PRESS FREEDOM UPDATE - APRIL 2009

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000546

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TAGS: PHUM GOV PREL VE
SUBJECT: PRESS FREEDOM UPDATE - APRIL 2009

REF: A. CARACAS 539

B. CARACAS 378

C. CARACAS 099

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Classified By: A/POLITICAL COUNSELOR DANIEL LAWTON,
REASON 1.4 (D)


1. (C) Summary: The Government of the Bolivaran Republic
of Venezuela (GBRV) continued to put pressure on the
independent media during April. President Chavez used the
occasion of the anniversary of the April 2002 failed military
coup to lambaste both the United States and
opposition-oriented media, renewing his now routine threats
to sanction networks that do not support him. Government
supporters are focusing their complaints on independent cable
news broadcaster Globovision. The Caracas chapter of the
National Journalist Association is redoubling its efforts to
defend press freedom. As Chavez radicalizes his Bolivarian
revolution, the GBRV is likely to continue to threaten and
sanction selected journalists and media outlets. Local
pundits are split as to whether the GBRV will move to close
Globovision. End Summary.

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CHAVEZ URGES SANCTIONS FOR TV NETWORKS
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2. (SBU) The GBRV marked the seventh anniversary of the
failed 2002 military coup against Chavez April 11 by taking
the opportunity to publicly blame the United States and
opposition media for planning the coup. In his April 12
newspaper column, Chavez compared his return to power to the
resurrection of Christ and wrote that the intellectual
authors of the coup "who worked in harmony with officials of
the U.S. Embassy" had not been brought to justice. The
column also blamed opposition media for being an active part
of the coup. A documentary about the day, broadcast on
pro-government channels, claims that a phone call from then
US Ambassador Shapiro to then Police Commissioner Lazaro
Forero proves U.S. involvement in the coup. The documentary
also accused the privately owned TV network Venevision of
being part of the coup.


3. (SBU) On April 13, President Chavez publicly urged
authorities to impose sanctions on Venezuelan television
networks for allegedly backing the failed 2002 coup against
him. Chavez has long accused Venevision, Globovision, RCTV
and Televen of supporting the short-lived coup attempt by
broadcasting cartoons and movies instead of the pro-Chavez
street protests that aided his return to power. During a
speech to his supporters in Caracas, Chavez said, "Nobody has
touched them. Sanctions must be imposed."


4. (SBU) In reaction, Globovision legal consultant Ana
Cristina Nunez told the local media, "The President is
completely criminalizing the free exercise of freedom of
expression." President of the National Journalist
Association (CNP) William Echeverria replied to Chavez's
threats during an April 15 radio program by saying, "It is
evident that we are in an escalation, the Head of State
(Chavez) is cornering us... The Government has mechanisms of
indirect censorship and freedom of expression is strongly
being threatened."

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GLOBOVISION IN THE HOT SEAT
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5. (SBU) During a March 31 hearing of the Permanent
Committee on Science, Technology and Social Media in the
National Assembly, pro-Chavez deputy Ricardo Capella proposed
that an advisory referendum be held (in the undefined future)
to determine the destiny of opposition oriented Globovision
television. Criticizng the work of one Globovision
journalist Beatriz Adrian, Capella said, "The conduct of this
journalist is part of a destabilization plan directed by
Globovision." On the same day the president of the
committee, Manuel Villala, accused Globovision of "attacking
the administration of Hugo Chavez." The GBRV has not yet
announced any referendum on Globovision's future, however.


6. (SBU) The violent pro-Chavez group, "La Piedrita,"
published on its web-site a threat against Globovision by
officially referring to the station and its sponsors as
"military objectives" who have "betrayed the nation and are
selling their soul to the devil and negotiating with
Globovision." Among those specifically threatened by the

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April 22 posting was Leopoldo Castillo, anchor and host of
the opposition-oriented Globovision interview program "Alo,
Ciudadano" ("Hello Citizen").

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GBRV CLAMPS DOWN ON "ONE OF THEIR OWN"
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7. (C) Pro-government businessman Ramirez Saavedra, (owner
of Radio Color 99.5 FM and Color TV),was arrested April 7 on
corruption charges. Ramirez Saavedra is the founder and
former National Vice-President of Telecommunications of the
Socialist Confederation of Businessmen. The GBRV accuses him
of misappropriating medical equipment allegedly belonging to
Aragua State. The arrest of Saavedra, the former President
of the Radio Chamber of Aragua, probably has more to do with
his differences with new Aragua Governor Mario Isea and his
rumored ties to former Aragua Governor Didalco Bolivar.
Bolivar is a leader in the Podemos party, which fell out with
Chavez in 2007.

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CNP CALLS EMERGENCY SESSION
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8. (SBU) The Caracas section of the National Journalist
Association (CNP) held an emergency session April 23 to
discuss the multitude of threats against democracy and
freedom of expression in Venezuela. President of the CNP
William Echeverria told the media, "Journalist aren't
politicians, we don't belong to any party, and we are
citizens with rights and duties. It is our duty to defend
the values and principles of the democratic system, the
freedom of expression, and the right to information before
the attack of the Government to drain the spaces of
dissidence." During the session, the assembly agreed to form
a common front to address threats, participate in
opposition-led demonstrations on May 1, and create an
alliance between CNP and the pro-democracy student movement.


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TEODORO PETKOFF UNDER FIRE
--------------


9. (C) The National Assembly (AN) opened a case April 27 to
investigate Teodoro Petkoff, editor of the opposition daily
Tal Cual (Ref A). PSUV AN Deputy Iris Varela accused Petkoff
of committing fraud and document forgery by using his
deceased mother's name to conduct commercial and real estate
transactions. In addition the AN opened a second
investigation against Petkoff on April 29 accusing him of
violating national security by allegedly exchanging e-mails
with the Colombian Defense Minister on the status of
bilateral negotiations over the demarcation of territorial
waters in the Venezuelan Gulf. Minister of Communication
Blanca Eckhout announced the same day that Venezuela's Media
should simply be "an instrument to gain understanding and
deepen democracy" rather than "impeding true communication
with the people." She suggested that Venezuela has suffered
"excessive and irresponsible media power" and that the media
should be "regulated by the people." (Ref A).

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Comment
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10. (C) President Chavez has been radicalizing his
Bolivarian revolution since his February 15 referendum
victory ending term limits, and the GBRV is likely to
continue to to threaten and sanction selected journalists and
media outlets. Local pundits are split on whether the GBRV
will move to close Globovision in the near term. The GBRV
has the authority to do so and appears to be building its
"legal" case against the station. However, the GBRV paid a
political price domestically and internationally after it
closed RCTV in 2007. Moreover, Globovision does not have
anything close to the reach, audience, or influence that RCTV
had, so the GBRV may find it more politically convenient to
complain about -- but not to shutter -- the opposition cable
news broadcaster. Another GBRV option would be to not renew
Globovision's broadcasting license after it expires sometime
around 2012.

CAULFIELD