Posted on 05/28/2007 8:18:16 PM PDT by Kaslin
CARACAS (Reuters) - Hours after President Hugo Chavez shut down Venezuela's main opposition broadcaster, his government demanded an investigation of news network Globovision on Monday for allegedly inciting an assassination attempt on the leftist leader.
Chavez took Radio Caracas Television, or RCTV, off the air at midnight on Sunday and replaced it with a state-run channel to promote his socialist programs. The move sparked international condemnation and accusations from the opposition that he was undermining democracy in the OPEC nation.
Protests over the closure of RCTV, Venezuela's oldest private channel, simmered in several Venezuelan cities on Monday. In some locations, the police used tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Seizing on the momentum of RCTV's closure, Communications Minister Willian Lara presented a case to the state prosecutor's office saying experts hired by the ministry had found that opposition broadcaster Globovision was inciting assassination attempts on Chavez.
As evidence, he cited Globovision showing footage of an assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in 1981 accompanied by the song "This Does Not Stop Here," sung by Ruben Blades, now Panama's minister of tourism.
"The conclusion of the specialists ... is that (in this segment) they are inciting the assassination of the president of Venezuela," Lara told reporters at the prosecutor's office.
Globovision was not immediately available to respond to the government's charge, but one of its reporters at the prosecutor's office said the footage was taken out of context.
The journalist said Globovision had been showing archive footage from RCTV accompanied by songs with a farewell theme the week before RCTV's closure.
CHAVEZ EXTENDS CONTROL
At a Caracas news conference, Benoit Hervieu, Americas director at Reporters Without Borders, said: "Yesterday we saw the takeover of the principal media critical of President Chavez. ... Besides Globovision, what television media is left that can criticize the government of Mister Chavez?"
Chavez's reforms, since he assumed the presidency in 1999, have given him greater control over the country's judiciary, the military and the oil sector.
Critics had said an independent media was the only safeguard against Chavez forging a Cuban-style regime. The closure of RCTV leaves Globovision as the main media voice opposed to Chavez, but it does not broadcast nationwide.
Venezuela's opposition media has been widely accused of violating basic journalistic standards. Chavez accuses both Globovision and RCTV of backing a bungled 2002 against him.
RCTV ran movies and cartoons when protests by Chavez supporters turned the tide in Chavez's favor during the 2002 coup. It also joined a grueling two-month strike that year by showing only anti-Chavez propaganda and marches for weeks.
May 28 is clearly the day that a totalitarian communist police state officially took over in Venezuela.
And don’t think it couldn’t happen here. Just read Daily Kos, MoveOn.org or DU for a few minutes about the Orwellian “Fairness Doctrine.”
Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
As predicted by myself and many, many others here.
You’re right, it could very well happen here. That is why we must make sure the Rats will be defeated in 2008 and never get into power again
This will be fun. If I’m right, Globovision is owned by a Brazilian company. Brazil already had a fight with Hugo’s little brother in Bolivia about the natural gas production company.
Another Hugo/Venezuela/Latin American left ping.
He shut the big one down, and no nasty repercussions he can’t handle. So he can go for the rest.
Just a word to the wise, its too late for Venezuela, at least its too late for a peaceful outcome in this generation. But for bystanders looking on from neighboring countries or even from across the Caribbean, if ever you have a candidate for president who promises to throw out the constitution, promises to fire congress and fire the Supreme Court, and promises to do all of that on his first day of office, don’t be surprised when he does it.
Or better yet, understand that the man is declaring war on you, and react accordingly. You don’t go into a democratic contest with someone who doesn’t believe in democracy or its limitations. Such a man you don’t face at the ballot box, you face him with gun in hand before he gets control of all the institutions of power, and its too late.
You don’t go to a gunfight armed with a slogan, and you don’t go into an election with a totalitarian opponent, you’ve lost before you’ve started, and the fault is your own for not having the courage to act when there was still time to act.
I have always said Chavez needs to be watched. He is dangerous
Sadly, those with the resources to oust Chavez are now in South Florida or Panama.
The US left loves Hugo because they want to do this to FOX News.
The Venezuelan people deserve Hugo Chavez. This is what they wanted. Look at ‘em now.
And would someone please tell me why we should be surprised. /s
It speaks of “the reforms of Chavez” and suggests that the opposition media is “counterrevolutionary.”
Notice that it does not indicate the size of the opposition crowds that had to be teargassed by the thugs of Chavez.
If these had been crowds supporting Chavez, the size would not only have been noted but made geometrically larger.
Reuters is a disgrace.
He seems to be a Castro clone. It's sad that he didn't hide that fact and *still* got elected.
My guess is that the next set of terrorist training camps for radical muslims is already there. He may even seek nuclear materials from his eastern buddy, Amad. He looks like a clown and it’s a hoot making fun of him, Cindy and Jimmah but if he isn’t stopped, he will become a serious threat.
I am not surprised, but I work with some folks who would be surprised by this.
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