While all kinds of drama is going on in Iran, let’s not forget about the ongoing political entanglements in our own hemisphere — especially in Venezuela.
If you did not know, Venezuela only has ONE remaining vocally anti-government television network — the 24-hour news channel Globovision.
The channel has come under attack by Chavez following its coverage of a recent small earthquake in Caracas in May. Chavez decried the Channel’s reporting as “poisoning” the people and “media terrorism” and has made it clear that he hopes “the network will not remain on the airwaves much longer.”
Harsh words — but more problematic are Chavez’s harsh actions. The government has raided Globovision owner Guillerma Zuloaga’s property and fined the network $4.2 million for allegedly failing to pay back taxes.
Media observers say it’s only a matter of time before the network — strongly aligned with top Chavez political opponents — will begin to see its broadcasts banned via state intervention.
Ultimately, analyts worry, Chavez’s government could do away with private media altogether and replace it with a mix of state-owned channels and grass-roots local stations.