The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, through the Deputy Foreign Minister for North America and Multilateral Affairs and Permanent Representative for Venezuela to the United Nations, Jorge Valero, rejected the unfounded opinions expressed by the UN rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

Likewise, it deems the use of this multilateral organizations to attack their member states.

Ambassador Valeroa assured that rapporteurs Frank La Rue (UN) and Catalina Botero (IACHR-OAS) hold a limited version of the bulky record of legal and constitutional violations of some Venezuelan media, especially some TV stations. Also, the Venezuelan ambassador thinks it is outrageous that these officials use their UN and OAS high posts to introduce their bias versions in order to favor private interests, whose systematic practice is the promotion of violence and distabilization in Venezuela.

The statements delivered by Ambassador Jorge Valero reads as follows:

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We receive with no surprise the statement endorsed by Mr. Frank La Rue, United Nations Repporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and Mrs. Catalina Botero, Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression at the Inter American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States, where they expressed their opinion on freedom of expression in Venezuela.

Likewise, it is not surprising that Rapporteu Frank La Rue provides a questionable support to a procedure, strictly attached to law, adopted by the Venezuelan government against Globovision.

This is not the first time our democratic institutions have been attacked. Last April, at a conference held in the Universidad Católica, Andrés Bello, headed by one of the most radical opponents of the Bolivarian government, La Rue stated that supporters of President Chávez are "disaffected mobs," which embodies a clear insult to the Venezuelan people.

In this sense, we must point out the following:

We reject and condemn the use of the UN and the OAS to attack their member states, while defending private monopolies, which are used for the abuse of power and the violation of human rights through the arbitrary use of the radioelectric spectrum (which is of public property), and obtain multibillionaire profits by spreading lies, inculcating values contrary to the interests of the nation, corrupting the conscience of children and adolescents, conspiring against the Venezuelan democracy and favoring transnational interests.

Without proof, consideration and respect for a member state, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, unfounded and bias statements are delivered.

Some TV stations, among them Globovisión, have actively participated in coup d états, the promotion of violence and assassination, the disrespect for foreign heads of state that have visited Venezuela, the transmission of false news with a clear aim to destabilize the Venezuelan democracy, insults and discredit against the President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez Frías.

It is unbelievable that instead of giving a warning to these media outlets which practice media terrorism and repeatedly transgress principles established in the Inter American and Universal System on freedom of opinion and expression, these spokespeople "express concern" about the actions undertaken by the Venezuelan authorities to safeguard these principles.

Much more serious is the fact that they are devoted to discredit the actions undertaken by the Venezuelan state, which acts according to and strictly following the Constitution of the Republic and international laws that govern Human Rights, particularly Freedom of Opinion and Expression.

According to our Constitution and the Law of Responsibility on Radio and Television, which governs the use of the radioelectric spectrum, the duty of the National Commission of Telecommunications, Conatel (Spanish acronym) is to assure that these media promote the fundamental values of peace, coexistence and fraternity among Venezuelans.

The Bolivarian government respects, as any other government does, the exercise of Freedom of Opinion and Expression. Criticism against public servants at all levels, including President Hugo Chávez Frías, is widely and continuously voiced in the media.

The Venezuelan government understands that criticism and contradiction are essential elements of the democratic life. Notwithstanding, there is a difference between the legitimate exercise of the right to criticism and the illegitimate practice of distabilization of democratic institutions. Therefore, the revolutionary government is obliged to respect and make others respect the normal functioning of the democratic institutions.

In Venezuela, democracy is not formal; it has a deep social, moral and humanitarian content. The UNPD indicators on human development and other indicators on inequality rates confirm it. Furthermore, Venezuela is one of the countries that have been affected less by the current [world economic] crisis since its government took precautions to protect the welfare of our people.

The Bolivarian government, therefore, strongly rejects the aforementioned statement endorsed by the UN Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Frank La Rue, and the IACHR Rapporteur for Fredom of Expression, Catalina Botero. In addition, it rejects the attacks of La Rue as he irresponsibly commented on the instituted proceedings, to Globovision.

In this sense, the Deputy Foreign Minister for North America and Multilateral Affairs and Permanent Representative for Venezuela to the United Nations, Jorge Valero, is addressing the UN and OAS authorities to inform them about the situation and firmly register the protest of the Venezuelan government against the statements of the aforementioned international officials.

Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations.

MINCI

(Edited by Axis of Logic)