(IPYS/IFEX) – “I am gathering information on the taxes that some media businessmen declare because there are making a ton of money and reporting losses and I am going to turn to the respective courts in order to do justice,” said President Hugo Chávez during a Venezuelan Communist Party public event, which was held on […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – “I am gathering information on the taxes that some media businessmen declare because there are making a ton of money and reporting losses and I am going to turn to the respective courts in order to do justice,” said President Hugo Chávez during a Venezuelan Communist Party public event, which was held on 9 May 2001 in Caracas.
The Venezuelan President reaffirmed his confrontation with the media, which has been a constant since he came to power in December 1998.
Once again, he emphasised what he considers anti-ethical such as criticism of his government’s administration aired via the country’s different dailies and radio and television stations. “We must rescue the ethics, reason and truth in journalism,” he said before an audience of 500 people at the event, which was being aired via two television stations.
He called on journalists to stand up to the media owners. He urged them to unite together and rebel against their bosses. He asked them to forget their salaries and gain virtue by protesting. “We must ask what journalists care more about: their salary or their dignity?” he emphasised.
He pointed out that he would always win “the media war” because he possesses morality and is backed by the population, not giving much importance to the information transmitted by dailies and radio stations. “I couldn’t care less about manipulating the media. I am only interested in the conscience of the people,” he stated firmly.
He announced that he would continue to give concessions to folk radio and television stations, which would include his government giving funds in order for organized citizens to have their own media, “thereby combatting the great scoundrels who manipulate the truth.”
“If there is a station owned by scoundrels, there will be a thousand stations in the people’s hands; and if there are five newspapers owned by scoundrels, then there will be a million folk newspapers everywhere.”
