Frankly I'm surprised it's taken so long.
Right-wing America has been gunning for Chavez for quite some time; hilariously even insisting on a rerun of the Presidential elections that brought
him to power - with a level of verifiability, observation and scrutiny that should have had the Bush administration blush.......which he, Chavez,
again won by a thumping margin.
All fair and above board.
But then democracy in South and Central America is only acceptable when it gives an answer the USA approves of, right?
No doubt the USA will continue to try to manipulate the events in Venezuela and no doubt such crass interference will be as counter-productive as
always, not that that will stop anyone, huh?
Anyhoo for a more balanced look at what is going on try this link out, here's a sample -
THE CAMPAIGN TO ISOLATE VENEZUELA
Within the last few months, we have seen the systematic publication of inconsistent and false information about Venezuela in several US media outlets.
The frequency of publication and the clear bias of the information signal a coordinated campaign to shape and strengthen negative perceptions of
Venezuela, President Hugo Chávez, and his administration.
Different media outlets use mutually reinforcing talking points to falsely present the idea that President Chavez’s government is a threat to its
neighbors and to the US.
The aim is to isolate the Venezuelan government through the repetition of false statements, stereotypes, and the exploitation of fear within American
public opinion.
The three most common negative storylines put forward in the US press are supported by arguments that have never been substantiated. Many of the most
frequent allegations have long been discredited by independent analysts.
Storyline Aa) President Chavez supports international terrorism.
Frequent arguments:a.1) Chávez supports guerrilla groups and other “terrorist organizations” in the region.
a.2) Chávez harbors Colombian guerrillas.
a.3) Venezuela is not tough enough on terrorism.
Storyline Bb) Chavez poses an imminent threat to democracy in the Western Hemisphere.
Frequent arguments:
b.1) Chávez has begun an arms race, which is a threat to its neighbors and the region.
b.2) The newly acquired weapons could end up in terrorists’ hands.
b.3) Chávez “intervenes” in other countries’ internal affairs and destabilizes democracy in Latin America.
Storyline Cc) The Chavez Administration is rapidly moving towards autocracy.
c.1) The Venezuelan government does not respect human rights and impris-ons political opponents.
c.2) Venezuela does not adhere to standards of democracy.
c.3) Being democratically elected is not enough to be considered a democrat-ic government.
c.4) Chávez has concentrated power across all institutions; he does not respect private property and he attacks freedom of expression through
legislation.
Period analyzed: January to February 2005 Media outlets analyzed:The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, The Washington Post, The Miami Herald,
Los Angeles Times, The South Florida Sun Sentinel, CNN, Fox News, Financial Times, Dow Jones Newswires
STRATEGIES USED TO SHAPEREADERS’ OPINIONS ON VENEZUELA
De-contextualization: This strategy consists of using declarations, quotes, orfacts without providing their original context. This is a common
mechanism when referring to President Chávez’s statements. For instance, many statements made by President Chavez on Venezuela’s land reform are
used by the media to imply that this initiative is being carried out arbitrarily, when in fact there are clearly defined rules for the reallocation of
land.
Anonymity: Comments or explanations are often presented by anonymous sources, usually purported to be high-ranking military, State Department, or US
administration officials. In this way, biased statements, arguments, and opinions can be transmitted to the general public.
Presentation of Opinions as Facts: Opinions and value judgments are intro-duced and presented as facts. For example, in a recent report by The Miami
Herald, the reporter presented as fact that “Washington has been trying for years to avoid a confrontation with Chávez…” However, this is an
opinion attributed to US Under-Secretary of Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega, not a fact (Chávez Arming to Fight Attack by US, The Miami
Herald, February 12, 2005.)
Falsification of Facts: Presenting false information or data in news stories, or modifying the sequence of events to distort the perception regarding
the facts, is another widely used tactic.
One example is the alleged acquisition of Russian MiG fighter jets by the Venezuelan government, a myth frequently perpetuated in articles, even
though such a purchase never took place.
Disproportionate Use of Sources:
Basing stories exclusively on sources that are opposed to the Venezuelan government is common practice, and illustrates the overtly biased nature of
news.
False Description of Sources: Sources that are vocally opposed to the government are often presented as “neutral” or “objective.” Ex-officials
who are currently active members of the opposition have been quoted as if they still held their governmental posts.
Political party activists are often described as belonging to “civil society,” while sources that openly support the government are referred to
usingterms such as “Chavista groups,” “Chávez-backed governor,” etc.
Drawing Negative Links:
Information about Venezuela has been arbitrarily linked to unrelated events, such as the situations in Iraq or Afghanistan. In some stories,
paragraphs related to Osama bin Laden or Colombian guerrillas immedi-ately follow paragraphs about Chávez. This establishes a non-existent
association.
Likewise, some web pages visually associate violent news with news about Venezuela by presenting them in the same space.
Spreading a Political Agenda through a Multiplier Effect: Negative story-lines are elaborated and quickly disseminated to the opposition media in
Venezuela. Examples include op-eds extremely critical of the government, published by American newspapers, which are instantly translated and
distributed in Venezuela by the opposition media.
Defamatory Depictions:
Using figures of speech that enhance or degrade a person or group according to their political position towards the Venezuelan government is common
practice. Individuals or groups that support the government are presented as violent, aggressive, and intolerant. On the other hand, the individuals
or groups that oppose the government are presented as pacifist, civic-minded victims of violence, or persecution.
Emphasizing the Negative: When there is news or a statement that negatively affects Venezuela, the media tends to amplify it.
However, when
something positive occurs, such as Venezuela’s cooperation with Colombia in drug interdiction initiatives, the media tends to ignore the
story.
Reiteration (the Goebbels effect):
The repetition of false statements over and over again until accepted as truth is a technique the media employs widely. This repetition of
misinformation aims to shape a certain opinion (“Venezuela headed toward a dictatorship,” “Chávez supports Colombian guerrillas,” etc.),
reflecting the bias of the news outlets.
Information Imbalance:
Versions of events or opinions that run counter to that of the government are widely disseminated in order to overshadow or obscure alternative
perspectives.
Statistical Manipulation:
The media may use non-official figures, or manipulate official data to back up their claims. Statistics are often cited without specifying their
source. During the recent flooding in Vargas state, for example, original reports of casualties and damage were exaggerated by opposition sources that
were never identified.
Sensationalism:
News is presented in a sensationalistic manner. For example, the decision to modernize the weapons used by the Venezuelan armed forcesis described as
an “arms race,” “arms for the Colombian guerrillas,” “exportingviolence,” or “preparation for war with the US.”
PRIMARY SOURCES OF MISINFORMATION
According to an investigation published by the American media watchdog organization FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), The Washington Post,
The New York Times, The Miami Herald, The Los Angeles Times, TheChicago Tribune and The Christian Science Monitor quote pro-opposition spokespeople
just over five times more often than spokespeople supporting the Venezuelan government.
The report studied the publication of non-institutional sources — related with neither government nor opposition — for 30 consecutive months (from
April 12, 2002 to October 12, 2004). The report mentions, for instance, that Michael Shifter, a vociferous critic of Venezuela’s President, is
quoted 44 times within this period of time as opposed to 35 pro-government quotes. In other words, one source alone (Mr. Shifter) totaled 20.1 percent
of all the quotes made in these newspapers about Venezuela during almost a two and a half year period, as opposed to a total of 16 percent from
pro-government sources during the same period. Interestingly, the number of anti-government sources cited totals thirteen compared to just six
pro-government sources.
THE US GOVERNMENT AND THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA:A HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE ON COLLUSION
In early 2005, it became public that the George W. Bush administration has been paying journalists to promote its policies through the media. Also, it
was revealed that the Pentagon has been maintaining several web pages that promote its policies in Eastern Europe and the Arab countries.
At the moment, the Inspector General of the Pentagon, Mr. Joseph Schmitz, has opened an investigation regarding this strategy of paying journalists to
write articles and opinion pieces to influence public opinion in favor of the American government.
In January 2005, Mr. Bush’s government was found to have paid “independent” journalist and commentator Armstrong Williams approximately $241,000
to promote an education bill in the media. During the campaign, Williams failed to reveal his contract with the government to the public.
In addition, the US Department of Education paid approximately $700,000 to a public relations firm to produce videos about the education bill pushed
by President Bush, as if these were independent news items rather than a propaganda campaign.
In the end of January 2005, the Washington Post also revealed that columnist Maggie Gallagher, known for her defense of Bush’s policies on marriage,
had received a contract of $21,500 to promote this policy.
(1)In each case, the contracts between the government and journalists were keptprivate, and journalists were portrayed as “independent.” The US
Congress has denounced this practice of “secret propaganda” as “ illegal, “dangerous,” and “unethical.”
(2)Two cases that show a clear link between State Department policy and media coverage are of greater relevance to the Venezuelan situation. In the
early eighties, the US State Department managed the Office for Public Diplomacy (OPD),a group headed by Otto Reich to promote US policies in Latin
America. Financed by the Reagan administration, OPD used the US mainstream media to generate support for the Contras, a counter-revolutionary group
fighting the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. A major part of this campaign consisted of developing an opinion template that qualified the
Sandinistas as “terrorist,” “anti-democratic,” and “dangerous.”
In October 1987, the US General Accounting Office (GAO) published a report affirming that the OPD was staging an illegal “black propaganda”
operation. The GAO declared that OPD was secretly publishing press and opinion pieces in US media outlets with the intent of garnering support for the
US government’s policies in Central America.
The Office of the Comptroller General discovered that the OPD prepared press articles that discredited the Sandinistas, supported US policy towards
Nicaragua, and were published as if they had been written by independent sources not linked to the Reagan administration. Based on this evidence, the
OPD was shut down in 1987 for failing to comply with federal guidelines.
Historical antecedents demonstrate that the US government is willing to bribe journalists to get their message across or promote its domestic and
foreign policy agenda.
In light of this, would anyone be surprised if the Bush administration paid US journalists to criticize Venezuela’s democracy and further its
attempts to isolate President Chavez?
SOME EXAMPLES OF MEDIA MANIPULATION
TOPICArms Buildup
MEDIUM/DATEMiami Herald. February 12, 2005.
STATEMENTSTitle: Chavez Arming to Fight Attack by US.“Washington has been trying for years to avoid a confrontation with Chavez.” ''We've tried
to establish common ground with the Venezuelan government,”Noriega said... “But, unfortunately, President Chávez has sabotaged our efforts.”
“Other agreements include the purchase of 40 helicopters and possibly of Russian MiG 29 fighters.”
STRATEGY USED
Presentation of opinions as facts: In this case, the reporters present the following opinions as “facts”, when one of them is an “impression”
and the other an opinion by US Undersecretary of Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega.
Reiteration (the Goebbels effect): For example, the MiG 29s topic has been repeated over and over again by the press. This reporter repeats it without
pro-viding a source confirming this event.
FACTS
As the Venezuelan President and Vice-president have often reiterated, the arms to be purchased from Russia will replace the Armed Forces' obsolete
weapons and strengthen the country's defensive capacity, especially along the border with Colombia.
Just as all sovereign countries-including the US, which has recently approved the biggest military budget in its history (close to $500
billion)-Venezuela has the right to safeguard its sovereign territory.
At no time has the Venezuelan government expressed intentions to enter an armed conflict with the US, much less to plan a "war" as the Miami Herald
mentions.
In fact, the Venezuelan government has asserted that the military equipment will be used to increase protection along the border and defend its
sovereignty against any aggressor.
TOPIC
Autocracy, Dictatorship,Attacks on private property
MEDIUM/DATEFinancial Times. January 13, 2005.
STATEMENTS Title: Peasants 'unlikely to reap rewards of Venezuela land reform'
“The war against the estates is the oxygen of this revolution,” Chávez said earlier this week, just before the arrival in this State of a group
in charge of deciding the future of a large farm called “El Charcote.”
"Business leaders and cattle ranchers see Mr Chávez's pursuit of a land reform programme as a clear and dangerous sign of the government's further
radicalisation, particularly because such a programme challenges property rights."
STRATEGYUSED
De-contextualization: Taken out of context, the statement was linked to an act that is "presented” as proof of the arbitrary nature of the
government's actions.
CONTEXT
Excerpt of national broadcast from which statement was extracted
ecree for the reorganization of tenancy and use of agricultural land.Monday, January
10, 2005: “The struggle and victory against non-producingestates is like oxygen for this revolution, it is an essential part of the life of this
people.”
“The last census produced the following figures: Less than 5% of landowners or occupants in Venezuela-please take notice-less than 5% own almost
80% of the land in Venezuela.
Admirals, Generals, Governors...a democracy thatallows such a situation of unfairness is losing its democratic character.”
TOPIC
Terrorism
MEDIUM/DATEThe Wall Street Journal. January 21, 2005
STATEMENTSTitle: Should Chavez Be on the List Of Terrorism Sponsors?
“Reliable sources say that Interpol advised Venezuela a year ago that Granda was a wanted man.”
“Another good reason to take Chávez seriously is that there are alarming reports that suggest he may be bent on arming his revolutionary cadres all
over South America.”
STRATEGY USED Anonymity:
Notice that the source of the first quote is identified only as an adjective -"reliable" - rather than an identity. This is how biased statements,
arguments, andopinions are transmitted to the general public.
FACTS
Interpol archives demonstrate that Granda's international capture was requested on January 9th, 2005, one month after his kidnapping in Venezuela.
The Colombian Minister of Defense Jorge Uribe said in December 2004 in an interview with Venezolana de Televisión that the allegation that Venezuela
protects Colombian guerrillas was only a rumor.
Research team:Ministry of Communication and Information: William Castillo / LiviaSuárez / Luis Delgado Sources: FAIR Fairness and Accuracy in
Reporting / The Pew ResearchCenter for the People and the Press
Media outlets analyzed: The Washington Post / The New York Times / TheMiami Herald / Los Angeles Times / Chicago Tribune / Christian ScienceMonitor /
Fox News / Financial Times / The Sun Sentinel / Voice of America /The Wall Street Journal / The Washington Times / CNN / Dow Jones NewswiresMore
information available at: www.mci.gob.ve
Why is Venezuela a threat to the US?
Chávez’s Real Advantage
Venezuela is an example to follow The real Venezuelan threat consists of teachers, doctors, athletes, coaches, and volunteers. This battalion of hope
is distributing books and vaccines to the poorest and most secluded slums and towns and reinvesting the country’s oil revenues for the benefit of
all Venezuelans.
Venezuela has a vibrant democracy, one in which popular participation is the key to success. This is a democratic model that aims to uphold national
identity and values, secure the nation’s sovereignty,and promote a multipolar international order that guarantees peace and respectfor all nations.
Who would feel threatened by such proposal?
EDUCATION MISIÓN ROBINSON
Accumulated (May 2003 - February 2005)
Graduated students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,314,790MISIÓNROBINSONIIAccumulated (September 2003 -
February 2005)New students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,262,621Misión Robinson is a national
literacy plan that aims to eradicate illiteracyfrom Venezuela.
14HEALTH CAREMISIÓNBARRIOADENTROCases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148,533,707Medical
consultations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94,345,099Families visited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13,507,288Nursing activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.19,770,245Health education activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52,686,709Ophthalmology cases . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,738,503Odontology consultations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.7,580,539Saved lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22,835Childbirth assistance . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,463. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BARRIOADENTROSPORTSPROGRAMPeople benefited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .1,301,506Misión Barrio Adentro is a program that provides free medical treatmentand health education to Venezuela’s poorest
communities.DIET AND NUTRITIONMISIÓNMERCALSoup kitchens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.3,970Soup kitchens beneficiaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .595,500Nutritional supplement beneficiaries . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201,152Mercal Protection beneficiaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .405,841Total
beneficiaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,202,493Commercial NetworkTotal establishments13,490People
benefited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9,800,000Total sales average (daily tons)May 2002 . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,952Regional purchases average (daily tons) . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .May 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .364Misión
Mercal is a distributing network for inexpensive quality food andbasic staples that seeks to confront extreme poverty and hunger.
OTHER MISSIONS MISIÓNRIBAS Accumulated (October 2003-February 2005)Students benefited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .700,535MISIÓNSUCRELatest report (February 16, 2005)Students benefited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . .284,271MISIÓNVUELVANCARASLatest report (February 23, 2005)People benefited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .282,584 * Misión Ribas is a secondary school program that allows Venezuelans to finish high school.*
Misión Sucre is a scholarship program that helps poor Venezuelans go to col-lege. * Misión Vuelvan Caras is a program that prepares people for
employment by training them in a particular sector that is specific to their location of residence.
Is Venezuela Really Isolated?
US media outlets tirelessly repeat that President Chávez is “isolating Venezuela from the rest of the world.”
Despite evidence to the contrary, the mainstream media reiterates this frame as factual. Between January and March 2005, Venezuela has initiated
several interna-tional efforts to consolidate its economic position in the region.
In Latin Americaalone, agreements have been signed with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile,among others. Diplomatic relations with Colombia are
strong and ongoing integration projects have been strengthened.
Venezuela is rapidly becoming the engine for a unified South America and promotes regional integration and development by negotiating fair energy
contracts.
President Chávez has also signed agreements and consolidated alliances with countries such as France, Spain,China, Russia, Iran, Qatar, and – for
the first time – India. Industrialized nations,as well as emerging markets, are investing heavily in the areas of energy, infrastructure, transport,
basic industries, agro-industry, and services, to name a few,and there have been solid advances in joint research, health care, and high tech-nology
projects.
:AuqP1jjWfN4J:www.minci.gov.ve/imagnot/Folleto%2520Dossier%2520(INGLES).pdf+venezuelan+orders+mig+29s&hl=en
:AuqP1jjWfN4J:www.minci.gov.ve/imagnot/Folleto%2520Dossier%2520(INGLES).pdf+venezuelan+orders+mig+29s&hl=en
you guys, or in fact any european country has alot of room to talk
and trashed accordingly. 
