authorities responsible for what happened, but elsewhere suspicions point towards government supporters. Juan Pablo López, a leader with the Federation of University Centers, which organized the march said that the identity of those who initiated the violence was known, but that there was a lot of impunity.

 

The government has agreed to appoint special prosecutors to investigate the violence.

For more information, please see:
 
Latin American Herald Tribune - Venezuela Prosecutors to Probe Violence Around Anti-Chavez Student March - 22 May 2009

 

El Universal - HRW: Venezuelan government should stop harassing TV station - 21 May 2009

 

The Associated Press - Venezuela police raid opposition broadcaster – 21 May 2009

 

El Universal - "Too much freedom of expression in the private media," says Comptroller General – 19 May 2009

 

The Christian Science Monitor - Venezuela's Chávez threatens to shut down TV station – 12 May 2009

Comments

[brian]

Hmm
How many anti-obama or anti Bush TV networks are there in the US? NONE?

[brian]

Exuse me but havent you heard of Venevision?

'Venevisión was a vocal opponent of President Hugo Chávez's government up until 2005, when its criticism was notably toned down. On April 11, 2002, Venevisión, along with most of the other private networks in Venezuela, simultaneously showed Chávez's address to the nation in split screen with the shooting of people in a demonstration prior to the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt. The next day, Isaías Rodríguez announced in a news conference that Chávez had not resigned and that there had been a coup.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venevisi%C3%B3n

Isnt it an anti-govt station?

[brian]

'Human Rights Watch criticized Chavez's government for investigating the station. The organization's Americas director, Jose Miguel Vivanco, accused the government of using the probe to harass critics'

HRW and esp Vivanco arte notoritous for their opposition to the Venezuelan govt...they are hardly even handed.

http://www.monthlyreview.org/mrzine/emersberger240208.html