News has emerged for the National Assembly that a discussion paper has been presented to control the content of cable TV channels in Venezuela.

This is precisely what was suggested in “Globovision digging its own grave in Venezuela”, published on Axis of Logic on May 22. It looks like the Venezuelan National Assembly and its legislators have wasted no time in rising to the challenge. National Assembly Deputy, Manuel Villalba stated that the content offered in subscription cable channels does not “correspond to the educational or cultural needs of Venezuela”.

There is sure to be the standard outcry about this new law from “civil society” and the cable operators including DirecTV on the basis of the sacred cow of “freedom of speech”.

One has to ask these idealist objectors why there was no objection in Colombia when a similar law was applied and which will most probably be the model for such a law in Venezuela.

DirecTV offers at least 100 channels in Venezuela, the vast majority of which has zero cultural or educational content or “redeeming social value”. Sure, there are plenty of cops and robbers, court room dramas, P.I.’s, Reality TV, Game Shows, sports and so on, but what does this have to do with the cultural heritage of Venezuela or Latin America for that matter? Answer: nothing.

On these hollywoodesque channels the chicanos are bad; the Colombians, drug traffickers, Cuban women, prostitutes, Argentines thieves, and every other stereotype you wish to name. This is what “civil society” and the Venezuelan opposition is prepared to defend.

Come on, National Assembly, pass the law, apply it and get this psychological poison out of our homes and out of society. Channels such as RCTV and Globovision have only themselves to blame for this clampdown and have succeeded in prejudicing many other companies as well.

As Simon Bolivar said:

“They have succeeded in dominating us more
through ignorance, than through force”.

Not a truer word has been spoken and upon passing this law, the Venezuelan National Assembly will be fulfilling its historical legacy as pointed out by the Liberator a hundred years before TV was invented.

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