Chávez: US defeated at OAS over RCTV

by rahul | June 6, 2007 at 07:05 pm

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US DEFEAT AT OAS: Today, 6 June 2007, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez commented on recent conclusion of XXXVII OAS General Assembly. In a news conference, Chávez said that OAS declined to adopt a <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />US petition to travel to Venezuela and investigate media freedom - RCTV cancellation. Chávez deemed it as a “moral and political defeat of the empire”. Chávez warned that U.S.-backed interests, including the Boston-based Albert Einstein Institution, were trying to stage a "soft coup" strategy against Venezuela. Chávez also answered remarks made yesterday by US President. George W. Bush alleged that because of its populist leaders, Venezuela was dismantling democracy. In a response, Chavez said Venezuela was indeed dismantling US backed bourgeoisie hegemony. Nevertheless, according to an article printed in The Guardian, Chávez was instead forced to deny dictatorship accusations.

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ANOTHER OPPOSITION STUDENT DEMONSTRATION IN CARACAS: This morning and for the 10th consecutive day, students and some of their teachers marched from Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV) to the Attorney General's office in Caracas. Due to some tear gas confrontations among students at UCV, the demonstration left few hours behind. However, they made to their final destination peacefully. They asked Attorney General for freedom of expression, respect for democracy and the autonomous status of the universities. They also asked for the RCTV's licence to be renewed. In a quick response, President Chavez commented on the student protest. He said his political rivals and Washington have manipulated the protesters who are mainly university students. On June 7th 2007, opposition and pro government students might meet at Parliament to debate over their views on freedom of expression, political participation and RCTV.

RCTV HAS GONE ALTERNATIVE: As a strategy to overcome recent cancellation, RCTV continues to produce few of its news and TV shows. It has used Internet and fellow TV station in Colombia to broadcast them. Today, actors of 48-year-old comic show Radio Rochela and soap operas went to public squares to meet their fans. Next time, RCTV will screen its popular shows at public squares in Caracas. This clearly shows that RCTV is trying to make it known it have not stopped working. However, Globovison and Venevision struggle to catch the audience RCTV kept in the past.

ALBA BANK: Today, a first meeting of ministers of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) was held. President Chávez dearly asked for an ALBA Bank be created soon. Thus, representatives of Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela commited their countries for its creation in about two months.

PS: OAS Secretary General José Insulza said there was no way to impose a direct intervention on Venezuela because of the RCTV cancellation. During G-8 summit, Brazilian President Lula Da Silva, said granting a broadcasting licence was democratic decision as well as cancelling it. He then backed President Chavez decision on RCTV cancellation. President Lula concluded Venezuela US Bilateral Relations might only improve after a new president takes office in Washington. Opposition groups in Peru and Chile have been pressuring their governments to take RCTV case to OAS. So far, they have been met with deaf ears.

Sources: Globovision ABN Telesur RCTV VIVE Unionradio BBC OAS Aljazeera The Guardian AEI VTV El Universal RNV El País PR Inside