ANTI-VENEZUELAN RESOLUTION PASSED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
mmven...@gmail.com
Yesterday, May 24, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations passed an
anti-Venezuelan resolution that will be voted on the
Senate floor in early June.
CALL YOUR SENATORS TO VOTE NO TO S. RES. 211 TODAY!
WHAT IS S. Res. 211?
Senators Lugar (R-IN) and Dodd (D-CT) introduced S. Res. 211 to
condemn a decision made by the Venezuelan National
Telecommunications Commission not to renew the broadcasting license of
Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), a privately owned
television station, that is up at the end of this month. This
resolution incorrectly describes the decision as being "political" and
a threat to freedom of expression in Venezuela, when in fact it is a
regulatory matter based on existing telecommunications law and the
provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
Furthermore, the constitutional right to make decisions on the
licensing of broadcasters is enjoyed by most governments worldwide,
including that of the U.S.
WE NEED YOU TO:
· Call the Senate switchboard at 202-225-3121
· Ask the operator to transfer you to one of your senators (every
state has 2 senators).
· Once you are transferred to your senator's office, ask to speak
to the Legislative Aid who works on Venezuela.
· Request a face-to-face meeting with them while they are home
between May 28 - June 1 and tell them not to vote for S. Res. 211.
TALKING POINTS TO CONSIDER:
· S. Res. 211 is a misleading resolution that incorrectly describes
the non-renewal decision as being "political" and a threat to freedom
of expression in Venezuela, when in fact this is a regulatory matter
based on existing telecommunications law and the provisions of the
1999 Constitution.
· RCTV is Venezuela's most often cited station for legal
infractions, including the airing of pornography and cigarette
advertisements. Previous offenses committed under other presidential
administrations led to repeated closures and fines for RCTV, but the
most recent violation is in regard to the role of the station in
supporting the 2002 coup by airing programming encouraging the public
to take to the streets to depose the democratically elected President,
as well as the economic oil sabotage in 2002 - 2003.
· The non-renewal of the RCTV broadcasting license does not alter
the Venezuelan government's commitment to freedom of expression. Cable
and satellite broadcasts will continue to be available for the
station's use.
· The constitutional right to make decisions on the licensing of
broadcasters is enjoyed by most governments worldwide, including that
of the U.S. Moreover, the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled in early May
to uphold the non-renewal decision.
· Although the Senate resolution calls on the Organization of
American States (OAS) to condemn Venezuela, José Miguel Insulza,
Secretary-General of the OAS, has stated it is up to the Venezuelan
courts to resolve the dispute over RCTV.
Please forward this message to ALL YOUR FRIENDS and ask them to make a
similar call. Post this message on all your list serves!
For more information on how to proceed, call the VIO at 202 347 8081,
ext. 603. Please let us know if you decide to call.
You should also be aware that the Commissioner for Puerto Rico, Luis
Fortuño (R-PR), and Rep. Weller(R-IL) have also submitted anti-
Venezuelan resolutions in the House Foreign Relations Committee.
Check out the VIO's fact sheet on "Press Freedoms in Venezuela: The
Case of RCTV".