CARACAS: Telesur, the 24-hour television network created by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to counter the “hegemony” of the international networks like CNN, launched broadcasting yesterday already immersed in a war of words with Washington.
The new network is making its first broadcasts pointedly on the annual commemoration of the birth of South American nationalist hero Simon Bolivar, who Chavez holds up as the model for his own “revolutionary government”.
But just days ahead of the launch, a member of the US House of Representatives accused Chavez of launching “his own television network patterned after Al Jazeera to spread his anti-American, anti-freedom rhetoric.”
Connie Mack, a Republican representative from Florida, authored a bill during the week which authorised the US to broadcast radio and television programmes at Venezuela which would counter Telesur’s alleged anti-Americanism.
These broadcasts “will provide a consistently accurate, objective, and comprehensive source of news to Venezuela,” Mack said.
“Hugo Chavez is an enemy of freedom and of those who support and promote it,” Mack said when the bill was passed.
Chavez reacted sharply, saying he was ready to enter an “electronic war” and jam the transmissions from the US in the same way Cuban President Fidel Castro did when the US set up Cuba-directed Radio Marti in 1985.
Based in Caracas with 160 employees, Telesur – Television of the South – will have correspondents in nine countries (Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico and the United States) and will carry images from state and academic-related television stations across the region.
The company is capitalised with $10 million, and is 51 per cent controlled by Venezuela, 20 per cent Argentina, 19 per cent Cuba and 10 per cent Uruguay.
The network plans to distribute six hours of programming each day by satellite, “examining with our own eyes the reality in Latin America,” said Jorge Botero, the Colombian director of information of the company.
The six hours of shows will be rebroadcast four times a day.
“Telesur is ready for the launch with programmes on hand for several of the cable chains in the region, with news, opinion, features, documentaries and films,” Botero said.
According to Botero, by October Telesur will have in place its own news programme as well.
Even before its launch, the network has come under fire from critics who brand it Chavez’ personal project, a “Tele-Chavez” to promote his own brand of “Bolivarian revolution.”
Venezuelan Minister of Information Andres Izarra denied that it was an instrument of the Venezuela government.
“Telesur is not an arm to promote political models or processes. What happens in Venezuela is right for Venezuela,” Izarra said.
Even so, in March station director Aram Aharonian said that Telesur involves “a massive fight over the ideology.”
The network has also been criticized in Venezuela’s neighbour Colombia for having included in its promotions, broadcast during a testing period, images of the leader of the Colombian anti-government guerilla leader Manuel Marulanda.
Chavez and Izarra both rejected the criticism, saying Marulanda’s image was only included among images of other people and events important in Latin American history.     – AFP 
Last update on: 25-7-2005