Jamaica Gleaner News - EDITORIAL - A pity Ch�vez won't hear it first-hand - Wednesday

It is a pity Hugo Ch�vez, the Venezuelan president, has injured himself playing softball and so has had to cancel his trip to Jamaica tomorrow for this country's 47th anniversary of Independence.

We wish for his speedy recovery, for President Ch�vez has been a good economic supporter of Jamaica via his PetroCaribe initiative.

It would have been good, therefore, if the Jamaican people, represented by those who will attend tomorrow's Grand Gala, where Mr Ch�vez was to have been Prime Minister Bruce Golding's special guest, were able publicly to express their gratitude for his assistance in these difficult times. Additionally, Prime Minister Golding would have had another opportunity to tell President Ch�vez face to face about his Government's disappointment with his proposed adjustments to PetroCaribe and offer alternatives that would cause less hurt to Jamaica.

President Ch�vez's injury is also robbing Prime Minister Golding, and all Jamaica, an opportunity to express to the Venezuelan leader another profound principle: our commitment and adherence to freedom of expression, which is the critical foundation of democracy. This newspaper has been concerned over President Ch�vez's encroachments on both in Venezuela.

Disturbing trend

Two developments in Venezuela recently deepen our worry about this disturbing trend. On Monday, Venezuela's Telecommunications Commission told 50 radio stations that their broadcast licences would be revoked for failing to update their registration. Another 200 stations that failed to meet a June deadline for the new licences are also under threat, although they have not yet been formally notified.

These radio stations represent about 40 per cent of the broadcast outlets in Venezuela, and the move to close them, many fear, echoes the Government's action in 2007 when it revoked the licence of RCTV in what was perceived as state retribution against President Ch�vez's media critics.

Last week, the Venezuelan attorney general, Luisa Ortega, proposed to the national assembly, dominated by supporters of President Ch�vez, a new media law that is inimical to the interest of a free press and, ultimately, democracy. In essence, Mr Ch�vez wants a new, and more aggressive, form of the anachronistic criminal libel and sedition laws that operate in our jurisdictions, but on which there is broad consensus that they have long outlived democratic usefulness.

Freedom of expression

Ms Ortega, however, says that in Venezuela "freedom of expression must be limited". So, the proposed law would punish people in the media "who disseminate false information, resulting in public panic".

The intent, on the surface, appears benign and may even be perceived to be to the public good. However, given the likely subjective interpretation of these offences, such authority would be extremely dangerous in the hands of anyone, especially if such a person has an inclination towards undermining freedom expression, or, to narrow the democratic space.

Our advice to President Ch�vez is that he drops these bad ideas, confront his critics in democratic dialogue and, assuming he wins the argument, beat them, as he has done, in the ballot boxes.

Even on crutches and arm in a sling, we would still like President Ch�vez to come so that he can be told these truths and also hear why, in the current environment, Jamaica cannot pay 100 per cent upfront for its oil, even if we will later get back 40 per cent of the bill in soft loans.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.