Venezuelans celebrate in Bolivar Square after the country's National
Constituent Assembly, July 30, 2017. (photo: EFE)
What Mainstream Media Got Wrong About Venezuela's Constituent Assembly Vote
By Carla Gonzalez, teleSUR
31 July 17
Venezuelans voted Sunday for representatives of the National Constituent
Assembly, amid what the government has called a targeted media campaign to
destabilize the country and destroy its sovereignty.
International media outlets rushed to discredit the vote, sharing grossly
misrepresentative accounts of the historic electoral process.
The U.S. newspaper Washington Post, for instance, wrote "the decision to
hold the vote appeared set to prolong and deepen the suffering of the people
of Venezuela" - despite assurances from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
that the purpose of the election was to ease economic and political
conflicts with the opposition.
The Washington Post also insisted the nation's 2.8 million state workers
"risked losing their jobs if they did not vote."
The media outlet went even further, claiming the internal and democratic
election represented "a direct challenge" to the administration of U.S.
President Donald Trump after it demanded that the government cancel the
vote.
It said Maduro "defiantly followed through Sunday with his pledge" to hold
the election, "creating a critical new stage in a long-simmering crisis that
could mint the Western Hemisphere's newest dictatorship."
These inflammatory comments, however, do not acknowledge that the right to
call a National Constituent Assembly is included in the country's
Constitution and supported by several articles of its text. Indeed the
absolute independence of the members of the Constituent Assembly to make
changes to the Constitution is protected under these articles.
Germany's Deutsche Welle meanwhile said the election "will cement a
socialist dictatorship" - ignoring the fact that Venezuelans have the right
to call for a Constituent Assembly and that the new Constitution will need
to be approved by the people.
The British media outlet BBC referenced the recent deaths during violent
protests in Caracas, placing the full responsibility for the clashes between
protesters and security forces.
But Venezuelan Armed Forces have denied these accusations. In a press
conference Sunday, Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino Lopez said that none
of the injuries or deaths could be attributed to the Armed Forces. The
article also ignores the eight members of the Armed Forces who were severely
injured while protecting Venezuelans' right to vote.
The CNN, a longtime critic of the Venezuelan government, argued the
Constituent Assembly was controlled by Maduro and that the "vote would give
the president immense political power."
This statement fails to take into account that no other state institution
may interfere in the new legislative body. Only the 545 officials elected by
the citizens from different sectors of society can draft the new
Constitution.
CNN also reported that Maduro would replace Venezuela's National Assembly -
a situation that has never been stated in the decree
Canada's Globe and Mail said "voters broadly boycotted" the election,
ignoring the numerous of photos and videos of people lining up to vote at
dawn and even wading through swamps to reach the voting centers. The article
also does not include the countless reports of seniors and people with
disabilities eagerly casting votes across the country.
"Caracas was largely shut down with deserted streets and polling stations
were mostly empty, dealing a blow to the legitimacy of the vote," said the
Globe and Mail without any evidence.
The Guardian joined the mainstream criticism, calling the election an action
that will "seal the demise of the oil-rich nation's democracy."
Again, the article failed to acknowledge the thousands of people who fought
to earn the opportunity to be candidates in this historical event, including
candidates from the LGBT community, student organizations and women and
campesino groups.
Finally, the New York Times reported on the election with the headline: "As
Venezuela Prepares to Vote, Some Fear an End to Democracy."
The article reported, "Maduro is pushing a radical plan to consolidate his
leftist movement's grip over the nation," forgetting that candidates are not
voted for according to their political parties but through individual
candidacies.
In one of the bluntest accusations, the newspaper argued Maduro "has refused
to negotiate with street protesters," a claim that blatantly ignores
Maduro's ongoing calls for peaceful dialogue and guidance from the Vatican.
It concludes by accusing the president of Venezuela of seeking an "unchecked
authority not seen since the juntas that haunted Latin American countries in
decades past," as Maduro and the Bolivarian Revolution have vowed to fight
the same external interference that brought the U.S. backed dictatorships to
the region in the 60s.
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