Where Was the ICHR When Bolivians Were Being Murdered and Their Media Was Being Censored Last Week?

San Carlos, 19 Oct. Venezuela’s Minister of Communications and Information, Jesse Chacon, announced that this Monday he will meet with representatives of the OAS Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (ICHR), to explain the details of the legal actions taken by the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) against the Venezuelan commercial television station Globovision.

Chacon said he was worried about the way that the ICHR proceeded with regard to this law enforcement case, which contrasts with their silence with regard to events in other countries. “Bolivia is an example of this, where there were more than 70 people killed, several radio stations closed and some had their towers destroyed. Where was the Commission on Human Rights?” said the Minister.

Chacon said that the ICHR “seems to have little transparency in the way they work,” and that this is one of the subjects that he will discuss on Monday with the representatives of the ICHR.

The Minister assured that at his meeting with CIDH representatives, he will make it clear that in Venezuela everything is done according to the Constitution and according to international treaties.

On October 3rd, Venezuela’s Telecommunications Commission, Conatel, confiscated several microwave equipment used without permission by TV station Globovision to make transmissions through the 7 and 11 GHz bands. The action does not impair the station’s ability to broadcast, and it did not go off the air.

So far, Globovision has not applied for a permit to use the microwave frequencies that motivated the government’s move against them.

Chacon also commented on the recall referendums against opposition governors and mayors, “Venezuelans are starting to sign the petitions thanks to the good behavior of the people and thanks to a process that forced the opposition to understand that they can do everything within the Constitution, but nothing outside of it.”

“The referendums are one of the big achievements of the Bolivarian Revolution,” said Chacon.