The Venezuelan Government Shuts Down a TV Network

Readers:

One of the important stories making news in Latin America this week is the decision by the Venezuelan government to not renew the license for a TV network (RCTV) that has been critical of President Hugo Chavez and which played a role in the unsuccessful coup against him in April 2002. The government plans to hand over the broadcast channel to a station that is allied with the government.

As I have noted in this Blog before, I have never been to Venezuela, have no first hand knowledge of the issues there and at The Democracy Center we try to stick to topics we have researched and know something about. However, because we know this topic is of interest to our readers, below are excerpts from and links to two different commentaries on this issue from U.S. groups following the story. The first is a news release from the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) that is critical of the government’s move. The second is from an article by the Venezuelan Solidarity Network defending the action.

Opinions on this topic are more numerous that facts and first hand knowledge. We encourage those who have some of the latter to share that information here if they wish.

Jim Shultz

WOLA Criticizes as Arbitrary and as a Violation of Due Process the Venezuelan Government’s Handling of RCTV License Non-Renewal

Washington, D.C., May 30, 2007 – The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) criticizes the Venezuelan government for the arbitrariness and violation of the right to due process that marked its decision not to renew the broadcast license that was held by Radio Caracas Television (RCTV). In addition, WOLA is concerned that if the public-service station that will now broadcast over the frequencies that had been licensed to RCTV proves to be nothing more than an outlet for government positions, with little or no room for dissenting views or for critical reporting about the government, then the non-renewal of the RCTV license could also constitute a threat to the right to freedom of expression.

Read the entire WOLA news release here.

Venezuela, RCTV, And Media Freedom: Just The Facts, Please

The general situation is this: In April of 2002, there was a two-day, illegal coup carried out against Venezuela’s electoral government, which involved the kidnapping and jailing of President Hugo Chavez. There were four major media outlets, along with others, who actively aided and abetted this coup (more later). In the intervening five years, none of them were closed, nor were any of their journalists incarcerated. Rather, the Chavez administration met with them, not to change their editorial slant, but to reach agreements preventing a repeat of such anti-democratic measure and the hyperbolic misrepresentation of facts, and also to discourage such continued infractions as the airing of pornography and cigarette commercials.

Read the entire commentary from the Venezuelan Solidarity Network here.