Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SANTIAGO939
2007-06-11 21:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Santiago
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION: CRITICAL OP-EDS ON OAS REACTION TO RCTV
how-toVZCZCXYZ0023 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHSG #0939 1622151 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 112151Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1628 INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 1752 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 3679 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0349 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1419 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 5119 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 1719 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000939
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR R, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, IIP/G/WHA, INR/R/MR, INR/IAA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OPRC KIPR PGOV CI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CRITICAL OP-EDS ON OAS REACTION TO RCTV
SHUTDOWN
UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000939
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR R, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, IIP/G/WHA, INR/R/MR, INR/IAA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OPRC KIPR PGOV CI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CRITICAL OP-EDS ON OAS REACTION TO RCTV
SHUTDOWN
1. Newspaper-of-record "El Mercurio" (circ. 129,000, 6/8) carried a
column by Andres Oppenheimer entitled, "The Sad Spectacle of
Cowardice Among Democracies." Quote:
2. "The silence of the majority of Latin American countries in the
OAS on the closing of Venezuela's oldest television station is a
serious setback for freedom of the press and democracy in the
region.
3. "In one of the most shameless signs of disdain for freedom of
the press I have seen in a long time, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and
Ecuador not only abstained from criticizing Venezuela's decision not
to renew RCTV's concession, but openly applauded it.... And what is
even harder to understand is that Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina --
the region's three largest countries and with recent authoritarian
governments or military dictatorships -- did not mention the RCTV
case in their remarks.... Diplomats from several countries said
they could not explicitly refer to Venezuela who as a sovereign
country has the right not to renew television concessions... that
the RCTV case has been submitted for review by the OAS Human Rights
Committee... and that Secretary Rice's request for an OAS mission to
Venezuela... must be submitted in writing to be discussed.... These
are all lame excuses....
4. Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina... should at least have expressed
their concern over censorship in Venezuela citing the OAS Democratic
Charter.... This is the first time since the right-wing military
dictatorship of the 70s that I see a group of Latin American
countries... openly applauding press censorship without awakening an
enraged protest from democracies in the region.... Judging from the
sad spectacle in Panama, now Ecuador, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, who
have already begun threatening the independent media... will now
feel more encouraged than ever to crush the independent press."
5. Conservative, afternoon daily "La Segunda" (circ. 33,000, 6/8)
carried a column by columnist Jorge Edwards entitled, "A Story that
Can Not Repeat Itself." Quote:
6. "It seems fairly clear to me that Hugo Chavez dreams of
repeating Fidel Castro's story.... But Hugo Chavez'... onset is far
from having the height... of the vision of that revolution that
aspired to be different from all previous revolutions.... Chavez'
story, from wherever you look, is more mediocre and less inspiring.
And Latin America's response, with the exception of a few, is
frankly deplorable in the poorness of its principles."
KELLY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR R, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, IIP/G/WHA, INR/R/MR, INR/IAA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OPRC KIPR PGOV CI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CRITICAL OP-EDS ON OAS REACTION TO RCTV
SHUTDOWN
1. Newspaper-of-record "El Mercurio" (circ. 129,000, 6/8) carried a
column by Andres Oppenheimer entitled, "The Sad Spectacle of
Cowardice Among Democracies." Quote:
2. "The silence of the majority of Latin American countries in the
OAS on the closing of Venezuela's oldest television station is a
serious setback for freedom of the press and democracy in the
region.
3. "In one of the most shameless signs of disdain for freedom of
the press I have seen in a long time, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and
Ecuador not only abstained from criticizing Venezuela's decision not
to renew RCTV's concession, but openly applauded it.... And what is
even harder to understand is that Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina --
the region's three largest countries and with recent authoritarian
governments or military dictatorships -- did not mention the RCTV
case in their remarks.... Diplomats from several countries said
they could not explicitly refer to Venezuela who as a sovereign
country has the right not to renew television concessions... that
the RCTV case has been submitted for review by the OAS Human Rights
Committee... and that Secretary Rice's request for an OAS mission to
Venezuela... must be submitted in writing to be discussed.... These
are all lame excuses....
4. Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina... should at least have expressed
their concern over censorship in Venezuela citing the OAS Democratic
Charter.... This is the first time since the right-wing military
dictatorship of the 70s that I see a group of Latin American
countries... openly applauding press censorship without awakening an
enraged protest from democracies in the region.... Judging from the
sad spectacle in Panama, now Ecuador, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, who
have already begun threatening the independent media... will now
feel more encouraged than ever to crush the independent press."
5. Conservative, afternoon daily "La Segunda" (circ. 33,000, 6/8)
carried a column by columnist Jorge Edwards entitled, "A Story that
Can Not Repeat Itself." Quote:
6. "It seems fairly clear to me that Hugo Chavez dreams of
repeating Fidel Castro's story.... But Hugo Chavez'... onset is far
from having the height... of the vision of that revolution that
aspired to be different from all previous revolutions.... Chavez'
story, from wherever you look, is more mediocre and less inspiring.
And Latin America's response, with the exception of a few, is
frankly deplorable in the poorness of its principles."
KELLY