Venezuela says media distorted facts on Chavez visit to Russia

The Venezuelan government on Wednesday accused international and domestic media of deliberately misinterpreting information on President Hugo Chavez's recent visit to Russia. Some media reports said Chavez offered to host Russian military bases in Venezuela and to buy $30 billion worth of Russian weaponry in the next four years. 'We are concerned over the distorted coverage of Hugo Chavez's successful visit to Russia,' the Ministry of Communication and Information said in a statement. 'These lies, which are spread by global and private Venezuelan media, are part of a continuous imperialist propaganda campaign aimed at harming the image of our country,' the ministry said in a statement. The Venezuelan government has called upon the media to be more responsible in influencing public opinion. In a telephone interview with VTV state television, Minister of Communication and Information Andres Izarra said several of Chavez's quotes were taken out of context and 'unintentionally misinterpreted.'