(IPYS/IFEX) – On 29 November 2006, National Assembly Member Iris Valera, of the ruling party, asked the followers of President Hugo Chávez, who is running for re-election, to get ready to take control of private television and radio stations on 3 December – the day of the presidential elections – as she fears that those […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 29 November 2006, National Assembly Member Iris Valera, of the ruling party, asked the followers of President Hugo Chávez, who is running for re-election, to get ready to take control of private television and radio stations on 3 December – the day of the presidential elections – as she fears that those media outlets will be used to proclaim opposition candidate Manuel Rosales as the winner. Valera made this statement during the news programme “Al Momento”, on the state-run television station Venezolana de Televisión (VTV).
The representative made explicit references to Televisora Regional of the State of Tachira (TRT), in the city of San Cristóbal, western Venezuela, and the national networks RCTV and Globovisión, both of which have their headquarters in Caracas.
Varela is known as one of the most radical and influential representatives in the National Assembly. In 2005 she promoted the Penal Code Partial Reform Law (Ley de Reforma Parcial del Código Penal) that was used to increase penalties in cases of contempt.
