Patrick J. O'Donoghue's news and views from Venezuela -- April 24, 2009

VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O\'Donoghue

2009-04-24 20:19:40 - National Assembly (AN) president, Celia Flores calls the Metropolitan Mayoralty an "absurdity," adding that sooner or later it must be eliminated. Flores made the statement during the first reading of a special law on the transfer of assets and resources from the Metropolitan District to the Capital district.

VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports:

The Metropolitan District, Flores continues, is using up resources of the 22 parishes belonging to the Capital District for other municipalities in Miranda State, which is already receiving State treasury funds as an autonomous federal entity. Metropolitan Mayor, Antonio Ledezma says he should be receiving 10% of what the five municipalities of the metropolitan

area receive but it is not. Flores retorts that the five municipalities will be better equipped from treasury funds allotted to Caracas. If the Supreme Tribunal Justice (TSJ) sides against Ledezma, Flores maintains, then it means that the Metropolitan Mayoralty will disappear because the Libertador municipality will be exempt from paying the 10% to a mayoralty without resources.

In a second major diplomatic reshuffle, former Tachira State Governor, Ronald Blanco La Cruz has been appointed new Ambassador to Cuba replacing Adan Chavez, currently State Governor of Barinas. Retired naval officer, Vice Admiral Armando Laguna has been appointed Ambassador to Honduras. This afternoon Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro announced the appointment of 72-year old Aristides Medina Rubio as Ambassador to Peru. Medina Rubio has been university professor graduating in History and Literature. His first task, it appears, is to scuttle opposition leader, Manuel Rosales' application for political asylum.

Interior & Justice Minister (MIJ) Minister Tarek El Aissami has announced the issuing of an arrest warrant against former Guarico State Governor, Eduardo Manuitt. The whereabouts of Manuitt, who belongs to the pro-government Patria Para Todos (PPT) party, is unknown. 4 months ago in December, the Governor was charged with a series of irregularities regarding commissions in the purchase of air-conditioning units for hospitals in Calabozo and Valle de Pascua in 1999.

Venezuelan Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Roy Chaderton Matos says a lot of the hatred against President Chavez has to do with his racial origin. The Ambassador made a statement during a special session of the OAS permanent council called the right to freedom of thought and expression and the importance of the media. Chaderton Matos comments that in Venezuela is clear that racial hatred is being transmitted on programs of Globovision and Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) International and he quips that if the sound is turned down, one has the impression that one is watching television in Stockholm for the color of the people on the screen. Continuing his attack on private media in Venezuela, the Minister contends that there is little room for people who come from indigenous, mulatto or black backgrounds. In the social columns of broadsheets such as El Universal only the social events of westernized and "white-skinned" people are covered.

Telesur continental channel president, Andres Izarra accuses Venezuela's private media of vetting positive government news. Speaking at the Organization of American States (OAS) permanent council during a session on freedom of thought and expression and the importance of the media, Izarra argues that the private media in Venezuela have taken on the role of a political party and that all positive information on government activities is systematically vetted and superseded by opposition public policies and performance. Citing statistics, the Telesur president claims that average daily news reports government activity is 70% negative and 30% positive, while during electoral periods reaches 80-20%. Furthermore, he continues, media terrorism by private media is a constant threat in the form of hate and subliminal messages inserted during adverts and movies. Detailing his accusation, Izarra details the monitoring of nine press sources over a period of 26 days during the last referendum campaign showing an increasing bias in favor of the opposition's No option. Seven of each 10 interviews in the press and television showed a preference towards the opposition option. Highlighting interviews on five opposition channels, Izarra reports that 73% were in favor of the No option to 27% for the Yes option ... in the press 65% of space was dedicated to the opposition and only 35% to the government.

Patrick J. O'Donoghue
patrick@vheadline.com

www.vheadline.com/patrick