PRESS FREEDOM UPDATE -- DECEMBER 17

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 002355

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2027
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL VE
SUBJECT: PRESS FREEDOM UPDATE -- DECEMBER 17


Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT R. DOWNES
FOR REASON 1.4 (D)


1. (C) Summary. In the period leading up to and immediately
following President Chavez' failed efforts to reform the 1999
constitution, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV)
continued to systematically harass and threaten independent
media outlets and restrict freedom of expression. The
opposition-oriented regional newspaper "El Correo del Caroni"
claimed it had to cease printing on December 12 because the
Commission for the Allocation of Foreign Exchange (Cadivi)
failed to release dollars to import newsprint. The
operations of other leading regional dailies are also
endangered for similar reasons. Cadivi's lack of payment is
likely due to its growing inability to meet the high demand
for dollars. State security officials beat several
journalists as they attempted to cover anti-reform
student-led demonstrations during the campaign period. Three
radio stations in Bolivar state were closed after the
station's workers criticized the Venezuelan president's
reform package. In a November 20 report, the Inter-American
Press Society (SIP) expressed concern over the
"deteriorating" state of freedom of expression in Venezuela.
We expect the BRV to implement new measures to increase its
control over the free press, mostly in retaliation for their
campaign against Chavez' failed constitutional referendum.
End Summary.

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"El Correo" Temporarily Ceases Printing
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2. (C) Opposition-oriented newspaper "El Correo del Caroni"
of Bolivar state ceased printing on December 12 for four days
claiming the Commission for the Allocation of Foreign
Exchange (Cadivi) failed to authorize the release of dollars
to buy the newsprint it imports from the Chilean company
Dipalca. David Natera, "El Correo's" editor and president of
the Venezuelan Press Association, referred to the measure as
another attempt by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV)
to silence the few remaining independent media outlets.
Natera told Press Specialist on December 11 that he has been
waiting for several months for Cadivi to disburse the funds.


3. (SBU) After "El Correo" announced that it would cease
printing, the Finance Minister Rodrigo Cabezas and
Communications Minister William Lara released a statement
dismissing Natera's accusations that the disbursement delay
was politically motivated. According to the statement, the
president of Cadivi, Manuel Barroso, and Dagoberto Romer,
president of Dipalca, met December 12 to discuss the
allocation of funds. On December 13, "El Correo's" on-line
edition reported that Dipalca informed the newspaper that it
was to receive Cadivi funds and would be able to import more
paper in the coming days. "El Correo" resumed its normal
operations on December 16.


4. (C) In late November, the Venezuelan Press Association
released a statement criticizing the BRV for its "extreme"
tardiness in releasing dollars meant for the importation of
printing materials. Natera said that Cadivi delays have also
affected other regional dailies which rely on Dipalca's
services, including "El Impulso" and "El Carabobeno." Other
popular dailies like "La Verdad" and "El Regional de Zulia"
report that they have less than a thirty-day supply of paper
and are unsure when Cadivi will release their funds. Media
watchdogs the Inter-American Press Association (SIP) and
Reporters Without Borders issued press statements expressing
concern over "El Correo's" predicament and that of other
affected dailies. Both organizations urged the BRV to
refrain from using monetary control measures to penalize
media outlets critical of the government. Cadivi claims it
has authorized the release of more than USD 82 million for
paper since January, representing an increase of 8 percent
over last year's figures. These figures, however, fail to
note how many dollars were requested and to which media the
funds were allocated.

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PM Officers Severely Beat Journalists
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5. (SBU) Municipal Police (PM) officers severely beat several
journalists on December 6 as they attempted to cover an
altercation between motorcyclists and PM officials on a busy
Caracas highway. Gangs of motorcyclists set fire to a police
tow truck, reportedly to protest a patrol vehicle's collision
with one of their own members. The officers initially
attacked journalist Larry Arvelo of opposition-oriented cable
network Globovision after he refused to stop filming the
incident. Arvelo, who arrived on a motorcycle, told the
local media that police officers beat him even after he
showed them his press credentials. PM officials argued that
Arvelo arrived on an unmarked motorcycle and did not produce
proper identification. Arvelo alleges he was subsequently
placed in a police vehicle and beaten further. He was
temporarily detained and then released at the entrance of a
Caracas Metro station. Arvelo admitted himself to a hospital
following the incident.


6. (SBU) PM officers also attacked four other journalists,
two from Televen and two from Globovision, for attempting to
cover the same incident. Globovision's lawyer's have since
called on the BRV to investigate the matter and to suspend
the PM officers in question while the investigation is
ongoing. They also urged the BRV to comply with an
Inter-American Human Rights Commission measure of protection
in favor of the network's employees.

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Restrictions on Text Messaging
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7. (C) The Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (CONATEL)
announced December 10 a proposal to hold cell phone companies
responsible for the content of messages transmitted through
their networks. If passed, cell phone networks would be
required to alter customer contracts to include language that
prohibits text messages that "incite crime or violence."
While CONATEL did not elaborate on what prompted the
proposal, it is likely that the measure is meant to crack
down on those sectors that used text messaging, and other
innovative methods of communication, to disseminate
anti-constitutional reform messages during the referendum
campaign.

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Press Union Denounces Aggressions
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8. (SBU) The National Press Worker's Union (SNTP) released a
report November 11 documenting physical attacks against
journalists at the hands of state security forces and
pro-government sympathizers during the referendum campaign.
The majority of the documented incidents occurred when
journalists attempted to cover opposition-oriented
student-led protests. Some of the cases mentioned in the
report include:

-- A journalist affiliated with Radio Caracas Television
International and another from the daily newspaper "Cambio de
Siglo" were attacked by state security officials on November
9 when they tried to cover a student demonstration in the
university town of Merida.

-- On November 8, two journalists from the newspaper "Los
Llanos" were assaulted by members of a Special Operations
Unit of the Barinas police when they attempted to cover
student-led demonstrations in that state.

-- Three journalists suffered injuries at the Central
University of Venezuela's campus on November 7 during
disturbances between pro-government groups and
opposition-oriented students. Two graphic artists affiliated
with the daily newspaper "2001" were injured as was a
journalist from the regional daily "El Carabobeno."

-- On November 7, a reporter from "El Informador" was
physically assaulted by unknown persons when he attempted to
cover an anti-reform student demonstration in Barquisimeto,
Lara state. He was stripped of his personal belongings and
his technical equipment and threatened at gun point.

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Radio Stations Closed
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9. (SBU) Government officials in Bolivar state closed three
radio stations between late October and early November. The
national media reported that government officials entered
Radio FLASH 93.1's offices and harassed workers on November 1
for criticizing President Chavez' constitutional reform
project. The officials later cut off the station's power
connection. According to press reports, Bolivar state
officials took similar actions against SOL 110.3 and
Horizonte 97.7 days earlier.

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SIP
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10. (SBU) The Inter-American Press Association (SIP) released
a critical report on the state of freedom of expression in
Venezuela on November 20 following its most recent in-country
visit. Specifically, the SIP express concern over a proposed
constitutional amendment that would suppress the right to
information during declared states of emergency. The
organization also noted that the "accelerated deterioration"
of the freedom of expression in Venezuela was a cause for
concern. Gonzalo Marroquin, president of the SIP's
commission on Freedom of Expression, announced that the
organization still plans to hold a conference in March in
Venezuela. Initial attempts by SIP to reserve venues for the
event proved difficult after several hotels claimed to be
booked.

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Comment
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11. (C) While it is plausible that Cadivi's failure to
release dollars to import printing paper is connected to "El
Correo's" anti-government editorial stance, it is also likely
that the lack of payment is a sign of Cadivi's growing
inefficiency and its inability to meet the high demand for
dollars, particularly during the holiday season. Individuals
and businesses looking to access Cadivi dollars have publicly
complained about the severe backlog cause when Cadivi's
internet server crashed several weeks ago. Surprisingly,
pressure from "El Correo" and other international media
observer organizations prompted BRV dependencies to release
the dollars. Separately, we expect the BRV to implement new
measures to increase its control over the free press in the
coming year following the defeat of President Chavez' effort
to change the constitution. The BRV continues to decry the
remaining free and independent press as a major obstacle to
the implementation of Chavez' ill-defined "21st Century
Socialism" project.

DUDDY