UNESCO to cut off its relations with Reporters Without Borders

Caracas Daily Journal (Vincent Bevins): UNESCO has decided to end its relations with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) due to a "repeated lack of ethics" and announced it would exclude possibities of further co-auspices in the future. The U.N. organization for Education, Science and Culture made the decision claiming that the French entity, RSF, tended towards sensationalism and tried to make itself a judge of developing nations.

RSF is the organization most critical of the Chávez government's media policies. Surprisingly, it claimed late last year that the usually objective and often critical Ultimas Noticias was "under the control" of Chávez.

And, of the three press organizations critical of President Chávez' decision not to renew RCTV's broadcast license, it was the only one that would not admit that the same action would likely be taken in the United States or Europe. Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Defend Journalists both agreed RCTV wouldn't be allowed to continue activities in most democracies.

As a response to RSF's claims against Ultimas Noticias, which came in a letter to French President Sarkozy protesting his dealings with Chávez for hostage negotiations due to his country's putative press right's violations, the newspaper filed a column in their paper. They pointed to their constant critiques of daily problems, and asked "who funded" RSF.

Journalist Jean-Guy Allard announced, and lamented, various times that RSF was funded by the U.S. government. The U.S. Organization National Endowment for Democracy often discloses whom the funds go to, but not exactly for which kinds of activities. They do not deny funding numerous opposition groups in the United States.

UNESCO 's decision, then, will be a blow to the Chávez administrations most constant critic on the issue of liberty of expression, and a boon to the Chávez government which has sought to brush aside their claims in the past.