May 28th, 2007: TVES inauguration

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Caracas, Venezuela. Today, TVES a new public service television started in Venezuela. It is on the very same air frequency allocated to RCTV in the past. Its inauguration caused enormous expectations and criticism among Venezuelans. The opposition to express their anger at the cancellation of RCTV broadcasting licence used banging pots and sirens. It is expected RCTV will start airing its TV programmes again by cable as of June 1st, 2007. It can now be consulted by Internet.

 

Even though opposition members deemed TVES as a failure, it has just started to air its programmes. Therefore, it is too early to pass a judgment. Government officials promise it to be a new kind of TV for Venezuela. However, existing TV stations under government supervision have not been able to provide a political balanced view, appealing variety shows or popular soap operas yet.

 

During the inauguration ceremony of TVES, President Chavez deemed the new TV channel as "socialist television".<?xml:namespace prefix = o /> The government states TVES will support efforts to democratize TV in Venezuela and promote freedom of expression. Members of TVES governing board were appointed last week. However, for The New York Times, TVES inauguration signals the emergence of a new media elite. Considering recent polls state that about 70 to 80 per cent of Venezuelans oppose restrictions on TV. Criticism started to emerge on the way the Venezuelan opposition championed the RCTV issue. Some see it as another of its political failures. They claim it was unable to entail Venezuelans into their political action course. Thus, there is serious concern over their abilities to oppose Chavez or represent large Venezuelan’s interests.

In Caracas, few opposition members staged protests during the early morning. The Police only intervened to prevent obstruction to free transit. There were no clashes. Later, students from universities in Caracas (UCAB, Santa Maria, UNIMET, USB and UCV) and Anzoategui, Barquisimeto, Carabobo and Maracay started protests for RCTV cancellation. Police guard Caracas to keep order and free traffic flow.  EU and Journalists without frontiers have expressed their condemnation at the cancellation too.

 

Early evening, police used tear gas to dissolve a students´ protest at Plaza Bríon in Chacaito - central <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Caracas. After few minutes, the students gather again to express their solidarity with RCTV and anger at its cancellation.  Right wing Major of Chacao, Leopoldo Lopez made a political appearance at the students´protest. This confirms a presumption made by the Ministry of Higher Education, Luis Acuña regarding the political origin and motivation of recent students´protests. Home Minister, Pedro Carreño warned opposition not to use students protests to promote violence around the country. Some UCV students have also rejected the meddling of right wing sectors in the protests. They claim university officials promoted non-peaceful protests today. Pro government students will hold a demonstration tomorrow to express their condemnation on their classmates´ participation in the opposition protests.

 

Recent information states there have been some students injured in clashes with police during demonstrations in various states in the morning. The government acknowledged just four students injured at Universidad de Carabobo. High school students also protested in San Antonio, near Caracas.  Before dusk, police used tear gas in a second attempt to dissolve manifestation at Chacaito, Caracas. Then, Opposition journalists and RCTV artists joined the students protest. In a third attempt, police used tear gas  to dissolve this student’s protests at dusk.

 

Later, a new protest led by artists and journalists emerged in front of opposition leaning TV Globovision.. Unconfirmed sources stated there were clashes at Santa Fe and police injured one person.  In southeast Caracas, protests continued during the night by banging pots and wailing sirens. 

 

The government detained 15 people on Sunday, it has emerged recently; they will be charged shortly for promoting violence. Eleven police were injured yesterday during clashes with protestors in Caracas.

 

 

Sources:

Globovisión

Telesur

VTV

Unioradio

Liberation fr

The New York Times

RNV

Al Jazeera

Le Monde

Tal Cual

RFI

BBC

CNN

El Nacioanal

RNV

El Mundo

VOA

globalresearch

El Pais

RCTV

The Independent