RCTV CLOSURE, BRV FUELS GROWING INTERNATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 CARACAS 001054 SIPDIS SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2017 TAGS: PHUM PGOV KDEM SCUL VE SUBJECT: RCTV CLOSURE, BRV FUELS GROWING INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM REF: A. CARACAS 00823 ¶B. CARACAS 00907 ¶C. CARACAS 00978 CARACAS 00001054 001.2 OF 004 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT DOWNES FOR REASON 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: After 53 years on the air, Radio Caracas Television (RCTV),Venezuela's oldest network, ceased broadcasting at midnight May 28 and was replaced with state-run, "public service" station TVes. Despite the shutdown, RCTV's problems with the BRV continue unabated. RCTV management accuses the BRV of harassing prospective cable television providers, while a Supreme Court (TSJ) ruling May 25 authorizes the BRV telecommunications regulatory agency (CONATEL) to transfer RCTV,s technical equipment to a network of its choice. In the wake of the shutdown, BRV officials accused U.S. network CNN and national all-news cable channel Globovision of mounting a campaign of disinformation against the government. The BRV is paying high domestic and international costs for its decision. The European Union, regional leaders including Peruvian President Alan Garcia and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, and several international media watchdogs have heavily criticized the shutdown and expressed concerns about the BRV's commitment to freedom of expression. Giving the lie to the BRV's flawed but carefully constructed legal argument for failing to renew RCTV's license, on the day prior to the closure, Chavez publicly emphasized this was his decision. Venezuela is less a nation of laws and institutions and more under Chavez' autocratic thumb everyday. End Summary. -------------- Off the air. . . -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Many television viewers tuned into Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) May 27-28 to watch the BRV-imposed shutdown of Venezuela's oldest and most popular television station and to the witness the airing of the government's new "public service" station TVes. From six o'clock in the evening until midnight, RCTV bid an emotional farewell to its audience and broadcast a live program, featuring its most popular television reporters and images of RCTV management, soap opera actors, journalists, and staff gathered in network's main studio. The assembled RCTV staff wore shirts bearing the phrase, "No! To the Closure," while reporters ended their segments with a tearful "farewell for now." ¶3. (C) RCTV president Marcel Granier characterized the BRV's decision as "arbitrary and illegal" in a press conference hours before the shutdown. He accused the BRV of harassing prospective cable television providers into not signing agreements with RCTV, despite statements by government officials that RCTV would have the option of broadcasting via cable television. Granier assured RCTV supporters and workers that the network's management would continue to explore its options and return to the airwaves in the near future. Additionally, Granier accused the BRV of discriminating against RCTV for maintaining an editorial line critical of the government, while renewing Venevision's broadcasting license, a fact confirmed to us by Venevision's Vice President Eduardo Salinas. (Note: Venevision is a private broadcaster which has engaged in considerable self-censorship). ¶4. (SBU) A few minutes before midnight, the initial phase of the turnover began. Television cameras cut from live coverage of the station's studios to taped footage of RCTV employees singing the national anthem. Following the anthem, the screen went blank for less than a minute when TVes' logo appeared. Approximately twenty minutes after RCTV went off the air, TVes broadcast live from the Teresa Carreno National Theatre. After another rendition of the national anthem, Lil Rodriguez, newly appointed president of TVes addressed the crowd, ushering in a "new era" in Venezuela television. -------------- RCTV Equipment Up For Grabs -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Minister of Popular Power for Telecommunications Jesse Chacon called on the Supreme Court,s (TSJ's) Political and Administrative Chamber May 28 to deem RCTV's technical equipment "necessary for public use," in the event that the CARACAS 00001054 002.2 OF 004 TSJ rules in the government's favor on RCTV's pending court SIPDIS case. Chacon argued that RCTV's equipment had "no other use" than to broadcast nationwide and suggested the hardware could be used by TVes. Chacon added that the state would compensate RCTV by offering to pay what the equipment was worth in 1994. Separately, the TSJ,s Constitutional Chamber ruled May 25 that CONATEL has the right to use RCTV,s technical equipment and antennas necessary for over-the-air broadcasting. According to the court, CONATEL can temporarily transfer the rights of the equipment to the television network of its choice. The TSJ's ruling came only 24 hours after the BRV petitioned to gain the rights to RCTV's broadcasting equipment. On May 26, the National Guard took physical control of RCTV's transmission towers, but did not interrupt transmission. -------------- BRV Attacks TV Networks -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Minister of Popular Power for Communications William Lara called a May 28 press conference to accuse international new network CNN and local cable network Globovision of mounting an international campaign of misinformation against the BRV and its anti-RCTV stance. Lara alleged CNN tried to associate Chavez with a suspected al Qaida terrorist by showing the two in split-screen footage some months ago. Lara also accused CNN en Espanol of "distorting the Venezuelan reality," when the news networked aired images of marchers commemorating World Press Freedom Day in Acapulco, Mexico, but allegedly presented them as RCTV solidarity marches in Caracas. Lara has asked the Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate both CNN and Globovision. CNN has since issued a statement denying that it intended to associate Chavez with al Qaida and regretted any confusion. Lara then attacked Globovision's interview with Marcel Granier and accused it of being laced with subliminal messages. He in particular referred to a segment which ran a salsa hit, "This is not over yet," with video of the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, calling it an incitement to assassinate President Chavez. Globovision has dismissed the charges as unfounded. -------------- EU Criticizes Closure... -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The local media is giving prominent coverage to the German EU Presidency's short May 28 public statement expressing concern over the BRV's decision to proceed with RCTV's shutdown "without holding an open competition for the successor license." The EU asked the BRV to "recall the promises" it made to hold a competitive bidding process. Additionally, the statement noted the EU "expects" Venezuela will uphold freedom of expression and support media pluralism. ¶8. (SBU) The EU's statement comes on the heels of a May 24 resolution by the European Parliament urging the BRV to provide "equal treatment under the law for all media "irrespective of all political and ideological considerations." The resolution was introduced by members of the European Popular Party (EPP). Following RCTV owner Marcel Granier and opposition Primero Justicia leader Julio Borges' April 24 meeting in Strasbourg (ref b, c),a group of EPP parliamentarians met with opposition political parties and civil society groups in Venezuela May 16-18 to discuss RCTV's case. President of the National Assembly (NA) Cilia Flores was the only BRV official who agreed to meet the legislators, but canceled the meeting at the last minute. Venezuela's Ambassador to the EU, Alejandro Fleming, harshly criticized the delegation upon learning they planned to draft a resolution in support of RCTV. Fleming referred to the delegation May 18 as "non-official and non-popular," an accusation later echoed by Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro. EU First Secretary Denis Denilidis told Poloff May 24 that the parliamentarians were traveling in their official capacity. ¶9. (SBU) During his May 24 televised statement, Chavez also ridiculed the EU Parliament's resolution and highlighted the low level of participation by parliamentarians. Referring to Granier's lobbying efforts, Chavez said the "Venezuelan oligarchy had wasted their money when they went to Europe to give conferences" on RCTV. Chavez then led a crowd of Chavistas receiving government handouts in a round of "boos" CARACAS 00001054 003.2 OF 004 and whistles against the Senate resolution on RCTV. The state-run news agency and pro-government blogs also focused on the low number of votes the EPP's resolution received. -------------- -------------- ... As Do Other International bodies and organizations -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) In addition to the EU, several international bodies and media watchdog organizations have also recently criticized the BRV's decision to let RCTV's broadcasting license expire. -- During a May 29 press conference in Helsinki, Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet responded to questions about RCTV. Halonen told reporters that the international community is growing increasing worried about Venezuela, while Bachelet said that "freedom of expression is the golden rule" in Chile and hoped regional neighbors would follow Chile's example. -- The President of the European Commission (EC) Jose Manuel Durao Barroso lamented May 29 RCTV's closure and referred to the decision as a "step backwards." -- Gonzalo Marroquin, Director of the Inter-American Press Society's (SIP's) Commission on Freedom of the Press, said May 29 that he fears RCTV's closure will produce a "domino effect" in the rest of the Andean region. He referred to the BRV's decision as "another step towards authoritarianism." -- Reporters Without Borders harshly condemned RCTV's closure in a May 28 press release, calling it "a serious setback to democracy and pluralism." The international organization accused the BRV of singling out RCTV for its critical editorial line, while at the same time renewing the broadcasting license of those television stations espousing a less critical view of the government. The press statement also highlighted the BRV's efforts to curtail freedom of expression through the Law of Media Social Responsibility and violence against journalists. -- Peruvian President Alan Garcia said May 28 that he was "personally affected" by the BRV,s decision to revoke RCTV,s license. However, Garcia noted it would be counterintuitive to ask the OAS to sanction Venezuela over RCTV, as Chavez has threatened to pull-out of the multi-lateral organization if it takes a position on RCTV. -- President of the Inter-American Press Society (SIP) Rafael Molina expressed concern May 27 that "freedom of expression would perish completely" in Venezuela. He referred to RCTV's closure as "an abuse of power" and reminded the BRV that a state's right to distribute broadcasting licenses should not be used to punish media outlets whose editorial line differs from that of the government. (Note: A CONATEL official subsequently called for an investigation of Globovision for televising this news conference, arguing that it constituted a call to violence, illegal under Venezuelan law). -- Local media gave prominent attention to the text of the Senate's May 24 resolution in support of RCTV, and noted that the measure enjoyed bipartisan support and was endorsed by numerous presidential candidates from the two major U.S. parties. -- Forum for Life, a prominent coalition of local human rights defenders, issued a press release May 23 condemning RCTV's closure. The organization argued that the non-renewal is politically motivated, that RCTV does not have any pending legal cases against it, and that freedom of expression must be respected. -- Human Rights Watch criticized May 22 the BRV's decision to shut down RCTV. Director of Human Rights Watch America's bureau Jose Miguel Vivanco said Chavez is "misusing" the state's regulatory authority to "punish a media outlet for its criticism of the government." The international NGO also expressed concern over the BRV's publication of a 360-page "White Book on RCTV" which accuses the station of "inciting rebellion" during the events of April 2002. ¶11. (SBU) The above organizations join the criticism already expressed by international legislative bodies and media watch dogs, including, (ref a): CARACAS 00001054 004.2 OF 004 -- The Chilean Senate -- The OAS -- The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights -- The Inter-American Press Society -- The Committee to Protect Journalists -- The International Press Institute -- The International Federation of Journalists. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶12. (C) The non-coverage of RCTV's closure by the other two "private" television stations, Televen and Venevision, reveal the powerful climate of self-censorship in much of the remaining private media. Despite the BRV's recent efforts to frame RCTV's May 28 closure as a purely technical and national issue, important international bodies and organizations have publicly criticized the BRV's decision and raised concerns about the implications the closure will have on freedom of expression in Venezuela. President Chavez has also made public statements directly undermining the BRV's legalistic arguments, calling RCTV "counter-revolutionary." Giving the lie to the BRV's flawed but carefully constructed legal argument for failing to renew RCTV's license, on the day prior to the closure, Chavez publicly emphasized this was his decision. Venezuela is less a nation of laws and institutions and more under Chavez' autocratic thumb everyday. The BRV attacks on independent media outlets such as CNN and Globovision highlight the government's unrelenting campaign against the independent press corps. Separately, Chacon's suggestion that the TSJ rule on RCTV's equipment is an other example of the lack of judicial independence that exists in Venezuela. The resounding international criticism for the government has not stopped the BRV, but it is making Chavez pay significant international and domestic costs in moving ahead. BROWNFIELD