| Hugo Chavez is making it clear that his vision, and only | | | | phrase attributed to Louis XlV - "L'Etat, c'est moi" (I am |
| his vision, will dominate in Venezuelan media. If any | | | | the State) - could equally be applied to Chavez who |
| proof is required of his intention, one need only look at | | | | sees himself as the personification of all things |
| the crackdowns and threats that have been directed | | | | Venezuelan. |
| at private media outlets. | | | | It would be a mistake to paint Chavez as a socialist |
| Criticism of Chavez comes with a price. A private | | | | revolutionary along early Castro lines as some on the |
| station, RCTV, was recently shut down. The tactic | | | | right try to do. He's not averse to doing business with |
| used was to simply allow the license to expire, | | | | capitalists. Some of his personal favorites have had |
| something Chavez has been threatening to do for | | | | private media channels arranged for them - people |
| years. Around 5,000 protesters who took the streets | | | | such as whisky importer Arturo Sarmiento. Chavez |
| to oppose the RCTV shutdown, were subjected to | | | | also made a deal with Gustavo Cisneros, possibly the |
| tears gas and rubber bullets. | | | | richest man in S. America, in order to get the TV |
| Chavez doesn't like to be criticized. Like a lot of | | | | channel Venevision up and running. |
| authoritarian leaders he wants television to bask in his | | | | At root with Chavez it's as much about personality as |
| image and sing his praises. It seems most of the media | | | | anything else. He has a deep need to be loved and |
| in Venezuela is dutifully heading in the direction of | | | | appreciated. Part of his issue with opposition media |
| becoming the mirror of El Presidente. | | | | channels is the derision they heap on him in a very |
| When Chavez was first elected back in 1999, there | | | | personal fashion. Some commentators have even |
| was only one government controlled TV channel in | | | | been known to make fun of his dark skin and lowly |
| Venezuela. There are now four, including the | | | | class origins. So this media war in Venezuela also has |
| international news channel Telesur and seven radio | | | | a marked grudge element to it. |
| stations. Chavez even has his own show, Alo | | | | The last remaining private media outlet, Globovision, is |
| Presidente. His image is everywhere on the small | | | | on shaky ground. Chavez has accused it of attempting |
| screen. His own personal show can run for as long as | | | | to incite his assassination. This is a bit far fetched. The |
| five hours, making it more like a marathon homage | | | | evidence offered to back the claim, was footage aired |
| session. | | | | by the station of the 1981 assassination attempt on |
| Part of the larger problem in Venezuela is the lack of | | | | Pope Paul ll, accompanied by the song "Have faith, this |
| any media outlets that come close to exercising | | | | doesn't end here." Chavez even went so far as to |
| impartiality when it comes to the nation's business. The | | | | label the station "an enemy of the state". An attack on |
| country is polarized politically - much as if a fault line | | | | his person is clearly synonymous in his mind with an |
| had divided the nation into two. Pro-Chavez and | | | | attack on the State. |
| anti-Chavez factions dominate the scene, with little | | | | The determined adoration some on the American left |
| in-between. Citizens who want a more or less | | | | continue to express for Chavez is becoming |
| balanced view of what's going on in their own country | | | | increasingly odd. The reformer and idealist is gradually |
| have to resort to BBC world service, CNN or similar | | | | morphing into something we are all too familiar with in |
| outlets. | | | | S. America, and even 'new-style' dictators are still |
| Chavez seems to fancy himself as a bit of a cultural | | | | dictators when they take the predictable route of |
| guru. He founded the Villa del Cine foundation in | | | | strangling the voice of opposition. |
| reaction to what he described as the "dictatorship of | | | | Some observers claim Chavez has become paranoid |
| Hollywood". He has little understanding of culture freed | | | | and looks for conspiracies around every corner. He is |
| from the influence of ideology. As with everything else | | | | certainly going the extra mile to silence his critics. If he |
| he touches, culture is appropriated to serve the needs | | | | keeps moving in the same direction, the "enemies of |
| of the political agenda. The Argentinian business daily, | | | | the state" will have to move underground, because as |
| Ambito Financiero, described Chavez as a sort of | | | | a spokesperson for Reporters Without Borders put it ... |
| proletarian Louis XlV of France. The daily predicted | | | | "Besides Globovision, what media is left that can |
| that his reign will be marked by "a concentration of | | | | criticize Mr. Chavez? |
| power without precedent in Venezuela". A famous | | | | |