LE MONDE.FR 06 AUG 09 13:55 hours • Updated 06 AUG 09 13:55 hours
By Marie Delcas, Bogota Correspondant
The media remain at the heart of Venezuelan political debate. Presented on Monday, August 3, a bill on "media crimes" was buried on Wednesday. "Examining it is not a topic," Ivan Zerpa, secretary general of the Assembly, specified. Several deputies from Chávez' majority had expressed their disagreement with the text, presented by the Republic's top prosecutor, Sra. Luisa Ortega.
But, during a press conference, President Hugo Chávez defended the need for the state to regulate press freedom. "While laws and a constitution exist, no freedom is without limits," the Chief of State recalled, on Wednesday. "If you want to live where there is no law, then go live with Tarzan in the jungle."
Frequencies not renewed
The bill proposed punishments of up to 4 years in prison for the authors of "false" or "manipulated" news undermining "social peace, national security, or public morality." The text caused an outcry among NGO's like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters without Borders. Anxiety of the media and of those who defend freedom of the press is accordingly more intense because, since Sunday, 32 radio stations and 2 local television stations have stopped broadcasting, the national television commission (Conatel) having decided not to renew their frequency. If the commission is to be believed, the punished operators had failed to observe technical and administrative standards. Some two hundred other radio and television stations could experience an identical fate.
The topic contributes to increasing the divisions in the country. President Hugo Chávez considers that privately-owned media -- that remain virulently opposed to him -- are in the hands of an reactionary, even pro-coup, oligarchy. For the opposition, on the other hand, the government is trying to muzzle the press and put an end to freedom of expression.
The tension makes itself felt in the street. On Tuesday, in the east of the country, a demonstration in support of one of the silenced radio stations turned into a confrontation between "chavistas" and "anti-chavistas." Ten people were injured. The day before, thirty supporters of President Hugo Chávez -- some of them armed -- had surrounded the headquarters of the Globovisión television channel, very critical of the government. Security cameras filmed the scene, the tear-gas grenades thrown by demonstrators and the presence among them of Lina Ron, leader of hard-line "chavismo."
The public prosecutor immediately ordered the arrest of the political leader. Hugo Chávez approved the measure and publicly condemned the attack against Globovisión headquarters. "Acts of this nature cannot be tolerated, whether they come from the opposition or not, from revolutionaries or from pseudo-revolutionaries or from whoever it might be," the Chief of State declared. On Wednesday, Lina Ron surrendered to the authorities.
Globovisión is the object of five administrative processes and one judicial investigation for "incitement to violence."
By Marie Delcas, Bogota Correspondant
The media remain at the heart of Venezuelan political debate. Presented on Monday, August 3, a bill on "media crimes" was buried on Wednesday. "Examining it is not a topic," Ivan Zerpa, secretary general of the Assembly, specified. Several deputies from Chávez' majority had expressed their disagreement with the text, presented by the Republic's top prosecutor, Sra. Luisa Ortega.
But, during a press conference, President Hugo Chávez defended the need for the state to regulate press freedom. "While laws and a constitution exist, no freedom is without limits," the Chief of State recalled, on Wednesday. "If you want to live where there is no law, then go live with Tarzan in the jungle."
Frequencies not renewed
The bill proposed punishments of up to 4 years in prison for the authors of "false" or "manipulated" news undermining "social peace, national security, or public morality." The text caused an outcry among NGO's like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters without Borders. Anxiety of the media and of those who defend freedom of the press is accordingly more intense because, since Sunday, 32 radio stations and 2 local television stations have stopped broadcasting, the national television commission (Conatel) having decided not to renew their frequency. If the commission is to be believed, the punished operators had failed to observe technical and administrative standards. Some two hundred other radio and television stations could experience an identical fate.
The topic contributes to increasing the divisions in the country. President Hugo Chávez considers that privately-owned media -- that remain virulently opposed to him -- are in the hands of an reactionary, even pro-coup, oligarchy. For the opposition, on the other hand, the government is trying to muzzle the press and put an end to freedom of expression.
The tension makes itself felt in the street. On Tuesday, in the east of the country, a demonstration in support of one of the silenced radio stations turned into a confrontation between "chavistas" and "anti-chavistas." Ten people were injured. The day before, thirty supporters of President Hugo Chávez -- some of them armed -- had surrounded the headquarters of the Globovisión television channel, very critical of the government. Security cameras filmed the scene, the tear-gas grenades thrown by demonstrators and the presence among them of Lina Ron, leader of hard-line "chavismo."
The public prosecutor immediately ordered the arrest of the political leader. Hugo Chávez approved the measure and publicly condemned the attack against Globovisión headquarters. "Acts of this nature cannot be tolerated, whether they come from the opposition or not, from revolutionaries or from pseudo-revolutionaries or from whoever it might be," the Chief of State declared. On Wednesday, Lina Ron surrendered to the authorities.
Globovisión is the object of five administrative processes and one judicial investigation for "incitement to violence."
No comments:
Post a Comment