Telling the truth about Venezuela will be more important than ever over the coming months as we enter the countdown to Venezuela’s Presidential elections in December next year.
Against the backdrop of the world recession effecting Venezuela in recent years, increased representation for the right-wing opposition in the Venezuelan parliament, and a strengthened US republican right - seeking to “confront Hugo Chavez directly” in the words of US Congressman Connie Mack – we are already seeing a stepped up campaign of disinformation seeking to undermine support internationally for progress in Venezuela, including in the British media. The distortions we have seen already almost certainly reflect the tip of the iceberg regarding distorted media coverage about developments in Venezuela in the months ahead.
An example of media distortion: response to the floods
Venezuela has been one of the victims of the spate of floods at the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011. Over 35 died and others are still missing following the heaviest rains in 40 years at the end of 2010. Over 100,000 were left homeless, with infrastructure badly damaged and agriculture hugely affected. The human costs of this tragedy continue.
The response of Venezuela’s government has been swift, deep and ongoing, with the Presidential palace even opened to flood victims with many now living there until houses are built. Other key aspects have included the setting up of over 900 refuges to house the 133,000 people left homeless and ensuring that 1000s of empty hotel rooms have also been used to temporarily house those made homeless, Additionally, and crucially, an impressive new national housing programme is to be accelerated, with $1 billion to be invested in new housing this year.
In the British media, there has been relatively little coverage of this disaster, which is understandable given the much greater human causalities elsewhere. However what is less explicable is why the little coverage there was, has been politicised in such a way to focus not on the human tragedy but into another distorted tale of President Chavez undermining democracy, with little or no mention of the government’s pro-active response to the crisis.
Specifically, a number of stories repeated claims from Venezuela’s right-wing opposition that enabling powers granted to Chavez in response to the disasters were a step towards dictatorship. In reality, these enabling powers have been granted specifically because of the enormous humanitarian disaster of the floods, which requires the fast-tracking of legislation.
Furthermore, the temporary granting of enabling powers is a constitutional power commonly enacted by former presidents. Far from allowing President Chavez to govern the country by decree, the powers exist to allow passing laws in specified areas. The Supreme Court must approve any decrees that have a constitutional implication, and the National Assembly may also modify or rescind any law passed in this way!
Yet, despite these facts and the context of natural disasters and human tragedy, still a narrative was build up with stories in papers such as the Independent and Guardian declaring that “'Dictator' Chavez to Rule by Decree” or quoting the opposition about a "coup against the constitution."
When Chavez then made clear shortly afterwards that the powers were likely to be applied for only six months, there was a near total silence in the Western media.
When it comes to Venezuela, the truth appears less important than the story!
The positive truth about Venezuela today
Sadly this example of one-sided media coverage of Venezuela is not an exception, but rather the norm. How many British people would know that in Venezuela today a new national health service is being built for the first time in the country’s history? Or that prior to 1998, there were only 14 national elections in 50 years, and under Chavez since then there have already been more than that, verified free and fair by electoral observers?
There is an exciting story that could be told about Venezuela of how a new society is being built, where people’s living standards and public services are being protected despite the deep global recession. Omission and distortion of this tale is frequent. Major ’good news stories’ in 2010 and the early months of 2011 that you may not have heard include:
- Venezuelans show the highest support for democracy in the region in 2010 according to the respected Latinobarometro report.
- Inequality decreased at a rate five times higher than many other countries in Latin America between 1998 to 2008, and a report issued by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in October 2010 found that poverty in Venezuela dropped by 44%, the single biggest decrease in the region.
- Currently, over 2 million Venezuelans are in higher education, compared to 600,000 in 1998, making Venezuela the country with the second largest percentage of students in HE in the region, with 83% enrolment rate in higher education institutions - the fifth highest worldwide.
- Despite regular media reports to the contrary, the Venezuelan government has moved aggressively to make access to the Internet free and universal. In recent years, 668 local Infocenters – community-based Internet access points – have been founded, and were awarded a UNESCO prize in 2010.
- During the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit Venezuela announced that it had achieved a number of development targets ahead of schedule and would meet the remaining ones by the 2015 deadline.
Indeed, as many countries throughout the world face savage cuts and dislocation, the reality is that a far more positive story can be told about Venezuela - that despite tumbling oil revenues and global economic downturn, the social programmes budget has been defended and, in some areas, even expanded. In 2010, almost 46% of the government's budget was allotted to social spending such as health and education, and this is increasing further in 2011.
Supporters of Venezuela therefore need to redouble efforts to both communicate the great things that are being done in Venezuela to protect and expand public services such as health and education and counter the misinformation campaign coming from the Venezuelan oligarchy.
The social advances in Venezuela are under threat from powerful, international, political and economic interests that benefit from the neo-liberal status quo. It is this status quo that the Chavez administration challenges – and why this media offensive exists and will continue.
Venezuela shows that another world is possible. It needs our solidarity. Please join the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign today.
Matt Willgress, Coordinator of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign. Please email for more information.
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