NO LETTING UP: THREATS TO A FREE PRESS CONTINUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CARACAS 003351

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2031
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM VE
SUBJECT: NO LETTING UP: THREATS TO A FREE PRESS CONTINUE

REF: A. CARACAS 2877 AND PREVIOUS


B. CARACAS 1909

C. CARACAS 2990

D. CARACAS 3174

E. CARACAS 3173

CARACAS 00003351 001.3 OF 003


Classified By: Robert Downes, Political Counselor,
for Reason 1.4(b).


1. (U) SUMMARY. This cable updates the Bolivarian Republic
of Venezuela's (BRV) continuing efforts to stifle the media
and to restrict freedom of press. As indicated in reftels,
the BRV employs a variety of mechanisms - legal, economic,
regulatory, judicial, and rhetorical - to harass the private
media, induce self-censorship, and engender a repressive,
almost fascistic, attitude towards the free press. Topics
addressed in this update include:

-National Guard denies live broadcasts
-Chavez threatens media concessions again
-Journalist killed in Sucre state
-Journalists attacked during Rosales campaign stops
-Municipal employees attack radio station
-Opposition mayor's radio station sabotaged
-Police beat journalist in Anzoategui
-Governor criticizes opposition television program
-Cross-border tactics

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NATIONAL GUARD DENIES LIVE BROADCAST
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2. (U) Major all-news, independent media outlet Globovision
was prevented from airing live transmission of a November 7
Manuel Rosales campaign stop in Caracas's University Stadium.
According to Alberto Federico Ravell, Globovision's
Director, the National Guard refused to allow Globovision
personnel access atop Avila Mountain overlooking Caracas to
make microwave transmitter adjustments, preventing live
coverage of the Rosales event. According to Ravell, the
National Guard is demanding 24 hours advance notice before it
will allow access to the transmitters. Ravell accused the
National Guard of "kidnapping" live transmissions.

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CHAVEZ: DON'T BE SURPRISED IF I PULL CONCESSIONS
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3. (U) President Chavez "reminded" electronic media outlets
on November 3 that their concessions will expire next year
and not to be surprised if he does not renew them (ref b).
During an inauguration ceremony for a new subway station,
Chavez said that certain independent television outlets are
littered with "coupsters" and "murderers." Chavez reiterated
that unspecified independent media have used their licenses
to commit coups or to spread terrorism or to criticize the
government. Chavez quickly covered up his Freudian slip,
backtracking and saying that criticism would be welcome.
Chavez concluded his comments by saying that one of the major
threats to the "true" democracies in the world today resides
inside the media.

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ANOTHER JOURNALIST KILLED
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4. (C) Journalist Pedro Bastardo was killed October 7 in
Cumana, Sucre state, after an assailant shot him several
times in the head. Police officials indicated robbery as the
likely motive for the killing, although Bastardo was not
robbed of any of his belongings. Bastardo had been working
for eight months as the press director for the municipality
of Bermudez in Sucre state. Mairim Unamo of the Venezuelan
Institute of Press and Society (IPyS) told Poloff November 6
that Bastardo worked mostly in the planning of cultural
events; he was a poet according to family members. He has no
known writings of an anti-government stance. Nevertheless,
Bastardo is the fourth journalist killed in Venezuela so far
this year.

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JOURNALISTS ATTACKED DURING ROSALES CAMPAIGN STOPS
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CARACAS 00003351 002.3 OF 003



5. (U) On September 30, apparent Chavez sympathizers
attacked a group of reporters from the opposition, all-news
outlet Globovision who were covering a campaign stop of
opposition presidential candidate Manuel Rosales in Trujillo
state. The attackers beat a cameraman and forced him to
relinquish his videotapes. Paulimar Rodriguez, a reporter
for independent daily "El Nacional" reported that Chavez
supporters attacked her, as well, during a Rosales campaign
stop on September 19, in Antimano. Rodriguez said three
women threw her to the ground and beat her.

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MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES ATTACK RADIO STATION
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6. (U) On September 22, the chief of security for the
municipality of Sucre, in Bolivar state, along with one of
the mayor's bodyguards, attacked the headquarters of radio
station "La Maripena." The attackers broke protective
barriers of the station's transmitter and threw rocks into
the building. The Institute of Press and Society reports
that the attackers responded violently to the radio station
director's photographing them while they were guarding
official vehicles during a miner protest. Following the
attack, the perpetrators stole one of the radio's
transmitters, causing an outage that lasted two days. Media
reports indicate that the radio station, the only station in
the municipality, had vigorously denounced on air the attacks
against miners in nearby La Paragua that occurred on the same
day (ref c),specifically the role of Sucre's MVR mayor, Juan
Carlos Figarella, in ensuing repression. Figarella's wife is
a pro-government state deputy in the Bolivar legislature.

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SABOTAGE CLOSES DOWN OPPOSITION MAYOR'S RADIO STATION
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7. (U) Four individuals allegedly dressed in military
fatigues attacked Yaracuy radio station "Hispana FM" October
9, leaving the radio station unable to broadcast indefinitely
and causing an estimated $40,000 in lost revenues. According
to the station's owners, the alleged perpetrators tied up the
only employee on the premises and proceeded to pour a
corrosive substance on all the electronic equipment; the
attackers allegedly left graffiti alluding to the violent
pro-Chavez Tupamaro organization. One of the owners of the
radio station is Victor Moreno, opposition mayor of San
Felipe, Yaracuy's capital, leading to speculation that the
attacks were politically-motivated, and perhaps
government-sanctioned.

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POLICE OFFICERS BEAT JOURNALIST
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8. (U) Police officers in Simon Rodriguez municipality of
Anzoategui state, beat and insulted Adrian Salazar, a
reporter for the daily "Nueva Prensa de Oriente" on August

26. Salazar stated that he did not know the motive for the
beating, but did not dismiss the possibility it was related
to his journalistic endeavors. The police officers accosted
Salazar as he arrived at his home. They were later stripped
of their official responsibilities, pending investigation of
the matter.

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STATE GOVERNOR LAMBASTS OPPOSITION TV PROGRAM
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9. (U) Ramon Martinez, Chavista governor of Sucre state,
accused a Globovision program on October 10 of inciting fear
in the community. The program, "Alo Ciudadano,"
Globovision's answer to Chavez's "Alo Presidente," allegedly
reported on acts of violence in Guiria municipality that
resulted in 70 arrests, seventeen injuries, and three deaths.
Governor Martinez quickly refuted the reports and called the
program "conspiratorial," accusing it of attempting to
generate a climate of instability in Venezuela. Actions
legally deemed and proven to "incite fear" and "generate a
climate of instability", as characterized by Governor
Martinez, would constitute a violation of law. Martinez
indicated he would take his claim to Conatel, the National
Telecommunications Commission. (NOTE: Violence did break
out in Guiria in the days following Globovision's alleged

CARACAS 00003351 003.3 OF 003


pronouncement, as reported in ref d, but not to the degree
cited. END NOTE)

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COLOMBIA COMPLAINS ABOUT VENEZUELA STATE CHANNEL
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10. (U) Colombian authorities announced October 17 that the
signal of Venezuelan state television channel Venezolana de
Television (VTV) was blocking the signal of a regional
channel in Colombian border city Cucuta. Jorge Figueroa,
President of Colombia's National Television Commission,
indicated that VTV's signal infringed on the transmission
from several Colombian border cities. Figueroa pointed to
VTV's installation of a 20-kilowatt transmitter in Tachira
state as the cause and indicated that on October 13 he was
able to confirm the presence of two additional transmitters
directed across the Colombian border. Figueroa did not
signal that the GOC would pursue a case against the BRV in
the ITU, and was careful to say that he would not dare to
claim this was an "electromagnetic invasion." That said,
VTV's interference with Colombian television does help
President Chavez export his weekly "Alo Presidente" program,
as well as other pro-BRV (and anti-American) propaganda on
VTV.

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COMMENT
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11. (C) The BRV's abysmal track record on freedom of press
continues apace. The BRV continues to target critical media
outlets and opposition figures, and Globovision and Rosales
appear to be the BRV's favorites. International
organizations are taking notice (ref e).

BROWNFIELD