Venezuelan Diplomat Calls for End to “Media War” Against Syria

Merida, September 15th 2011 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – On Wednesday Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister, Temir Porras, voiced his government’s support for the Syrian people and called for an end to what he called “the media war” currently being waged against Syria by the international mainstream press. Porras said he spoke on behalf of all ALBA nations in their desire to see the Syrian people and government come to a peaceful solution to ongoing violence between pro- and anti-government forces.

Speaking on behalf of the Venezuelan government, Porras told reporters that the small delegation of Venezuelan diplomats currently in Damascus, “came to Syria to express our support and solidarity with the Syrian people, and to express our resentment of the media war against Syria.”

Porras made the comments after meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid Mouallem, who stated that an ongoing “media war” against his country is “based on deceptiveness and implausibility.”

“There is a fierce campaign linked to foreign schemes (launched]) against Syria” Mouallem said, in reference to international news reports of repression against peaceful protestors by the Syrian government.

Venezuela’s Porras said that all ALBA nations (Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela) were united in their call for an end to the mainstream media attacks on the government of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

Venezuela fully supports, Porras said, “the aspirations of the people of the region, rejecting foreign interventions which reflect the desires of colonial powers to renew their hegemony over the resources in the region.”

The Venezuelan diplomat stressed that his government supported ongoing efforts by the Syrian government and members of the opposition to find a peaceful solution to the country’s ongoing political troubles.

Referring to the NATO-backed rebel takeover of Libya, the ALBA nations recently issued a collective “urgent alert” against what they called “the threats of repeating the same procedures against Syria, taking advantage of the political difficulties that the Arab country is going through.”

During a visit to Moscow earlier this week, Syrian Presidential Counselor, Buthaina Shaaban, told reporters that his country “salutes” all diplomatic efforts underway that seek a peaceful resolution to the “situation” his country faces, making special reference to the ALBA block.

“Almost all of Latin America supports our position,” said Shaaban, “which is aimed at promoting a national dialogue and to avoid a further increase in violence.”

The Syrian government has said some 1,400 people have been killed in recent disturbances, half of which (700) were members of the state security forces.

Mainstream media reports and international human rights organizations, both of which are reported to have exaggerated figures prior to the NATO-backed invasion of Libya, placed the numbers much higher.