[UPDATED] Really, the Venezuelan government is panicking. To say the least these past weeks have brought only bad news besides the succession war inside chavismo. The IACHR ruling, the criticism at the UN HR assembly in Geneva, the bad economic news, the protests and more protests from a very dissatisfied el pueblo, the jail situation that seems to be getting worse in spite of a special ministry created for that, etc, etc.... So like a spoiled brat it is starting to kick the table and say that it will not play anymore. And at the same time the said brat starts kicking the house pets just to show that it can still do some harm, albeit useless if not altogether counterproductive.
Yesterday it was Leopoldo Lopez who got screwed. Today it is Globovision who is fined for, hold tight, 7.5% of its gross income for 2010.
Why? Because the regime did not like at all the coverage of Globovision in June of the jail riots. And even though all sorts of media were next to Globovision in covering exactly the same events and interviewing exactly the same people it is Globovision that needs to be shut down because, well, just because he said it.
We can read in official governmental agencies such as AVN that Globovision was fined because "delitos de incitación al desconocimiento del ordenamiento jurídico, apología del delito, fomento a la zozobra de la ciudadanía y odio por razones políticas" which is exactly waht happens EVERY NIGHT in VTV through their talk shows in particular the most infamous late night one, La Hojilla. But of course, the regime can say what it pleases when it pleases but Globovision cannot inform of the reality.
Magnanimously the regime states that Globo can keep transmitting its news, just pay right now about 2 million dollars and we will all be happy. That Globo will go bankrupt is not a notion that crossed the regime hired guns, in this case CONATEL. And certainly if Globovision goes bankrupt and closes the regime will claim that this has nothing to do with freedom of expression and information.
Ah! The sweet taste of planned hypocrisy......
UPDATE: well, after watchign the legal eagle of Globovision tonight I learned some interesting factoids.
First, the decision is based on an "expert" opinion that shall remain nameless. Huh? You can fine someone 2 million dollars in a case that involves no murder or thing of the sort on an anonymous "expert"? Ah! The joys of bolivarian expertise....
Globovision is so good that it directed from its head quarters the whole live show of El Rodeo jail that lasted about 4 weeks in a gigantic conspiracy that included all, maybe even the cleaning ladies at Globovision. Boy! They are good!
Better, Globovision editing team is so good that they are able to put rapid fire gun shot sound tracks so as to confuse chavista officials who actually live on the site thought that there were gunshots. Or some inanity along those lines.
I mean, the whole argumentation is so ludicrous that only the hardest core chavista nincompoop might actually buy it. It is not a matter of defending Globovision here who sometimes uses inadequate stressing music and loves a little bit of sensationalism here and there (anyone watches Anderson on occasion?) but CONATEL is quite pushing the envelope here. So much so that I am almost tempted to believe the ruling is some form of inner chavista sabotage to make someone look bad inside the regime.