Venezuela's Media Law
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As Venezuelans increasingly confront the consequences of Chavez's "21st Century" through rampant inflation, decreased investment and a declining economy; Chavez seeks to make them less aware.
That is where is new media law comes in. The Fidel wannabe has already harassed opponents: accusing them of "treason," allowing his supports to block their officers and hold them up at gun point, denying permits for protests, harassing opposition politicians and forcing opposition media into subscription-only viewing. But now Chavez wants to escalate his final touches toward becoming a plenary dictator.
That is where the new media law comes in. Using Orwellian language, Attorney General Luisa Ortega presented a draft bill that would protect against what he termed "media crimes" with sentences up to four years for such "crimes" whose wording would make Tunisian state security blush: "prejudicing state security" or offending the "mental health" of the public. The law, if enacted, would not only apply to journalists their proprietors but to anyone expressing his views in the media. Ms. Ortega stated that free speech mush be "regulated." Even Chavez's supporters were left cringing at the language and consequences of such a Stalinist bill, the voiced opposition of Chavez's own supporters may, fortunately, lead the government to put aside the bill...for now.
But even is this media law is not enacted for now or ever, the media is still under assault.
RCTV, then Venezuela's most popular channel and a supporter of the opposition, had its license revoked two years ago and the last remaining public access opposition network, Globovision, may suffer the same fate.
The minister who oversees broadcasting, Diosdado Cabello, has also targeted radio. The first of August saw 34 opposition radio station blocked from the air waves and, in addition, more than half of the nation's private station face similar closure [they have already been fined on the dubious ground that they failed to file paperwork, which they state they did.]
Further, Mr. Cabello has denied radio stations from sharing boardcasts with the intention of denying the transfer of news critical of the regime from one region to the next.
The Venezuelan free press is up against a lot. God help them.
