Venezuela Taxes TV Channel for Free Anti-Chavez Ads

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan authorities demanded $800,000 in taxes from a private TV channel Thursday for transmitting advertisements critical of President Hugo Chavez during an opposition strike three years ago.

The SENIAT tax agency demanded Venevision pay around $804,000 in taxes. It had originally announced the channel would have to pay more than double that amount, but the company appealed the ruling.

Authorities earlier this week said another channel, Televen, would have to pay $182,300 in taxes.

Venevision, Televen and a third station facing a tax bill, RCTV, have called the claims punitive fines intended to dampen criticism of Chavez, a leftist former soldier who often blasts private media for conspiring to oust him.

The anti-Chavez propaganda was broadcast in December 2002 and January 2003 when the opposition organized a strike seeking to topple the president. But Chavez survived the protest even though the strike temporarily slashed oil output by the world's No. 5 crude exporter.

Authorities say the free broadcasts were taxable, but media owners argue that the publicity had no commercial value.

Most private television, radio and newspaper companies have opposed Chavez, whom they often paint as an authoritarian cracking down on foes and trying to copy the communism of his ally, Cuban President Fidel Castro.

Chavez, who has promised to use oil revenues to fund projects for the poor, has said he he could shut private channels he accuses of backing radical opposition to his self-styled socialist revolution.

http://english.epochtimes.com/news/5-11-11/34447.html

must be immensely costly in innumerable ways. A special dedicated punitive tax should be created, to pay for it.

to buy up the propaganda network, just like here. Unlike here, however, the voters of Venezuela aren't fucking retarded. Like here, however, lies and propaganda and PC are a threat to rational thinkers and just because people have the money to buy up the telecom infrastructure doesn't mean that they get to define the "truth."

It's an interesting dilemma -- one that I would rather not see solved through taxes, but simply through people realizing that the ultra-rich will tell any fucktard who will listen any lie that keeps them rolling in dough, going as far to rally their innermost fears, primitive protectionist instincts and romanticized myths. It's how the GOP is so successful here.

It seems that the power to buy up all the channels and broadcast on behalf of the aristocrats is a threat to free speech and truth, for sure. What to do? You hope people aren't so fucking stupid.

he stopped free trade of the americas. gave the US cheap oil after the hurricanes. gives the land back to the poor people in venezuela. attacks bush at every opportunity.

whats not to like about the guy ?

...the execs wouldn't be pissing and moaning about $800k in a courtroom.

They'd be begging for their lives, staring down the barrels of half a dozen M16s, with their backs against a stone wall. At best.

Some would say squelching criticism.

Smells like Cuba/Russia.

.....
From above article...

"Chavez, who has promised to use oil revenues to fund projects for the poor, has said he he could shut private channels he accuses of backing radical opposition to his self-styled socialist revolution."

that those with money can buy up all the channels and turn them into propaganda mills? If you merely find one disturbing, and not the other, that doesn't smell right.

I myself wouldn't but they're plently of that would, does that mean the U.S. government has a right to go shut them down?? That doesn't smell right to me.