GW's Inauguration Speech - Your thoughts

Um, nimh, what exactly do you mean when you say "media freedom?"

Really curious about that one...

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censorship issues

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Dookiestix wrote:

Um, nimh, what exactly do you mean when you say "media freedom?"

Really curious about that one...

random examples

IFJ Calls on Venezuelan Political Groups to Ensure Safety of Journalists As Political Violence Rises

Quote:

03/03/2004

[..] In the course of the past three days, two cameramen have been shot, a photographer was injured by rubber bullets and two other reporters were hit by tear gas and sharp items. A female journalist was assaulted and received death threats and two other colleagues were stripped of their equipment by police and then punched by government supporters.

"This is a completely unacceptable level of violence directed against media staff," said Gregorio Salazar, IFJ Regional Coordinator and General Secretary of the National Trade Union of Media Workers (SNTP) in Venezuela. He said that in a crackdown on anti-government demonstrations three days ago, Carlos Montenegro, a Globovision cameraman, was shot and Vladimir Gallardo, a photographer for the paper El Impulso, was hit in the face at point-blank range by rubber bullets.

On the same day, Berenice Gómez, a reporter for the paper Últimas Noticias, was surrounded by pro-government protesters, deprived of her personal belongings and told: "You are going to die." All the incidents took place in central Caracas.

[..] The IFJ also reported incidents in Aneoategui, where on 1 March Billy Castro, reporter for the journal Impacto, was punched by government's supporters while covering an assault on the Chamber of Commerce in Anaco; Bernabé Ruiz, for El Tiempo, was cut in the face by fragments of a tear gas bomb thrown by police; Willimar Rodríguez, correspondent for Impacto, Reyna Díaz, correspondent for El Tiempo, and the reporter Mariela Gabriela Gómez, for Telecaribe, were attacked in Lecherías. In Maracaibo, capital of the state of Zulia, journalists Cecilio Acosta, Alirio Rodríguez and Dainú Acosta, were detained. The IFJ, The National College of Journalists and SNTP have demanded their release.

IFJ Condemns Detention of Reporter and Seizure of Material

Quote:

20/03/2003

The IFJ Latin American Regional Office condemns the detention of Telemundo International television reporter Milagros Rodríguez and the confiscation of her journalistic material. Rodríguez was working on a story about the upcoming wedding of President Hugo Chávez's daughter.

Stop Blaming Media Says IFJ As Chavez Moves Against Venezuela TV Stations

Quote:

13/03/2003

[..] A government investigation has been launched into allegations against Globovisión and Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) over broadcasts that allegedly discredit the Venezuelan government and President Hugo Chávez.

Under broadcasting regulations the two stations face fines and may lose their broadcast licences. "These rules are already questionable regarding international standards of press freedom," said Aidan White, "but taken in the context of the current political and social crisis in Venezuela, the action amounts to an assault on the values of free expression."

[..] The IFJ interventions comes after officials from the Ministry of Infrastructure last week visited Globovisión and Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) offices to tell them that the ministry was investigating the stations. They received letters signed by Minister of Infrastructure Diosdado Cabello, saying administrative proceedings had been opened against them for possible violations of the Radio Communications Regulations which prohibit broadcasts that subvert public order, discredit Authorities and institutions, or propagate false or tendentious news.

The IFJ says that barring legitimate criticism conflicts with human rights of journalists, particularly freedom of expression, under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which Venezuela signed in 1978.

IFJ Warns of "Disintegration of Democracy" Over Chavez Threat to Media

Quote:

Venezuela's fragile democracy will disintegrate altogether if President Hugo Chavez carries out a threat to silence independent media warned the International Federation of Journalists today.

"Intimidating and bullying media is no solution to the current crisis," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary following yesterday's threat from the government to revoke the licenses of some private broadcasters. [..]

The IFJ, which has a regional office in Caracas, says journalists have been in the frontline of the confrontation between Chavez and opposition during the past year. In July the Federation carried out a mission to the country following the attempted coup in April, which concluded that Chavez was guilty of promoting public hostility to media, and called for journalists to be able to work freely without being manipulated by either side.

There have been numerous cases of journalists being attacked on the streets and one journalist has been killed. The IFJ says that media people are being targeted and it is increasingly difficult for journalists to work professionally and safely. [..]

The IFJ is calling on the government to stop interfering in the media and to denounce all attacks on journalists.

Its not Pinochet's Chile, but its not pretty either.

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nimh

Yes. The HRW link I noted speaks of these issues too.

But Rice's attention there isn't explainable on the basis of civil/human rights as there is no real relationship between US policy and rights issues either in South/Central America nor in the world more generally. Were Venezuela guilty of even far worse crimes against its citizens, and if it was run by a military dictator, and if it was not socialist-leaning but quite content to cooperate with US corporate interests, then the US simply would not have it in its sights. Most particularly so if it had no oil. Are we agreed on those propositions?

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Blatham - yes, we are. Well, corporate and/or military-strategic interests, but yes, sure.

Its just all too easy to, outraged about the cynicism in all that, then instinctively 'stand in solidarity' with anyone they do get in their sights - just because of the randomness of it all - even when that person/regime might well in fact deserve being in someone's sights. Shouldnt let ourselves get caught up in that. Agreed on that too?

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Venezuela Outsources Intelligence Activities to Cuba

Caracas Provides Cheap Oil in Exchange for Surveillance of Citizens

On December 22,Venezuela enacted a law granting Cuban judicial and security forces extensive police powers within Venezuela. Under the new code, Cuban officials are allowed to investigate, seize, detain, and interrogate Venezuelans and Cubans living in the Bolivarian Republic. Suspects taken into Cuban custody in Venezuela could be extradited to the island and tried there without any assurance that they would be returned to Venezuela

Allowing officials in Mr. Castro's dictatorship authority to conduct police operations in Venezuela has raised concern that Venezuela is no longer safe for the 30,000 Cubans living there, especially members of the anti-Castro opposition.

Some 27,000 Cuban doctors, teachers, sports trainers, intelligence and police officers, and other workers are currently in Venezuela, sent by Mr. Castro to help Mr. Chávez replicate in his own country many of the social and political structures of the Cuban regime. The workers receive about $15 to $20 a month from the Cuban government.

In exchange for the assistance Mr. Castro's regime has provided Mr. Chávez Cuba receives roughly 80,000 barrels of oil a day at significantly reduced prices and on very generous credit terms. In a setup very similar to one Castro enjoyed with the Soviet Union, a portion of the Venezuelan oil bypasses Cuba entirely and is resold immediately on the world market, with Mr. Castro pocketing the profits.

http://daily.nysun.com/Repository/getmailfiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:ArticleToMail&Type=text/html&Path=NYS/2005/01/26&ID=Ar00700

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Chávez 'funding turmoil across Bolivia'

Alfonso Daniels in Santa Cruz
Monday January 24, 2005
The Guardian

Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, has been accused of assisting Colombian guerrillas and funding opposition political parties in Bolivia.

James Hill, the recently retired head of the US army's southern command, which oversees military operations in Latin America, said the Venezuelan leader was allowing Farc, a leftwing Colombian guerrilla group, to establish training camps in his country.

He also said the Bolivian opposition leader, Evo Morales, is receiving funds from Mr Chávez as Bolivia faces a series of strikes and blockades that threaten its stability.

The accusation comes days after Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state designate, called Mr Chávez "deeply troubling" at her Senate confirmation hearing.

Ms Rice's comment followed a dispute between Venezuela and Colombia which broke out after it was revealed that Rodrigo Granda, a senior Farc leader, had been kidnapped from Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, by bounty hunters and taken to Bogota, the capital of Colombia.

But General Hill's comments about Venezuela's influence in Bolivia may prove just as damaging. He told the Miami Herald: "It is quite proven that he gave money to Evo Morales... and continues to do so."

Mr Morales is expected to win an election if the president, Carlos Mesa, were to go. Mr Mesa is facing political pressure because leaders in Santa Cruz, the country's second biggest city and economic centre, want to set up an autonomous government.

The city feels it is contributing a disproportionate amount of money to maintain the poorer parts of the country, and is demanding that recent rises in diesel and gas prices be revoked.

Although Mr Morales is not involved in the Santa Cruz crisis his party, Mas, is fuelling opposition to the president and calling for nationwide demonstrations against the government next Monday. Privately, there is an admission that more radical actions could follow in a couple of months when major legislation will be discussed in parliament.

According to a leading Bolivian opposition figure, Mr Morales radicalised his thinking as a result of the negative results of an opinion poll commissioned and paid for by the Venezuelans last year.

Mr Morales then met Mr Chávez in December, when it was suggested to him that he change his strategy and become more radical to control the constituent assembly that will be convened next August.

When asked by the Guardian about the Venezuelan poll, Mr Morales said: "I don't care about polls nor pollsters." He added: "Chávez definitely provides us with political support. He has taught us how to fight the American empire and how to turn the ruling elite into the opposition, and for that we admire him, but he doesn't support us economically."

He said: "Chávez isn't financing us. The only thing he has given is some money to pave a road in La Paz and some loans for education."

However, a senior Mas source said: "The Venezuelans planted doubts in us last December. They said we should ensure control over the constituent assembly before it convenes [next summer] so that the resulting constitution is the one we want, the same way Chávez did in Venezuela."

According to this source, "Evo definitely wants to gain power and import our version of Chávez's Bolivarian revolution to Bolivia."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,12716,1396985,00.html

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War possible in the next few years

A Latin American war could possibly break out in the next few years. Unlike what happened in the 20th century when all confrontations were caused by border disputes, this time the war could be a bloody, multinational conflict triggered by ideological reasons.

All symptoms indicate that behind that likely disaster will be the irresponsible behavior of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.... The recent episode with Rodrigo Granda is only a sample. Granda, a leader of Colombian communist narcoguerrillas called the FARC, was kidnapped in Caracas by Venezuelan military men [and] was one of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of subversive Colombians who have obtained refuge and aid in Venezuela.

An angry Chávez asked Uribe for explanations, but it would have been more reasonable if Chávez had given the explanations, instead of demanding them. What was this sinister character doing on Venezuelan territory, invited to a semiofficial event and carrying a Venezuelan passport in his pocket? Why are communist narcoguerrillas from Colombia camped on Venezuelan territory, and why do their leaders freely enter and leave the so-called Bolivarian Republic?

Venezuela has replaced Cuba as the headquarters of the violent left. A few weeks ago, a former Peruvian Army officer, Antauro Humala, after proclaiming himself a disciple of Hugo Chávez and accompanied by several dozen insurgents, seized a couple of military installations, murdered four policemen and attempted unsuccessfully to launch a nationwide revolution.

In October 2003, Bolivian President Gonzalo Sánchez de Losada was forced to resign after a series of mass uprisings organized by radical groups apparently financed by Venezuela. At the head of the protests marched Evo Morales, an indigenous and profoundly anti-West leader of the coca growers.

Simultaneously, Chávez uses the river of petrodollars that is pouring into the country, as a result of rising fuel prices, to strengthen his army's offensive capability. Pending is the purchase of 50 MiG-29 warplanes from Russia, along with a large number of tanks, helicopters and armored vehicles.

The purpose of so much materiel is easy to guess: an eventual confrontation with Colombia, intended not only to liquidate Uribe's ''oligarchic and pro-United States'' government but also to initiate the reconstruction of the Greater Colombia (including Ecuador), the grand homeland sought unsuccessfully by Simón Bolívar in the first half of the 19th century.

But this dangerous imperial Bolivarian dream has another, even more-dangerous detour: a war against Chile, intended to destroy that bastion of ``neoliberalism.''

Whether governed by the Christian Democrats or the Social Democrats (as it is led today by Ricardo Lagos), Chile is seen as a threat by the left because of its defense of free markets, democracy and free international commerce.

The left does not forgive Chile for its Free Trade Agreement with the United States or similar accords it has signed with the European Union and Japan; or for the success of the liberal style of government that has led to a reduction in poverty, from 42 percent to 18 percent, in 14 years of democracy, while Chile moved to the head of Latin America.

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nimh wrote:

Blatham - yes, we are. Well, corporate and/or military-strategic interests, but yes, sure.

Its just all too easy to, outraged about the cynicism in all that, then instinctively 'stand in solidarity' with anyone they do get in their sights - just because of the randomness of it all - even when that person/regime might well in fact deserve being in someone's sights. Shouldnt let ourselves get caught up in that. Agreed on that too?

nimh

Oh yes. I have some strong affinities for certain policies there, but I do hold civil/human rights as the fundamental measure of whether a government is doing what it ought to do or not.

I raised the issue of Venezuela in the context of Bush's inaugeration speech to argue that the speech was detached from reality - that the US under Bush or earlier does not operate according to the values he claims. I'm also becoming increasingly convinced that the US is in the process of revving up its rhetoric on Venezuela and Chavez (see JW's posts below as prime examples) in order to overthrow his government. And if I'm right, what we'll see the rightwing media doing its job...propaganda for the administration...and we'll see that manifested as an increase in mentions of Venezuela and an increase in the derogative tone of those mentions.

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blatham wrote:

And if I'm right, what we'll see the rightwing media doing its job...propaganda for the administration...and we'll see that manifested as an increase in mentions of Venezuela and an increase in the derogative tone of those mentions.

Well, what I'm concerned about here is that, once this becomes the lense of (leftist) perception, any reports on Chavez's excesses will be semi-automatically seen as examples and proof of such Bushite propaganda -- even when in fact similar reports have been appearing about them ever since he got into power, wholly independent from whatever such Bushist agenda. For example, you point to the articles JW just posted, but one of the three is in fact from The Guardian, hardly a vehicle of neocon agitation. Concern over Chavez's authoritarian tendencies has thus far spanned the political spectre, shared as much by European social-democrats and liberals as by American conservatives; it would be a pity if from now on, because of what Bush or Rice said in this or that speech, any agitation against Chavez will automatically be looked upon as mere stoogism for the neocon agenda.

This is always my concern: the tendency of Americans to reposition any issue in the terms of their national political antagonisms. If I can make my own prediction it's that, if you're right, before long Americans on this board here will collectively judge any development in Venezuela based on its alignment with the Bush administration's position on the matter, rather than on its own merits. Groups demonstrate against Chavez? Before long, you'll have the conservatives here saying it proves Bush is right and the liberals saying that it must just be another trick to justify some future American intervention. The latter especially would be unfortunate, since it opens the door to defending more or less dodgy authoritarians merely because they're attacked by our opponents.

Its a specific kind of ethnocentrism, really, and involves a degree of deformed perception. For example, following your logic, if next time I see an American op-ed observing how Venezuelan journalists were punched by Chavez supporters, what I should see is how "the rightwing media is doing its job...propaganda for the administration" - never mind that the same observation was also made by the reliably liberal-minded IFJ.

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GW's Inauguration Speech - Your thoughts

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