Excerpts of column "Runrunes" (Rumors) of Thursday, September 27

High

HIS LABYRINTH. Hugo Chávez: "I have no opposition. I would like to have it, but nobody can put up a good fight. I am positive that, in the event they beat me, which I doubt because polls give me the reason, assuming that I would have to hand over, I am certain that within six months, or one year, at the latest, I would come back as a victor, carried out shoulder-high, as all the mess, widespread social unrest and lack of military support to the president elect would lead the country to chaos." The modern version of Louis XV and his famous sentence: "Après moi le deluge," (after me, the deluge) seems to be immersed in the commander's red cerebellum. He is positive of that.

Low

RED STICK. The superb campaign launched by opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski in just eight months faces a not at all silent, let alone indulgent, foe. Reference is made to the hegemonic communication apparatus in the hands of the government that has taken active part, unconstitutionally, for that matter, on behalf of the image of the outgoing president and against the candidate for the opposition Unified Democratic Panel (MUD). When President Chávez took office in 1999, the Venezuelan State had only one TV channel, news agency Venpres and Radio Nacional. Thirteen years later, under his direct government, without any intermediaries, six TV channels operate, in addition to a network of ratio stations, such as the coarse and unethical radio stations Tiuna and Arsenal Caracas. The former, something inexplicable in a democracy, claims to be "the voice of the Armed Forces of Venezuela." In the province, the outrageous government expenses finance the operations of more than 30 community TV channels and near 400 community radio stations. By the same token, state-run oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) owns 10 radio stations running concomitantly with the government network, engaged in red propaganda around the clock. As for newspapers, the government is in possession of dailies Vea, Correo del Orinoco and Ciudad Caracas. This government took private TV channel RCTV off the air, besides wiping out 32 radio stations and two local TV channels. In the meantime, those which still operate and do not yield to the government pressure undergo harassment from the Venezuelan Internal Revenues Service; do not get government aids; face attacks on their facilities; their reporters have no access to government sources, and they are subject to the judgments of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) and courts following the specific orders of the Venezuelan president. Many a time, they have been forced to self-censorship or to dismiss journalists and announcers. Selected community radio stations managed by active socialists have been entrusted with the task of interfering in the signal of private radio stations, yet the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) does nothing at all. Will foreign visitors and observers coming to Venezuela for the presidential election of October 7 be apprised of all of that?

www.runrun.es

@nelsonbocaranda

Translated by Conchita Delgado