2010-03-17 15:32:52 - In an article "X-Ray of a country's death throes." VenEconomy, talks about irrefutable proof of violation of the right to information and the freedom of speech in Venezuela.

VHeadline commentarist Carlos M. Pietri writes:

VenEconomy stated: 1) the government's vendetta against Radio Caracas by denying this business group permission so that RCTV Internacional can broadcast via cable television as an independent domestic producer and RCTV Mundo as an international production channel...

The CONATEL decision was handed down because RCTV's application was presented at the registration office of the Audio-Visual National Production Services Providers on February 22 (2010) -- i.e. five working days after the closing date established by the regulator…

As you may guess ... again ... the arrogance of Marcel Granier was the only reason for the denial of permission with regard to his TV channels, since he considers himself above the law and thus thinks that CONATEL should have

waited for his application and that he doesn't have to respect CONATEL regulations…

2) the coercive measures that are being applied to radio stations, among them, CONATEL's order for Victoria 103.9FM to reduce the power of its signal by 90%, so preventing it from providing a public traffic report service to several communities...

This is an Aragua State radio station which, due to its power of transmission, is interfering with other stations to the east of Caracas with assigned frequencies close to those assigned to Victoria 103.9 FM… This is the main reason they were asked to reduce their transmission power by 10% ... it was never aimed at limiting their freedom of expression ... on the contrary, it was aimed at expand the opportunity for others to inform without that interference…

3) the opening of an investigation against opposition leader Oswaldo Alvarez Paz for statements made on 'Alo Ciudadano' (Globovision) and the consequent summons issued to the entire team of Alo Ciudadano to appear before the Public Prosecutor's Office on Monday, March 15.

This "gentleman" in the TV show ALO CIUDADANO, addressed the nation saying that to defeat Chavez, it could not be done through an electoral process, proposing less traumatic methods and that they should explore a more efficient way ... emphasizing that the current regime would have to be stopped in the quickest possible time...

I, personally, consider that Alvarez Paz' words constitute a crime, since, in an irresponsible and unfounded manner, he urged hatred against the institutions and their governors ... an action that must be sanctioned by the law. He also called for, and urged, another military uprising by asking members of the Armed Forces to pronounce themselves against their Commander in Chief … it was for this reason that the Prosecutor General's Office was compelled to initiate investigations against Alvarez Paz.

VenEconomy also commented on: Declaring Barquisimeto's industrial zone 1 to be declared "public interest" in a maneuver to provide the legal basis for the expropriation of Empresas Polar's premises as a clear example of the hegemonic use of power to do away with property rights and the right to freely engage in economic activity and to perform the job of one's choice, as was the order, 'expropriate,' issued personally by the President in Plaza Bolivar to affected key stores and properties such as Edificio La Francia.

Concerning these comments, I can only say that any government in the world is authorized to effect zone changes and more if such a modification will be for public benefit. The city of Barquisimeto has a housing deficit of 130,000 and it is much easier to construct social housing in the city areas (since they have the necessary public services), than to go to the outskirts.

Notably, VenEconomy failed to mention that the expropriated zone is already slap bang in the center of the city and carries with it the respective environmental and traffic problems that this type of zone traditionally brings to city environs.

Regarding to the La Francia building, it was never privately-owned ... it was leased to La Universidad de Oriente (East University, UDO) by the Ministry of Education in 1967 by a decree issued by then-President Raul Leoni…

The University rented out the building to the owner of the La Francia jewelry for many years…

Such is yet another lie (of omission) by VenEconomy. Why?

How can the state expropriate a building that belongs to the government?

I hope that this helps you understand how VenEconomy manipulates information and asserts the irrefutability of their own "news.

Carlos M. Pietri
carlos@vheadline.com

www.vheadline.com/pietri

www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=89544