Chavez Issues More Warnings to TV Stations

CARACAS, May 29: Amid protests following the closure of Venezuelan broadcaster RCTV, President Hugo Chávez’s government has accused local station Globovisión of encouraging a presidential assassination and is seeking an investigation into CNN for its alleged smear campaign against the country.

RCTV closed down this weekend after the Venezuelan government refused to renew its license. Chávez, in announcing in January that RCTV’s license would not be renewed, said: “No media will be tolerated that is at the service of coupism, against the people, against the nation, against the dignity of the Republic. Venezuela is to be respected!”

According to wire reports, the country’s information minister, Willian Lara, said Globovisión as guilty of inciting an assassination of the president by broadcasting the chorus of a salsa tune, “Have faith, this doesn’t end here,” along with footage of the 1981 assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II. Globovisión’s director, Alberto Federico Ravell, called the allegations "ridiculous." Lara’s comments came a day after the station covered the protestors demonstrating against the closure of RCTV.

Meanwhile, Lara is also seeking an investigation into CNN, noting: "This network, which claims to be a world leader in news, blatantly lies because it has a political position against Venezuela, because it forms part of a powerful transnational group with an echo in Venezuela.” Lara cited CNN footage of Chávez  juxtaposed with shots of Osama bin Laden. “CNN broadcast a lie which linked President Chávez to violence and murder."

Tony Maddox, the executive VP and managing director of CNN International, is quoted as saying in response: “unrelated news stories can be juxtaposed in a given segment of television news in the same way that a newspaper page or a website can have news items with no relation to each other placed side by side."