Venezuela's Public Relations Problem

Have you noticed that it's a bit hard to find a positive media story about Venezuela?  That seems odd.  Its government, including President Hugo Chavez, is democratically elected, and by a substantial majority.  It's not at war with anyone, or even threatening to be.  And its people are not even Muslim.

Recently Venezuela had a legislative election, and the opposition made some gains, reducing the majority of Chavez's party to 99 out of 165 seats.  As a result we get headlines like "Chavez suffers defeat"  "Only" 60% is a defeat?

When you get blatantly one-sided coverage of anything by major news outlets, whether positive or negative, there is reason to be suspicious.  Perhaps it might be worthwhile to explore some alternative sources.

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Media, Propaganda and Venezuela

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by Anup ShahThis Page Last Updated Saturday, September 02, 2006


In April 11 2002, there was a military coup in Venezuela, whereby president Hugo Chavez was deposed by a military dictatorship. This lasted just three days, as forces friendly to Chavez regained power and reinstated him.

Politically, for some time now, Chavez has been seen unfavorably in the U.S. For example,

• He has been an influential member in the OPEC oil cartel of oil producing nations;
• He has criticized the U.S.’s bombing of Afghanistan in retaliation for the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks;
• He has stopped the Venezuelan military taking part in naval exercises in the Caribbean;
• The U.S. military has been denied access to Venezuelan airspace, hampering Washington’s war in Colombia;
• He has been friendly to Cuba’s Fidel Castro;
• He has sold oil to Cuba;
• He has tried to implement economic policies that are not always in line with the Washington Consensus/Neoliberalism ideology;
• He has made Venezuela a potential alternative to the IMF for other Latin American countries for funding and loans, signifying a major loss of influence of the United States in the region;
• And, Venezuela is also home to the largest currently known oil reserves in the world outside the Middle East.

In supporting opposition groups, raising concerns about human rights issues from Chavez only and reporting only on anti-Chavez demonstrations, the U.S. has invited criticisms yet again of interference in a democratically elected government (Chavez won with overwhelming support) by another country (the United States). These issues are introduced below."

The article goes on to deal with the following issues, and is well worth reading:

U.S. Involvement In Venezuelan Coup

Media Reporting

Venezuela’s Economy And Poverty

Venezuela As Alternative To IMF/Washington-Based Influence In The Region

Pro/Anti Chavez Demonstrations

Chavez Recall Referrendum Fails

Pat Robertson Calls For Assassination Of Chavez

Claims That Chavez Supports Terrorists

More Information

Significant is the " one-sidedness, from both the mainstream media of western countries such as the U.S. and U.K., and from Venezuela’s own elite anti-Chavez media, which “controls 95% of the airwaves and has a near-monopoly over newsprint..."

In other words, Chavez's popularity is not enhanced by any monopoly on the media, but occurs despite a barrage of constant negativity and anti-Chavez propaganda.

Why the U.S. Government Hates Venezuela

"Venezuela's example has dramatically changed the political landscape in Latin America, inspiring millions.  For the first time, governments and social movements alike feel empowered to oppose U.S. corporate dominance and instead are seeking to arrange their economies in ways that benefit the majority of people. "

Those in the US who are constantly calling  Obama a socialist would be loudly laughed at in Venezuela, and probably most of Latin America:

"Barack Obama is a very outspoken devotee of capitalism, and has shown by his coup in Honduras — and also the military build-up in Colombia — that he will go to any length to prop-up U.S. corporations and rich investors in the region."

The Revolution Will Not Be Destabilized: Ottawa's Democracy Promoters Target Venezuela

By "democracy promoters" is meant not "government by the people" but the activities of the National Endowment for Democracy--" The NED was formed in 1983 as a new tool to advance US foreign policy and business interests around the world. Nominally independent, NED receives the majority of its budget from Congress, and each of its grants must be approved by the US State Department."

For NED the democracy it promotes must be a special flavor-- the kind that is friendly to US corporations.  As long as it is capitalist-friendly, the actual democracy part is optional.

The article points out that Canada, as well as the US, is an active participant in NED and similar efforts.

Moving Beyond Representation: Participatory Democracy and Communal Councils in Venezuela

This is an excellent article on democracy, it's different types and meanings, and some direct examples of how it is working for Venezuela.

Is Venezuela perfect?  Of course not.  But Chavez, along with the people themselves, have been remarkably successful  at improving the lot of the majority of its people, and they deserve credit for that.  It is up to Venezuelans, and no one else, what kind of government they want.