MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chavez promises to combat the “terrorist” press of Venezuela

Chavez: “No wonder that another media outlet shuts down”

Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez anticipated that the “terrorist” media of his country will face the full consequences of the law for their insistence in allegedly manipulating, misleading or fabricating the president’s statements.

“Don’t be surprised if the government takes action against a few media which continue to practice terrorism”, said Chavez during a press conference in Buenos Aires where he arrived for a brief visit in support of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner administration.

His warnings follow instructions to his officials to begin legal actions against the “terrorist” media of Venezuela.

Chavez was referring to the recent controversy involving the Deputy Communication minister Mauricio Rodriguez who recalled that US writer and thinker Noam Chomsky said in 2007 that if in the US or in Europe any media had acted as some did in Venezuela during the frustrated 2002 coup, “their owners would have been executed”.

“We are suffering from the same. The same evils are upon us”, said Chavez in support of Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner who complained bitterly about the release of “certain news about Argentina” and the back paging of other good news which should be headlines.

Chavez added that some media insist in calling the 2002 “terrorist action” as the “coup”, when “we all know the terrorist action was supported by certain fascists groups of the extreme right in Venezuela”.

Back in 2002 Chavez was arrested and retained in a military garrison for 48 hours before been liberated. In the meantime an interim government was named with support from some military sectors and conservative civilians opposed to the elected populist president.

The President Chavez administration has repeatedly accused the Venezuelan press of representing the interests of the rich, the bourgeois and those who fear loosing their privileges. In some cases he has reacted by not renewing the licences of television and broadcasting stations.