(IPYS/IFEX) – On 18 March 2004, Globovisión, Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV), Televen and Venevisión television stations were informed that they were being fined by the national customs and tax collection service (Servicio Nacional Integrado de Administración Aduanera y Tributaria, SENIAT). The fines, amounting to more than US$2,000,000, were imposed because the stations had broadcast political […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 18 March 2004, Globovisión, Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV), Televen and Venevisión television stations were informed that they were being fined by the national customs and tax collection service (Servicio Nacional Integrado de Administración Aduanera y Tributaria, SENIAT). The fines, amounting to more than US$2,000,000, were imposed because the stations had broadcast political advertisements free of charge for groups that oppose President Hugo Chávez’s government. SENIAT documents indicate that the fines correspond to taxes that would have been applied to earnings from the broadcast of the Coordinadora Democrática coalition’s advertisements. The air time for broadcast of the advertisements was donated to the opposition coalition during the civic strike that took place from December 2002 to January 2003.
A SENIAT official, José Joaquín Cedillo, said that the fines are the outcome of a tax investigation based on the Inheritance and Donations Law. The investigation began in August 2003.
According to the SENIAT documents, Globovisión must pay US$1,145,830 in fines, RCTV US$1,041,660, Venevisión US$781,250 and Televen US$302,080.
Marcel Granier, head of the 1BC business group, which owns RCTV, said his company would initiate legal action in response to the SENIAT actions. He went on to say that the actions limit the right of Venezuelans to use media outlets to freely express themselves and that the fines are being imposed simply because the television stations permitted the opposition to state their views.
