Is Chávez promoting free expression? Check the facts

[naaman fletcher]

Venezuelan Information Minister Andrés Izarra declared on the state television channel VTV last week that "never has so much been done to guarantee, promote, and drive freedom of expression than in the government of President Hugo Chávez." Izarra needs to hire a fact-checker.

Contrary to Izarra's claim, the Chávez administration's press freedom record is poor and is getting worse. CPJ has documented the administration's systematic suppression of critical voices by shuttering independent news outlets, harassing journalists, and enacting restrictive legislation. Izarra applauded the "diversification" of Venezuela's media, but the Chávez administration's media efforts have been focused on expanding the government's own communications portfolio and stacking its personnel with loyalists. Chávez himself makes frequent use of cadenas-- simultaneous nationwide radio and television broadcasts that preempt regular programming on all stations--to decry the private media's news coverage of the government and to single out individual journalists for censure.

Are these practices that "guarantee, promote, and drive freedom of expression?"

In his statement, Izarra highlighted an increase in Venezuela's Internet penetration, from 3 percent in 1999 to 33 percent in 2010. This might be reason to cheer if the government hadn't just enacted legislation that applies existing, repressive broadcast regulations to Internet content. The measure was hurriedly passed in a lame-duck National Assembly session before a new--and less compliant--legislature took office.

http://www.cpj.org/blog/2011/02/is-chavez-promoting-free-expression-check-the-fact.php

more at link

obviously the cpj is a CIA front group

[Bacchus39]

1. new law

The new law bans messages that "incite or promote hatred," "foment citizens' anxiety or alter public order," "disrespect authorities," "encourage assassination," or "constitute war propaganda," according to Article 8. It curbs electronic media content according to the time of the day and restricts news images showing violence. With the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) now able to restrict online information as it has done with broadcast media, Izarra's enthusiasm over Internet penetration is disingenuous. Venezuelan journalists and press freedom advocates have strongly opposed the law, CPJ found.

[Wilms]

2. That's one way to handle Faux News VZ.

They created their own headache.

[social_critic]

3. Venezuela Reality" Internet traffic is slowing down a lot

We are seeing a much slower internet traffic recently. Also services such as SKYPE don't work very well, which means videoconferencing with friends and relatives is almost impossible. They are starting to put up their own version of the Iron Courtain. I will be leaving the country soon, and I'm encouraging friends to leave as fast as they can, because this country is ruined.

[joshcryer]

4. That's a shame, Skype is the best way to communicate with family.

I have a friend who spent a year in South Korea and she stayed sane doing weekly Skypes with her family back home (not that South Korean is "insane" but she worked a lot with kids teaching them English, and kids can be a handful!).