A direct cut

ELIDES J. ROJAS L. EL UNIVERSAL

At the last minute, Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), a TV channel belonging to the State, the government and the ruling party, announced its participation in the broadcasting of this week-end Telethon, together with the rest of the Venezuelan TV channels.

To participate in such a event was almost an duty. It allowed private businesses, civilian society and mass media to invade a sensitive area for Chávez: poverty, in this case, homeless children.

La Colmena project -a residence complex to be built with the funds raised in order to provide accommodation for 600 poor children- seemed to be a good opportunity for government partisans to get in by force. According to what we could see, they were welcomed. On Saturday, Guárico State governor appeared with a considerable contribution and even a plot of land located in his state. A Vargas State representative did the same. Everything seemed to go smoothly. State and civilian society together, finally together, for a good cause where, besides, the revolution has shown a awful failure.

However, the presence on the stage of the heads of the TV channels was enough for the audience gathered in the major Venezuelan university campus to begin to clap and chant the well-known “Not a single step back.” This meant the end of the VTV broadcasting. It jumped to a joropo tuyero (typical Venezuelan music in the countryside) and a group of people shouting “Chávez won’t leave.”

This rapid pass through this national togetherness allowed a sight into something outrageous. The commercials of fascist, the coup-plotter companies were broadcasted by VTV as they were a Cuban aid package. Some believed we had turned back to the pre-Chavez era.