7-22-05,9:05am
CARACAS, July 21 (PL).—The United States has presented Venezuela with a new battlefield, with an initiative aimed at radio and television signals, using the argument of counteracting the regional Telesur channel.
The amendment authorizes the U.S. government to put out radio and TV transmissions in a 30-minute slot to offer Venezuelans a 'precise, objective and complete news source,' and to counteract the 'Americanization' of Telesur, according to the text approved yesterday.
In a first reaction, Bernardo Alvarez, the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States, stated that if those signals should be broadcast, it would be a waste of U.S. taxpayers’ money.
Speaking to Venezolana de Televisón from Washington, Alvarez commented that the amendment passed by the House of Representatives was a political and propagandistic action.
At the same time he called attention to the absurdity of the proposal as, from July 24, the Telesur signal is to reach the entire continent, including the United States, so it is not clear what effects the government wants to counteract in Venezuela.
The diplomat affirmed that the real intention of the initiative is a political and propagandistic one against the government of President Hugo Chávez.
'I think that it is more of a publicity business. It should not be overlooked that it is a parliament that responds to the most radical members of the émigré Cuban community, and this person is a flag bearer,' he noted.
He added that as it would be a distinct signal from that of 'Voice of America' it would incur an unnecessary waste of U.S. taxpayers’ money.
Moreover, Alvarez said that the new channel would be in competition with the private Venezuelan media controlled by the opposition, which dedicates more than 30 minutes every day to attacking the national government.
He noted that the amendment still has to go before the Senate and the Venezuelan diplomatic mission will be following the development of this legal process in the U.S. Congress in order to respond to it.
