The Battle of Venezuela

Beginning in 2002, one of the strangest episodes in media history is taking place in Venezuela.  Whereas political battles for the soul of the country are commonplace around the world, the role of media is usually subservient to other forces.  In present day Venezuela, the media are placed right at the centre of the struggle.  A number of complex questions can be raised about the situation.  At the present, this is an evolving situation, with new developments occurring every day.  We can eventually look forward to any number of books that will be written about this historical episode.  In the meantime, we have compiled a number of links about the role of the Venezuelan and international media during this time period.  This set of links will be continuously updated.

ARTICLES ABOUT THE MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE VENEZUELAN SITUATION

• This Is A Media Insurrection.  Telephone interview by Stella Calloni with Hugo Chávez, La Jornada, April 12, 2002
• In Venezuela, a Coup by Overwhelming Consensus  By Claudio Campuzano, World Tribune.com, April 12, 2002.
• Hugo Chávez's non-resignation letter  April 13, 2002
• Media, Oil, and Politics: Anatomy of the Venezuelan Coup  By Eric Quezada, Media Alliance, April 13, 2002
• Television Stations Play Fundamental Role in Anti-Chávez Coup  By Jenaro Villamil, La Jornada, April 13, 2002
• Venezuelan President, Ousted 2 Days Ago, May Be Back  By Ginger Thompson, New York Times, April 14, 2002
• The Ongoing Lessons  By Meri Ranut, Trinicenter.com, April 14, 2002
• Chávez Comeback Exposes U.S. Government & Media Lies  By D. Baatar, Jared Israel, Nestor Gorojovsky & Nico Varkevisser, Emperors-Clothes.com, April 14, 2002
• Three Days That Shook the Media  By Al Giordano, Narco News, April 15, 2002
• Venezuelan Government Criticizes Media Silence During Crisis  Globalvision News Network, Efe News Service, April 15, 2002
• Conservative Media Pushed Venezuela Coup But Outraged People Defeated It  By Gregory Wilpert, Straight Goods, April 15, 2002
• Coup?  What Coup?  By Cynthia Cotts, Village Voice, April 15, 2002
• Coup and Counter-Coup  Economist.com, April 15, 2002
• The Military Coup in Venezuela  By Margarita Lopez Maya, Luis Lander, and Edgardo Lander, Foreign Policy In Focus, April 15, 2002
• The Media, the CIA and the Coup  By Christopher Reilly, Counterpunch.org, April 15, 2002
• Television Stations Play Fundamental Role in Anti-Chávez Coup  By Jenaro Villamil, La Jornada, April 16, 2002
• Crisis Raises Questions about the Media's Role By Andrés Cańizález, Proutworld, April 16, 2002
• Bush's Betrayal of Democracy.  By Arturo Valenzuela, Washington Post, April 16, 2002
• Citizen Coup?  The Times, the Post and the Coup Plotters  By Jack McCarthy, Counterpunch.org, April 16, 2002
• Media's Role in Crisis Becomes the Big Story in Venezuela.  By Scott Wilson, Washington Post, April 17, 2002
• Don't Believe Everything You Read in the Papers About Venezuela  By Greg Palast, The Guardian, April 17, 2002
• A Coup d’État Signed By Otto Reich  By Jean-Guy Allard, Granma International, April 17, 2002
• Venezuela: Journalists Remain At Risk  Committee to Protect Journalists, April 17, 2002
• Media Accused in Failed Coup  By David Adams and Phil Gunson, St. Petersburg Times, April 18, 2002
• U.S. Papers Hail Venezuelan Coup as Pro-Democracy Move  FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), April 18, 2002
• Alice's New Adventures in Wonderland  By Norman Solomon, Media Beat, FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting), April 18, 2002
• Chávez's Resurrection  By June Thomas, Slate, April 18, 2002
• Chávez denuncia "apoyo" de los medios de comunicación al golpe de Estado  Reporters Sans Frontičre, April 18, 2002
• Here's What We Read This Week  By Greg Palast, ZNet Latin American Watch, April 19, 2002.
• A Coup Signed by Otto Reich  By Jean-Guy Allard, Counterpunch.org, April 20, 2002
• With Support of Poor Venezuelans, Hugo Chávez Made Dramatic Come-Back  By Justin Delacour, ZNet, April 20, 2002
• "The Coup Lacked Professionalism" The Expert Said  By Saul Landau, ZNet, April 20, 2002
• Venezuela  Transcript of talk program on WNYC radio station, USA, April 20, 2002.
• If You Want A Free Vote, Ask Nicely  By Terry Jones, Guardian Unlimited Observer, April 21, 2002
• T&T Media Attempts Its Own Coup  By Meri Ranut, Trinicenter.com, April 21, 2002
• Venezuela's Media: Free or Footloose?  By Juan Pęrez Cabral, TheGully.com, April 21, 2002
• Visiones y Silencios Mediáticos  By Andrés Cańizález, América Latina en Movimiento, April 22, 2002
• Media Watch By Rick Giometti, Eat the State!, April 24, 2002
• The Coup Lacked Professionalism  By Saul Landau, Progreso Weekly, April 25, 2002
• How the Associated Press Gutted Its Own Scoop of the Venezuelan Coup d'Etat  By Jared Israel, Emperors-Clothes.com, April 25, 2002
• Liberate Venezuela  By Frank Gaffney, Jr., Fox News, April 25, 2002.
• The Response of Britain's Media  By John Pilger, April 26, 2002
• Venezuela Divided  By Steve Ellner, In These Times, April 26, 2002
• South of the Border, Democracy Works  By Joe Conason, New York Observer, April 27, 2002
• Revealing Reactions To A Coup  By Eric Jackson, ThePanamaNews, April 28-May 11, 2002
• It's A Coup: Your Sets Will Adjust Accordingly  By Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, April 29, 2002
• Venezuela and Censorship  By John Pilger, ZNet Latin American Watch, May 1, 2002
• US Works Closely With Coup Leaders  Americas.org, May 1, 2002. 
• Quid Pro Coup: The 'Times' Condones Censorship, Venezuelan Style  By Cynthia Cotts, Yahoo Daily News, May 2, 2002
• The Coup That Wasn't  By Marc Cooper, The Nation, May 6, 2002
• Turmoil = Miracle in Venezuela  By Joe Taglieri, From The Wilderness, May 6, 2002
• Venezuela after the Coup Attemp: Will Chavez’ Project Survive?  By Gregory Wilpert, ZNet, May 7, 2002
• When Is A Coup A Coup?  By Scott Sherman, The Nation, May 27, 2002
• The Current Situation in Venezuela  Report presented by the Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for consideration by the Permanent Council of the OAS , May 28, 2002
• Like Old Days: US Role in Venezuela Coup Under Scrutiny.  By Bart Jones, National Catholic Reporter, May 31, 2002.
• U.S. Papers Hail Venezuelan Coup as Pro-Democracy Move  By Rachel Coen, FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), June 2002.
• The Perfect Crime  By Ignacio Ramonet, Le Monde Diplomatique, June 2002
• Venezuela's Watergate: How the press ousted a president.  By Angel Gonzalez, TheBigStory, June 1, 2002.
• The Masses vs. The Media  By Al Giordano, NarcoNews, June 5, 2002
• Venezuela: Press Freedom and More  By Tony Bianchi, Pulso, June 8, 2002
• No More Media Manipulation  Narco News, June 10, 2002
• Venezuela: Five Facts About April 11th.  By Roldan Tomasz Suárez, Counterpunch.org, June 12, 2002
• A Silent Majority Finds Its Voice  By Richard Gott, New Statesman, June 29, 2002
• Political Crisis in Venezuela.  Human Rights Watch, July 2002.
• Venezuela: The Revoluion Will Not Be Televised.  By Jon Beasley-Murray.  NACLA, July/August, 2002.
• Spotlighting (Some) Venezuela Killings  By Rachel, FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), July 2002.
• War of Words and Images.  By Mike Ceasar, LatinAmericanPress, July 4, 2002.
• Venezuela and Argentina: A Tale of Two Coups.  By Greg Palast, GregPalast.com, July 12, 2002. 
• An Open Letter to Ann Cooper of the Committee to Protect Journalists.  By Al Giordano, NarcoNews, July 29, 2002
• An Open Letter to Robert J. Cox of the Inter-American Press Association.  By Al Giordano, NarcoNews, July 29, 2002
• An Open Letter to Robert Ménard of Reporters Without Borders.  By Al Giordano, NarcoNews, July 29, 2002
• Free Nicolás Rivera: Journalist in Jail.  By Al Giordano, NarcoNews, July 29, 2002
• Cannon Fodder  By Salvador Gonzálex Rodríguez, Committee To Project Journalists, August 2, 2002.
• Venezuela's Press Power  By Maurice Lemoine, Le Monde Diplomatique, August 2002.
• Our Gang In Venezuela  By David Corn, The Nation, August 5, 2002.
• Emisoras comunitarias no son invento de Chávez  Ingrid R. Rojas, El Mundo, August 6, 2002
• Bush Administration Tries to Hide Role in Venezuela Coup  By Mark Weisbrot, CommonDreams.org, August 7, 2002.
• New Attacks Against Journalists.  Reporters Without Borders, August 7, 2002
• Truth and Justice in Venezuela.  By Greg Wilpert, ZNet Latin American Watch, August 16, 2002.
• Chicken in Paris, Eggs in Caracas  By Al Giordano, NarcoNews, August 18, 2002
• Venezuela's Press Power  Maurice Lemoine, Le Monde Diplomatique, September 11, 2002.
• Reporters Without Borders calls for investigation into attacks on several journalists  Reporters Without Borders, September 12, 200
• Another attack on TV station Globovisión  Reporters Without Borders, September 25, 2002
• Why Venezuela's Middle Class (for the most part) Opposes Chavez  By Gregory Wilpert, Znet, October 27, 2002
• Third Attack On TV Station Headquarters  Reporters Without Borders, November 21, 2002
• Reporters Without Borders concerned about attacks on the press  Reporters Without Borders, November 21, 2002
• Venezuela press joins strike  BBC News, December 3, 2004
• The People Rise Up Against Venezuela's Commercial Media  By Alex Main, NarcoNews, December 10, 2002.
• A People Defends its Democracy Against Media Power  By Maximilien Arvelaiz, NarcoNews, December 10, 2002.
• Venezuelan Media the Focus of Protests  BBC News, December 10, 2002
• The Humanitarian Cost of the Venezuelan Crisis  By Humberto Márquez, Inter Press Service, December 11, 2002
• Copy Cat Journalists Forero and Miller  By Dan Feder, NarcoNews, December 12, 2002.
• Mediatic Strike, Mediatic Coup and Economic Coup  By Narryttza Diaz, ALAI, América Latina en Movimiento, December 15, 2002
• Twelve journalists assaulted or wounded during demonstrations  Reporters Without Borders, December 15, 2002
• Coup D'Petrol In Venezuela  By Gregory Wilpert, ZNet, December 17, 2002
• AP's One-Sided Venezuela Coverage  By Doug Feder, NarcoNews, December 18, 2002
• U.S. Intervening Against Democracy  By Mark Weisbrot, AlterNet.org, December 18, 2002
• Guerra de Noticias By Laura Danuska Scarano Pérez, Venezuela Analitica, December 19, 2002
• Venezuela's Media Mindshock  By Carlos Renssler, The Gully, December 20, 2002
• SF IMC Interviews Al Giordano on Venezuela, the Media, and Anarchism  SF Indymedia, December 20, 2002
• Venezuelan News Outlets Line Up With the Foes of Chávez  By Juan Forrero, New York Times, December 22, 2002
• Christmas Comes Early in Caracas, Venezuela  By Al Giordano, NarcoNews, December 22, 2002
• >Venezuela On The Brink  By Steve Ellner, The Nation, December 23, 2002
• A Brit Reporter's Undisclosed Conflict of Interest  By Al Giordano, NarcoNews, December 23, 2002
• Venezuela : l'opposition manifeste, Hugo Chavez tente de rassurer  Le Monde, December 29, 2002
• Chaos and Constitution  By Barry C. Lynn, MotherJones.com, January/February 2003
• Venezuela: Chomsky's Tropical Nightmare  By Francisco Armada and Carlos Mutander, CounterPunch.org, January 4, 2003
• The Battle for Credibility  By Guillermo I. Martinez, Sun-Sentinel.com, January 9, 2003
• Debating Venezuela: Giordano & Delacour vs. the "Experts"  Edited by Justin Delacour, ZMag January 11, 2003
• NPR: Spinners of Venezulan Fairy Tales  By Brad Carlton, CounterPunch.org, January 11, 2003
• An Open Letter to All Things Considered  By Brad Carlton, Trinicenter.com, January 12, 2003
• Associated Press Caracas Bureau Chief Unmasked!  By Charles Hardy, Vheadline.com, January 12, 2003
• NY Times Reporter Quits Over Conflict of Interest  By Al Giordano, NarcoNews, January 15, 2003
• Biased BBC "News" Report is Political Propaganda Letter by Lorna Hayes to VHeadline.com, January 18, 2003
• FT Correspondent Takes Flack from Failing Opposition  By Patrick O'Donoghue, VHeadline.com, January 20, 2003
• Misinterpretations Severely Misguide FOX channel's Audience Worldwide  Letter by Pedro Pablo Arevalo to VHeadline.com, January 22, 2003
• Ideas for the Associated Press in Venezuela By Charles Hardy, VHeadline.com, January 22, 2003
• Can You Believe Venezuela's Pollsters?  By Justin Delacour, NarcoNews, January 22, 2003
• Venezuela Through a Tilted Lens?  By Thor Halvorssen, Washington Times,January 22, 2003
• Politicising the Venezuelan Press  By Stephen Kangal, Trinicenter.com, January 24, 2003
• 26 Days Later ... Gunson Replies  By Phil Gunson, NarcoNews, January 25, 2003
• Venezuela: Media Freedom Threatened  Human Rights News, January 25, 2003
• Read It And Weep  By Al Giordano, NarcoNews, January 26, 2003
• BBC Mundo Distorsiona Información Sobre Marcha de la Oposición de Hoy  Aporrea.org, January 26, 2003
• Stop Blaming Media Says IFJ As Chavez Moves Against Venezuela TV Stations  International Federation of Journalists press release, January 28, 2003
• Ley de Responsabilidad Social en Radio y Televisión  Proposed law to the Asamblea Nacional, January 2003
• API: "Procesos administrativos a canales de televisión debieron comenzar hace 4 ańos"  Venpres, February 3, 2003 
• Opposition lunatics threaten VHeadline.com staffers with BS propaganda  VHeadline.com, February 9, 2003
• Venezuela's Media Coup  By Naomi Klein, The Nation, February 13, 2003
• How Globovision Channel 33 manipulates the News  By Oscar Heck, VHeadline.com, February 23, 2003
• Baseless Innuendo of the English-language Press Corps in Venezuela  By Justin Delacour, VHeadline.com, March 2, 2003
• Financial Times reporting of Venezuela is crass ideology disguised as astute analysis  By Steven Hunt, VHeadline.com, March 6, 2003
• Venezuela's Media War  BBC News, March 6, 2003.
• Chávez Beats Forrero (Again)  By Luis Gómez, Narco News, April 15, 2003
• Forrero Returns From Caracas  By Latuff, Narco News, April 23, 2003
• Venezuela's Media:  More than words at stake  By Manuel Rueda, VHeadline.com, April 30, 2003
• Caught In The Crossfire:  Freedom of Expression in Venezuela  Human Rights Watch report, May 2003
• Venezuela: Protect Journalists, Revise Radio-TV Law  Human Rights News, May 21, 2003
• Hugo Chavez is Crazy!  Greg Palast, July 1, 2003
• Venezuela: Limit State Control of Media.  Letter to Hugo Chavez from José Miguel Vivanco, Human Rights Watch, July 1, 2003
• Hypercorruption or hypernonsense ... what conclusions can we draw?  By Dan Burnett, VHeadline.com, July 7, 2003
• Mayor Pena closes Community Catia TV ... reactions slow and hesitant  By Patrick Donoghue, Vheadline.com, July 13, 2003
• VHeadline.com readers: Help defend freedom of speech in Venezuela  VHeadline.com Reporters, July 13, 2003
• The Next Battle of Venezuela Begins  By Chris Kerr, ZNet, July 27, 2003
• “I’m a journalist, not a propagandist”  Latinamerica Press, September 13, 2003
• Venezuela News Media Dissected  By Anthonia Zerbisias, Toronto Star, September 28, 2003
• Weak Democracies Can't Afford Mistrusted Media  Marcela Sanchez in Washington Post, November 13, 2003
• Recycled Misinformation: Venezuela’s Media as Pentagon Source  Eva Golinger, Venezuelanalysis.com, June 23, 2004.
• Media War Against The People  Eva Golinger, Venezuelanalysis.com, September 9, 2004.
• Concern over Venezuela media law  Ian Bruce, BBC News, November 25, 2004.
• Venezuela's Media Crackdown.  The Economist, May 10, 2005.
• Venezuela's Media Minister Andres Izarra replies to the Washington Post  Axis of Logic, April 2, 2005.
• The Reporters Without Borders Fraud  Salim Lamrani, Rebelion.org, May 16, 2005.
• Media Constructed from Below  Luis Gomez, Narco News, May 18, 2005.
• Soul Search  John Dinges, Columbia Journalism Review, August 2005.
• Venezuela: There wasn't in April 2002 even a hint of journalistic independence  Arthur Shaw, VHeadline.com, September 14, 2005.

(last updated on 09/15/2005)