US Ambassador snipes at Venezuelan government's media relations record

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Wednesday, May 14, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

US Ambassador to Venezuela Charles Shapiro has renewed the US "sniping policy" against the Venezuelan government warning that the US government is taking threats against domestic print & broadcast media very seriously. 

Speaking at his residence to fellow Ambassadors, Venezuelan media bosses and invited journalists to commemorate World Freedom of Expression Day,  Shapiro claims that press freedom in Venezuela has deteriorated over the last year and it's everyone's responsibility to remedy the situation. 

"Attempts to legislate truth always end up restricting press freedom and not improving reporting." 

The Ambassador says tension between a government and the media is at times tense, and if it isn't, then the media is not doing its job ... he admits he didn't like Venezuelan media criticism of the Anglo-American War on Iraq but admits they were doing their job. 

Turning to Cuba, Shapiro highlighted the Cuban government  clampdown on Cuban journalist, poet and writer Raul Rivero ... "a free press is enemy to dictators independent of any abuses the media might commit ... a free press is the great ally and defender of democracy." 

Venezuelan columnist Miguel Salazar reports that a visit to Venezuela by the Assistant Secretary of US diplomatic missions security arrangements, Francis Taylor must be viewed as a sign of hardening relations between the State Department and the Venezuelan government. The visit coincides with a reshuffle of intelligence officers stationed at the Embassy in Caracas.