Violence in Venezuela: the myths versus facts

[polly7]

By Federico Fuentes
Source: Green Left Weekly
March 6, 2014

Below, Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network activist Federico Fuentes, provides answers to common questions about recent events in Venezuela. Key facts are referenced, largely from media outlets that could not be identified as pro-government.

***

Is recent unrest in Venezuela due to government repression against peaceful protests?

No. This version of events, widely disseminated by the media, ignores the fact that security forces only acted after groups within the protests initiated violent actions. In the case of the first of the current round of protests that gained media attention, in Tachira on February 6, police only moved in after small groups of protesters attacked local governorship offices and home of the local governor. http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/140206/maduro-quieren-apl…

When protests took place in Merida the next day, security forces intervened only after armed protesters had carried out actions such as hijacking trucks carrying food and medicine. http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/140207/herido-estudiante-…

During protests in Caracas on February 12, which gained international media attention due to deaths on the day, there is clear evidence security forces only moved into action after a small group of protesters had them, destroyed the attorney-general’s office and burned five police trucks.http://www.elsoldemargarita.com.ve/posts/post/id:128117

None of this is to deny there were incidents of heavy-handed action by security forces, or to excuse the death of protesters. One fact the media has studious ignored is that 11 members of Venezuela’s security forces and three Bolivarian National Guard soldiers have been arrested and charged after evidence of wrongdoing......

Full article: http://zcomm.org/znetarticle/violence-in-venezuela-the-myths-versus-facts/

[Laelth]

1. Here's the money quote:

Not even President Nicolas Maduro’s government denies Venezuela faces crucial challenges regarding crime and the economy. But it is clear these protests have been organised by right-wing forces who, unable to defeat socialist candidates in elections, are seeking to depose the government via violent means.

http://zcomm.org/znetarticle/violence-in-venezuela-the-myths-versus-facts/

Confirms my suspicions, in any event.

-Laelth

[polly7]

2. Thank you, Laelth,

there were just too many good quotes there to include here .... the whole article is a very interesting read.

[Laelth]

4. It is excellent. Thanks for posting it.

I am absolutely nauseous when I see alleged liberals on DU supporting these protesters and blaming the uprising on incompetence and corruption. It's clear that there's a lot more to the story, and, as is often the case, our hands (America's hands) are visible and bloody in this ongoing turmoil.

-Laelth

[bvar22]

27. In Venezuela, the Poor are celebrating,

....and the RICH are protesting.

...and THATS the way it should be.
We could use some of that here!


VIVA Democracy!
I hope we get some here soon!

[Laelth]

3. Defenders of the protesters need to see this too:

Lopez is a former mayor of Chacao, a municipality that covers some of the wealthiest suburbs of Caracas and where most of the recent protests have taken place. As mayor, he actively supported the 2002 military coup that briefly ousted president Hugo Chavez and led the arrest of then-interior minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin.http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/20/280207441/5-things-to-kno…

Lopez was found guilty of charges of corruption dating back to his time as an employee of the state oil company PDVSA, when he siphoned money towards starting up a new political party.

Despite this, it is clear Lopez and other opposition figures have received financial support from the US to help their campaign to get rid of first Chavez and now Maduro.

Also confirms my suspicions. The U.S. has a long history of propping up oligarchs in other nations, and it doesn't shock me to see that we have been involved in ongoing attempts to oust the Maduro (formerly Chavez) government.

-Laelth

[ChangoLoa]

31. Lopez is a power hungry opportunist

But he represents a very small portion of the opposition electorate. He didn't even go to the end of the primary election process. He was too small so he decided to drop out "in support" of Capriles, the obvious winner.

If you see their position regarding what is happening now, you will notice the huge distance that separates their conception of politics. Capriles has never supported the barricades in the streets. His approach has been to communicate a list of 10 demands, including the disarm of paramilitary groups, the replacement of the Supreme Court judges whose mandates have ended, the publication of the list of private companies that received the quotas to buy currency at the subsidized rate, etc.

I really don't like Capriles, but it's very difficult to disagree with most of his demands in this case.

Here in Spanish:
1 - Libertad a los estudiantes detenidos y presos por causas política (casos Leopoldo López, Iván Simonovis y otros detenidos). Justicia para los caídos durante las protestas

2 - Desarme y desmantelamiento de grupos paramilitares.

3 - Detener la criminalización de la protesta como forma pacífica de expresarse y la violación de los derechos humanos. Cese de las torturas y la represión.

4 - Seleccionar un mediador (proponemos la Iglesia) que represente al país entero y no la parcialidad del Gobierno. Conformar una comisión de la verdad que permita esclarecer los hechos suscitados en torno a las protestas pacíficas.

5 - Abrir a todos los venezolanos el sistema de medios públicos y detener la presión a los medios privados.

6 - Elegir a los magistrados del TSJ que tienen su período vencido, así como al contralor y a los rectores del CNE, que representen a todo el país y no solo al partido de Gobierno, tal como establece la Constitución.

7 - Sacar la política y al gobierno cubano de las FANB.

8 - Dejar de regalar nuestro petróleo a otros países, mientras haya un venezolano con necesidades.

9 - Reunir el esfuerzo privado, trabajadores, sociedad civil y Gobierno para la reactivación de la economía.

10 - Publicar la lista de las empresas a las que Cadivi asignó dólares preferenciales.

[Laelth]

5. And what about the media?

Does the Venezuela government control all the media?

No. More than 70% of the media in Venezuela is privately owned, with 25% being in community hands and only about 5% being controlled by the state. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19368807

Moreover, 40% of households have cable TV — giving access to Fox and CNN en Espanol.

Almost all private media have shown bias towards the opposition.

Fox in Venezuela? Why am I not shocked? The U.S. exports oligarchy. What better outfit to accomplish that task than some nice, right-wing, brainwashing outfit like Fox?

Here is the truth, folks. Read and learn!

-Laelth

[polly7]

6. Thank you

for the great articles. I've just been shaking my head at how hard the propaganda about all of this is being pushed here. I never thought I'd see the day people here would actually willingly spread lies to enable the overthrow of a democratically elected government.

[Laelth]

8. It's strange, isn't it.

Ultimately, I think I know where they're coming from. Most of them are either fierce partisans or party operatives. Thus, criticism of Democrats or Democratic policy is perceived as damaging to the party, and they fight it no matter what. "My party right or wrong" is their attitude. Thus, because the government of the United States is now controlled by the Democratic Party, therefore, in their minds, everything the Democratic Party does must be defended, even if those of us who are liberal are appalled by the administration's actions--including trying to overthrow Maduro. They mean well, these partisans, but people like you and me can't just look the other way when Democrats are in the wrong, and in this case, to the extent that the United States is once again fomenting revolution in another sovereign state, we're in the wrong.

I am a Democrat. I have run for office and have been elected to office under the party's banner. I accept that the Democratic Party is the only vehicle we have to effect change here in the United States that may benefit the people as a whole. Politics is a team sport, and I am part of the Democratic team. I know and accept all of that.

But I will not pretend that Democrats are always right, no matter what they do. I leave that argument to DU's partisans and political operatives. As you well know, we have plenty of them here. They have that argument covered. I, on the other hand, advocate for people and for justice.

-Laelth

[Demeter]

11. No, Laelth, the Democratic party operatives do NOT mean well

They are bullies. Bullies cannot and do not mean well. They mean to shut people up, regardless of the facts, the suffering, the costs, the stupidity, and the evil.

It doesn't matter which party you support; when you are a bully, you are against the People.

[Laelth]

12. Sure, some of them are bullies.

I can't argue with that. Still, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, here. They think they're doing the right thing defending the Democratic Party, no matter what the party or the administration does. In that sense, I think, they mean well ... most of them, anyway.



-Laelth

[Demeter]

13. If so, that's a level of childishness no party can afford

and well-behaved children are not bullies, either.

[Laelth]

14. Agreed.

In defending the indefensible, they make all of us on the left look bad, and they tarnish the Democratic brand, but ... try explaining that to them.



-Laelth

[Oele]

15. I guess the percentages refer to stations, not market share or "reach".

According to Wikipedia, there are only 9 national TV stations in Venezuela, of which 4 (VTV, TVes, ViVe, TeleSUR) are state-owned.

There is one educational station (Vale TV) that used to be publicly owned, but is now being run by a non-profit organisation.

There is one privately owned national tv station that broadcasts only sports: Meridiano Televisión.

The remaining 3 stations are privately owned:
- Venevisión (quote from Wikipedia: For the presidential election, Venevision devoted 84% of its coverage to Chavez's positions, and only 16% to the opposition.)
- Televen (became "neutral", some say pro-chavista, after the 2004 referendum)
- Globovisión (formerly very pro-opposition; became less critical of the government after a change of ownership)

[Laelth]

17. I'm not sure how those figures were derived.

Either way, thank you for the clarification and information.

-Laelth

[ChangoLoa]

16. Government controlled doesn't mean state owned

The only terrestrial TV station still openly critical of the government, Globovision, was heavily fined for tax evasion and broadcasting on unauthorised frequencies in 2009. It was fined in 2011 for a report about a prison riot that the authorities said "promoted hatred and intolerance for political reasons."

And Globovision had to be sold after the "heavy fine" the BBC mentions in the article you posted.

.

[Laelth]

18. What's a terrestrial TV station?

Am I to assume that some TV stations operate from the moon or Mars? Aren't all TV stations "terrestrial"?

Either way, thanks for making this point. Evidently, your sense that most Venezualan TV is pro-Maduro is in direct conflict with the author of the article in the OP who says, "Almost all private media have shown bias towards the opposition."



-Laelth

[ChangoLoa]

19. Terrestrial = non cable

I never said most Venezuelan TV is pro-Maduro.

Nowadays, Venezuelan private TV have become apolitical... except state-owned channels who operate as a simple extension of the ruling party. Even Globovision which was "the only terrestrial TV station still openly critical of the government" in Oct. 2012 has disappeared. It still holds the same name, but almost all its journalists were fired or resigned. Thus, we could say there is no TV station (other than cable TV stations) who dares to be openly critical to the government in Venezuela. And that, Laelth, I call control.

[Laelth]

20. I think I understand.

Your point isn't that VZ media is pro-Maduro, but, rather, that much (or most) of it is anti-Maduro but silenced by the government (or afraid to be openly critical). Did I get that right?

That leaves me with conflicting information, however. The author quoted in the OP says, "Almost all private media have shown bias towards the opposition." In other words, says the quoted author, the media is openly critical of Maduro and not silenced at all.

Which of you is correct?



-Laelth

[Oele]

23. I can't seem to find the 79% figure in any of the Carter Center documents, but i did find this:

The polarization of Venezuelan media is reflected in the breakdowns of coverage and the tone of coverage. In the private television stations, Capriles received nearly three-quarters of the coverage, though two of those stations provided an equilibrium between the two candidates while news channel Globovisión, which provided by far the most electoral coverage, devoted most of it to Capriles. On the contrary, on state station VTV, Maduro received 90 percent of the coverage time. The difference in tone of coverage was also striking: Maduro received 91 percent positive coverage in state media, but only 28 percent positive coverage in private media; Capriles received zero percent positive coverage in state media, and 60% positive coverage in the private media.

and:

Another important factor in media impact is the coverage or reach of each medium. Although all of the channels mentioned are over-the-air channels, not all of them broadcast nationwide. The channels with nationwide coverage are the public channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), which, thanks to the SIBCI scheme, reaches a wider audience via joint broadcast on six system channels, 146 and the private channels Venevisión and Televén. The privately-owned news channel Globovisión broadcasts only in Caracas and Valencia; it expands its signal through cable transmission.

Given this scenario, it is noteworthy that Venezuela’s two main informative media are VTV and Globovisión. The programming on Venevisión and Televén, in contrast, is oriented more toward “entertainment” formats.

Source: https://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/news/peace_publications/election_reports/venezuela-pre-election-rpt-2013.pdf

So, VTV and Globovisión are the informative/news media. VTV is pro-chavez, Globovisión used to be pro-opposition.

As ChangoLoa mentioned, Globovisión became 'neutral' after the Carter report was written, so that leaves us with one pro-government news station (VTV) and a "neutral" one (Globovisión).

[ChangoLoa]

25. They are silenced but mildly critical.

We're talking about 3 TV stations here.

Nowadays, there are only 3 private "terrestrial" TV stations (and 4 state-owned) that have news or opinion debates in Venezuela: Venevision, Televen and Globovision.

The first two agreed long ago to apply a kind of auto-censorship in their coverage and to include prominent government officials in their "staff", such as former vice-president J. V. Rangel who directs and presents Televen's main weekly political show. There can be some criticism sometimes, but it is usually very mild. Venevision has almost no political programs besides noon and night news. Their news are called "El Imparcial"

Globovision used to be openly anti-Chavez until last year, when they had to sell after being fined by CONATEL (TV regulation institution). The new ownership is still seen as more pro-opposition but they have accepted auto-censorship. That's why so many of their journalists left.

On the other hand, we should consider that the author of the article quoted in the OP, Federico Fuentes, is a PSUV party member who works with the "Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network"... nothing bad in that, but I think we should take that in count when we read him.

When discussing about Venezuela, as you probably have noticed, the problem is to find non-extreme positions. In this case, "Venezuela government controls all the media" is definitely an extreme way for describing the situation. I believe it is uninteresting to discuss from that point.

There is another factor: the laws that have been passed by decree during the last 5 years have considerably limited the possibilities of expression on local TV. "Unmoral, destabilizing" TV content are very relative notions that can be interpreted at the authority's discretion. The fines can easily lead a TV station to bankruptcy like in the case of Globovision.

[Laelth]

26. Lots of good information about which I was unaware. Thanks. n/t

-Laelth

[ChangoLoa]

30. Glad to have a conversation like this one

Unfortunately, it's far from being frequent in this forum.

[Oele]

21. Terrestrial TV means "television broadcasting using radio signals" or "over-the-air television".

.. as opposed to satellite or cable TV. It's an european term.

[Laelth]

22. Cool. Thanks. n/t

-Laelth

[Sheri]

7. kicking for all to see. n/t

[1awake]

9. K&R nt

[bobduca]

10. Kick

[Laelth]

24. Kick. n/t

-Laelth

[Judi Lynn]

28. This article is well written, and factual. The author is conscientious.

You've handed us some great information with this article from Green Left Weekly, and thanks to ZComm., as well.

I'd like to excerpt the article, as well:

Rather than shed light on the situation, the media prefers to highlight selective facts and blame the government for problems. This enables the media to accomplish two things.

First, it conceals the real role that Venezuela’s rich elites are playing in provoking economic problems. In November last year, the Venezuelan government carried out an audit of thousands of private-owned stores and found almost all of them were involved in marking-up prices by 500%-10,000%. Since then, the government has enacted a new law that would set a 15%-30% limit on profit margins. This law came into effect around the same time the recent unrest began.

Second, the media’s role is to reinforce the idea that any attempt to change the status quo will result in disaster. From his first days in office, Chavez was vilified by the media and opposed by the elite. They rejected his proposal that the Venezuelan state should control the country’s oil riches and redistribute its wealth n order to more equitably.

Such policies led to a dramatic fall in poverty and contributed to record economic growth rates. It funded a huge expansion of free, accessible public services (health, education, etc) and community empowerment via funding for grassroots neighbourhood committees. This is why the Maduro government continues to enjoy popular support — as shown in elections and large pro-government demonstrations.

This is also why the rich elites, and the media outlets they own, are continuously working to bring down the government. Part of this campaign involves discrediting the very idea that people’s needs could take priority over the market.

That is also why it’s not a question of defending a government versus protesters. It’s about defending a political movement of the poor against the violent reaction of the old elites.

It's time for them to recognize the kind of sweet arrangement the oligarchs had for themselves at the grotesque expense, and dreadful cost to the majority of the people was crooked, greedy, vicious, and bound to be set right, at some point: it's inevitable, if mankind is meant to evolve that this kind of dirtball arrangement, this violent reign of the merely fortunate over their fellow human beings is spiritually depraved, and malignant. How could they have not noticed so long ago they would have started preparing for change and weaning themselves from their worst excesses?

But, noooooo! They think they'll just take some payoffs from the US taxpayers, with the offering of their hard-earned tax dollars, behind the backs of the taxpayers, who have nothing to do with it, and use that money to create more suffering for the poor of Venezuela, maybe buy some new wire to behead more people riding motorcycles or bicycles down Venezuelan streets.

Criminals running riot. It doesn't take too long to see the spirit of these scumbuckets shining through, or, rather, oozing through, showing the world how much value the crap which rose to the top in Venezuela is worth.

[polly7]

29. Thank you, as always, for your added information.