After government officials denounced attacks on various government health clinics by rightwing protesters last week, Venezuelan private media launched a campaign to cover up those attacks and deny that they had occurred.
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles has given falsified evidence to support his claims that there was fraud in Venezuela’s presidential elections on Sunday.
In a public broadcast yesterday the Venezuelan government announced the transition to democracy. Measures include the sale of community media to business giant Rupert Murdoch, and the privatisation of the health sector.
In stark contrast with the characterizations and demonization of Chávez in the major media is the response that Chávez’s death has elicited from his peers, fellow presidents from throughout the Americas.
As Venezuela enters its second day of mourning of the death of President Hugo Chavez, leaders of the opposition have already begun criticisms of the president’s successors, accusing them of not following the constitution.
A claim by the ex-Panamanian ambassador to the Organisation of American States (OAS) that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez died several days ago after being “brain dead since 30 December” has been dismissed as “attention-seeking” and “speculation” by supporters of the Venezuelan president.
Just weeks after Spanish newspaper El País published a fake photo of Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan authorities responded to another report, this time by Spanish daily ABC, which claims that the Venezuelan president would not recover.
The Venezuelan government has announced that it will pursue legal action against Spanish newspaper El País for the publication of a fake photograph purporting to show President Hugo Chavez undergoing medical treatment.
Yesterday the vice-president handed over the yearly review of the national executive’s management to the national assembly. Some opposition members walked out during the proceedings, expressing their dissent.
The Venezuelan government has responded to opposition and private media accusations that it is being “mysterious” regarding information on Chavez’s health situation, and has called such statements as well as rumours being spread on social networks “psychological warfare”.
According to the Venezuelan government, President Hugo Chavez is “walking and exercising”, in contrast to some private media claims that he is currently “dependent on artificial respiration”. Debate continues over what to do if Chavez can’t make the 10 January swearing-in, with officials stating there would be a postponement.
Venezuela's National Assembly approved a request by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez yesterday for him to travel to Cuba to receive medical treatment. National and international private media used the announcement to speculate about the Venezuelan president's health.
Venezuela's foreign minister slammed "right-wing, tabloid" journalists who he accused on Thursday of launching a dirty campaign to discredit the country after its acting ambassador was murdered in Kenya.
With debates, exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations, this week Venezuela marked a decade since the coup and counter-coup of April 2002 which removed President Hugo Chavez from power in just under 48 hours.
