Rumors abound regarding the reasons behind Alberto Federico Ravell‘s decision to step down as CEO of Globovisión, the only critical open-air channel remaining in Venezuela against the despot Hugo Chávez. His colleague, Guillermo Zuloaga, appeared on TV with a serious demeanor reminiscent of Alistair Campbell (skip to min. 3) and claimed that the regime’s decision to remove the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads had nothing to do with Ravell’s departure. CONATEL, the telecommunications regulatory body in Venezuela run by the corrupt bully Diosdado Cabello, has yet again ruled against RCTVi. Even The Economist is now using direct language to describe the reality in Venezuela, which is being referred to as «Venecuba»:
In a small fishing village on the Caribbean coast of Venezuela, there stands a pedestal. Inaugurated by government officials in 2006, it honors the Cuban guerrillas sent by Fidel Castro in the 1960s to help undermine Venezuela’s newly restored democracy. Stripped almost entirely of popular support, the guerrilla campaign was a failure. However, four decades later and after a decade under Hugo Chávez’s rule, the Cuban communist regime finally seems to have achieved its goal of infiltrating oil-rich Venezuela, this time without firing a single shot.
One thing is certain: the visit of Ramiro Valdés had little to do with resolving electricity issues and everything to do with establishing a permanent blackout on press freedom and expression in Venezuela. That is the only area where the Cuban dictatorship can offer advice to so-called democratic nations.