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Venezuela: The Censored Dossier

Iria Puyosa · 19:08 · Americas

Update: Walter Martínez said that he and the people who support him are not defending a person; they are defending freedom of speech, and fighting corruption. Listen to the audio of Walter Martínez's statement. Chávez himself called to the VTV interactive news show, La Hojilla, to tell journalist Mario Silva to stop supporting Walter Martínez. Listen to Chávez’ phone call.

For more than two decades, the best international news coverage in Venezuela television has been presented by Walter Martínez on his half-hour, nightly show, Dossier. The Uruguay-born internationalist and journalist has worked in Venezolana de Television - the government run television channel - alongside six administrations, enduring various political trends.

Last Thursday 15, Walter Martínez was reporting on the United Nations Assembly from Caracas, even though he was the official head of Venezuelan press before the UN, and he was authorized to be in the New York headquarters. On Thursday's program, Martínez made the point that false revolutionaries were controlling government-run media in Venezuela, as well as influential political positions. Excerpts from last Thursday Dossier can be seen following the link in the pro-Chávez website, Aporrea.

On Friday, Dossier was taken off air. More coverage can be found at El espacio de Lubrio. An ambiguous official statement from the Ministry of Communication and Information and VTV board of directors asked that Martínez appears before the National Attorney Office to present any charge against public administrators that he may have. The statement also warns about the obligation to obey dispositions on responsible journalism included in the Radio and Television Social Accountability Law.

Luigino Bracci Roa—a Venezuelan pro-Chávez blogger—reports how the Bolivarian News Agency presented a distorted view of a small demonstration asking VTV directive to stop censoring Dossier. Bracci conjectures “it appears like they (Bolivarian News Agency) got a call requesting to make the demonstration appear as illegitimate”. According to Bracci—who says that he took part in the demonstration—, BNA portrayed the protest as it were smaller than it actually was, and stated that demonstrators were union members (1) when they where mostly housewives, students, and middle age white-collar workers. BNA also highlighted that private owned news channel Globovisión was covering the demonstration, and failed to report Martínez's remarks on the issue. Bracci pointed out that BNA claimed Globovisión as the opposition channel, implying that it was an opposition political show rather than a popular demonstration.

Comments on Lubrio’s blog entries emphasize that the Dossier case is not the first censored news show in the Venezuelan government run media. Baquiano says, “dissidence and direct critique of the leader among his followers is inadmissible [within “personality cult” regimes] because admitting so means to give reason to the “enemy”. Alberto Farías claims, “this is your revolution, a big lies-bag, theft to the nation patrimony, emotional manipulation of people that are searching desperately for a way to improve their lives”. Some chavistas blame Blanca Eckhout (VTV President) and Mari Pili Hernández (officer in Venezuelan Embassy in U.S.) for Dossier suspension and remark that “they would like to have the credibility that this fellow [Martínez] has”.

The conversation is also taking place on other weblogs, such as Terreno Baldío, and EnigmasExpress.

¹ Unions have got a somewhat bad reputation in Venezuela.

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Iranian Bloggers and Collective Blogging: From a Democratic Exercise to Defend Freedom of Speech

Farid Pouya · 12:14 · Middle East & North Africa

lingua → zhs · zht

Iranian bloggers in last six months have started a new experience: Collective Blogging. Six months ago several bloggers from different places with diverse point of views came together and launched KHABARCHIN in Farsi. Khabarchin whose creators called it Weblog Shahr's (shahr is City in Persian) news agency was a platform for several bloggers to collaborate together for first time.The objectives of this collective blogging were to inform people about useful links, blogs and news, to show that people with diverse opinions can create a common platform, to prove that Iranian can do a collective activity together. Khabarchin lived just six months and its members prefered to put an end to this experience. In final message Khabarchin founders say that it was a fruitful democratic experience and they prefer to stop their activity at this moment that blog is still popular. By looking at blog's archive we see a real short news covering all kind of subjects from political prisoners and censorship to cultural events and music. One of Khabarchin's active members was Majid Zohari who is a very active blogger in Canada.

Another collective blogging's experience is PenLog creation. Penlog is association of Iranian blogwriters who has about 200 members/bloggers. Their main goal are to defend Iranian bloggers, to fight censorship, to promote freedom of speech on internet and to provide technical support for its members. Penlog organises discussions on Paltalk about different subjects such as censorship and methods to survive it. On Penlog we can read about arrested bloggers , Reporters without borders' director's interview in Persian,…. Blog is in Persian and English.

Khabarchin's six month experience is an important experience to do collective activities. Penlog can become little by little a virtual institution to defend bloggers. On March 2005 Penlog protested arrest of blogger Omid Parvar. May be it becomes a voice for voiceless bloggers in future.

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Spotlight Caribbean

David Sasaki · 08:33 · Americas

Anguilla

Eric Olsen has a post on Blogcritics.org about Anguilla's upcoming Tranquility Jazz Festival from November 9th to the 13th. Bob Green's Anguilla News covers American Eagles' recent announcement of more frequent flights from San Juan to the small island as well as the 2006 dates for Anguilla's annual Regatta.

Aruba

Aruba Girl, on her way to Puerto Rico for a shopping spree, seems slightly disturbed that neighboring Venezuela has democratically elected Hugo Chavez. Daniel Kuo was able to photograph Aruba's famed “Natural Bridge,” shortly after it collapsed.

Bahamas

The Bahamas were spared by tropical storm Rita, but Wolfgang - who unfortunately decided to stop blogging yesterday - was able to document the stormy weather on Sunday and said oil prices increased on mere speculation of the storm's effects. Bahamas Blog has a summary of the Bahamas International Film Festival as well as an insightful piece on how the Nassau Guardian covers graffiti and Bahamian culture in general. Womanish Words, in a highly reflective post, is curious as to what percentage of Bahamians have Lucayan ancestry in their blood were DNA testing to be done as it was in Puerto Rico. Nicolette Bethel examines the roll of government during disasters following Hurricane Katrina and the fire which destroyed the Bahamas' famed Straw Market. Finally, Camlaw has advice for getting settled in Nassau.

Barbados

This, That, & Whatever was at the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting held in Bridgetown, Barbados this week and has an excellent summary. De Cooler: Soca News highlights Bajan soca artist, Edwin Yearwood's newest album. Bajan, Neil Benn, currently studying in the U.K. is not impressed with Nation News columnist Ezra Alleyne. Jdid, originally from Barbados, but currently living in Toronto, says the Caribbean has very few degrees of separation:

Plus I stopped and talked to the dread about his fete tomorrow night. Not sure I'll reach but the dread is cool people. Been buying ‘conscious' reggae from the yout for like a year or more now and its only a few weeks back that I found out that he's in business with a bajan bredren that I've known since like 95. Small world aint it? Like earlier this summer I found out this sistren I've known since University is the cousin of one of my best friends back home. The Caribbean community just too small. Everyone's connected to everyone else somehow.

Bermuda

Whappenings has a good roundup of what's been happening in Bermuda this week including the rumors of the next James Bond movie being shot there. OffshoreNet has a thorough introduction to Bermuda while Bermuda Blog has a set of photos from a walk on the beach to a friend's BBQ.

Cuba

Steven's Cuba Blog has an impressive set of three photographs entitled “Voices of Cuba.” The one pictured here is of Yadin, a computer programmer who says she can make more from renting a room than working as a programmer. The PF Hyper Blog observes that Cuba survived category 5 hurricane Ivan without any loss of life while Tasteful Future takes a closer look at the United States' refusal of Cuba's offer to send 1,500 doctors to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Mora from Babalu Blog, meanwhile, takes a more critical look at Cuban doctors. Finally, Havana Journal links to an article on Castro's speech to the 3,515 new doctors from around the Caribbean and Latin America who recently graduated from the “Henry Reeve International Contingent of Doctors Specialized in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics.”

Dominica

News-Dominica.com has a press release from the office of the Prime Minister announcing “a Massive National Clean-up and Beautification Programme in an effort to raise the consciousness of the Dominican people on the importance of the protection and preservation of the environment.”

Dominican Republic

Spanglish blogger, Cesar D, is having problems with both college and his car. Annie Sánchez explains the nicknames she's given her friends. Bracuta wants to know why so many disasters - natural and otherwise - have been occurring recently. Diego Vega is reminded of:

video clubs here in the Dominican Republic. They all have a small section called “Foreign Cinema”. There you will find all non American movies, including the few Dominican movies that they have… I figure globalization didn't work both ways here!

Grenada

Steve Brett has a collection of photographs from last month's Carnival in Grenada. Paul Gardenghi has an update on his new Grenadian podcast.

Guyana

Guyana-Gyal takes the challenge and tells a fictional story in 50 words. Emile Mervin focuses on the ~~Guyanan~~ Guyanese youth who visited Venezuela for the World Youth Forum, emphasizing their determination to meld idealism with capitalism. Taran Rampersad has left Guyana for Canada and offers an excellent recap of his time there. And Living Guyana feels insulted by the EU.

Haiti

We are still searching all avenues for a single weblog written directly from Haiti, a country with overwhelmingly expensive internet access. The National Coalition for Hatian Rights, however, has set up this Livejournal community to discuss all things Hatian. Haiti Innovation also has a blog-like format with an RSS feed and Western Hemisphere Policy Watch focused today on Haiti's current chaotic state of affairs.

Jamaica

Professor Charles Nesson has two posts explaining the work he has been doing in Jamaica. Jamaica Culture & People wonders if a photographed man is a descendent of the Maroons. The Egoist explains the significance of the colors on Jamaica's flag. Mad Bull has found three more bloggers to add to his ever-expanding Caribbean blog roll. Contemplation says “Hurricane Rita has us dead in her cross hairs” and Kingston Girl reports that the thunderstorms have already started.

Puerto Rico

Wooster Collective has a photograph of new street art in Puerto Rico. Gil C. Schmidt believes that his fellow Puerto Ricans must change first before they expect their government to. Aníbal Freytes, a longtime IT employee, is tired of working for the Puerto Rican government. Tinta Digital has an excellent post in Spanish (machine translated here) rethinking the university system in Puerto Rico. Roberto Borrero posts about the opening of an exhibit in San Juan highlighting contemporary Taino artwork.

St. Vincent & The Grenadines

Abeni says it's campaign season, “that time of year when seemingly rational persons become almost unrecognisable.”

Trinidad and Tobago

Caribbean Free Radio has just released podcast episode number 32, a Skype-interview with journalist, Simon Lee. Peace River Postings describes a workshop given in Port of Spain on web technologies, during which all internet connectivity on the island was shut down. Karen W. discusses her identity and decides to refer to herself as “Englameridadian.” Solace offers up the ingredients for Trinidadian politics. Ana is tired of crime in her country after a third bomb went off in Port of Spain. Subway Chronicles has more information and links on the bombing. De Cooler: Soca News reports that:

Probably the oldest record store for soca music, Rhyner’s, is now closed. Founded in 1938, the shop now moved from Prince Street, Port of Spain in Trinidad to a internet based online shop. Diana Rhyner said, that piracy, vagrancy and banditry forced the shop to close.

U.S. Virgin Islands

Frank Barnako writes that tropical storm Philippe is expected to miss Saint John. Iris of Welcome to Paradox, meanwhile, has an all-inclusive list of how to prepare for a hurricane in the Caribbean.

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