Chavez accuses Venezuela's news media of conspiring to overthrow his leftist government. Many newspapers endorsed a recent, failed two-month general strike to demand early presidential elections. Chavez's term ends in 2007. ***
IAPA stresses threat to media in Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and around the world *** SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - The InterAmerican Press Association, the IAPA, said Sunday that attacks on the press continue around the globe and in the Americas, and singled out Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti for criticism Sunday. IAPA president Andres Garcia said "attacks against the press continue around the globe and locally."
Garcia called the Venezuelan government "abusive" and accused it of threatening the media daily. Journalists in Venezuela have been threatened and shot at while covering clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters in the last year. Garcia called attempts by the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to impose a media content law as "nothing short of censorship of the press, while it continues to tighten restrictions on the major television networks." He announced that the IAPA will send a fact-finding mission to Venezuela soon.***
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez displays a frontpage of a local newspaper which reads 'Blood bath' during his weekly television show in southwest Guanare, Venezuela, Sunday, March 23, 2003. Chavez, an outspoken critic of what he calls 'colonial powers' exerting their influence over other countries, irritated the United States in 2000 by visiting Saddam Hussein.(AP Photo/Simon Garcia, Miraflores, HO)
Venezuela's Chavez rejects war in Iraq - Congratulates anti-war protestors on New York turnout***CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez said he does not support the U.S.-led war in Iraq and applauded positions taken by other countries and protesters opposed to war. "Venezuela rejects ... the war which has been unleashed in recent days," Chavez said Saturday. "We are highly comforted to know that the great majority of the world's countries have come out against the war in Iraq." The president's comments were his first openly condemning the U.S. policy of invading Iraq. Other senior ministers had previously criticized the military action, however. Chavez also congratulated anti-war protesters in New York on a high turnout Saturday. ***