Responding to The Observer’s Disinformation on Hugo Chavez

[The Venezuela Information Centre (VIC) respond to a piece in Sunday's 'Observer' by John Carlin entitled "Revealed: Chávez role in cocaine trail to Europe". Click here to see other critical responses to Carlin's piece. To see Carlin's 'Observer' piece click here.]

Responding to The Observer’s  Disinformation on Hugo Chavez

By the Venezuela Information Centre (VIC) - 5/2/08

On Sunday 3 February The Observer devoted a double page spread to a story claiming that President Hugo Chavez’s government is colluding in the Colombian drugs trade. The article, titled  “Revealed: Chavez role in cocaine trail to Europe”, was rehashed from an earlier publication in El Pais on 16 December 2007 and was a blatant piece of negative anti-Chavez propaganda. It was based on a series of unsubstantiated claims, distortions and interviews with unidentified sources, in which not a single allegation was backed up by hard evidence. It clearly forms part of a renewed, co-ordinated media campaign against Venezuela and it follows from the recent Channel 4 Dispatches  programme (where Martin Bright said that  Hugo Chavez colluded with narco-terrorists) and the BBC’s Panorama programme (where Alex James  reported from Colombia).

It is difficult to find one single corroborated fact in the article. Indeed, despite all the claims and spin in the piece, and its headline, it is forced, even by its own standards, to admit that there is no such role: `No source I spoke to accused Chávez himself of having a direct role in Colombia's giant drug-trafficking business.’ However this has not stopped The Observer from being the latest to make a clearly political intervention aimed at furthering the anti-Chavez agenda. This intervention is taking place amidst a background of Venezuela’s recent successful role in freeing hostages in Colombia and in promoting a negotiated peace there. The only possible ‘rationale’ for such a journalistic effort must be to attempt to reverse and distort the positive effects of Venezuela’s contribution to this process. Venezuela is continuing to pursue a policy aimed at assisting the peace process and freeing the remaining hostages.

This type of reporting – based on opinion, hearsay and devoid of facts – has to be challenged, both at the level of the standard of journalism (particularly in a serious Sunday weekly such as The Observer) and on the bare facts. Carlin’s piece does not qualify as journalism and is simply anti-Chavez propaganda.

We reproduce separately on our website other articles making these points, such as Toni Solo’s excellent piece from www.venezuelanalysis.com which is a particularly effective point by point rebuttal and effectively demolishes any pretensions to responsible, factual or objective reporting. The `claims’ contained in The Observer article have indeed been strongly rejected by the Venezuelan government. Such attacks alarmingly come against an ever increasing background of tension in Venezuelan-Colombian relations and US aggression towards Venezuela, which President Chavez recently raised strong concerns over. There are fears that the ground is being laid for some kind of military intervention against Venezuela, with such fabrications used as a pretext.

Indeed, John Walters, Director of the US Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), during  his visit to Colombia in January, asserted that Venezuela has become `a haven’ for shipments of cocaine manufactured in Colombia and that Venezuela was refusing to act against the traffic. The Venezuelan government has rejected these claims, pointing out that Venezuela's levels of international co-operation with other nations against drug trafficking have significantly increased. While Venezuela has been accused of non-compliance in the war on drugs by the US following its expulsion of US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officers 3 years ago, Venezuela continues to meet its obligations within the UN drug control regime and respects all international counter-narcotics conventions.

The Venezuelan government, far from being complicit, has actually increased its successes in combating the illegal drugs trade, and has won acknowledgement for this internationally, including from the UN. The article’s main claims are that there is collusion between the government of Venezuela and the FARC, yet the only sources quoted to support this are anonymous, former-FARC members and other unnamed individuals. No evidence is provided, other than uncorroborated hearsay. The article aims to throw mud, which it hopes will stick. However, the facts on Venezuela’s record are clear.

Venezuela’s government under Hugo Chavez has a clear policy against drug trafficking. Moreover, the country finds itself in the unenviable position of being between Colombia -- the world’s largest cocaine producer (approximately 90 per cent) and the US – the world’s largest consumer of  cocaine.

(click here to view entire article)

Comments

[al-fallujah]

surprised?
that's how the so.called civilised operates. lies, bullsh*t and propaganda all in the name of free.dumb,just.us and de.mockery
keep on rocking in the free world

[CIA]

the "secret" has been known for years ... who doesn't know that Chavez is one of the biggest drug runners in the world .... he will meet his fate as Noriega did ... first an indictment for drug-dealing and money -laundering , then an invasion and crushing blow to him and his followers by CIA and military

[Robert]

Chavez has been protecting narco-terrorists of the FARC an ELN for years. One wonders what he gets in return other that to assert ignorant and even stupid commentaries about his Colombia counterpart. No doubt he's a smart dictator...but eventually the Pueblo Venezolano will get wise and kick him out of office...just a matter of time now that he has lost his latest referendum.