In speech after speech, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stares at the television camera and unleashes a hail of colorful insults against his opponents. "Oligarchs,'' "fascists,'' "mafia bosses,'' and "coup mongers'' are among his favorite taunts.
But critics complain Chavez has no right to use public airwaves to ridicule foes and campaign for allies, in essence making state media a propaganda machine that puts opponents at a disadvantage ahead of Nov. 23 state and local elections. "He doesn't respect his political adversaries, and he doesn't respect the law,'' opposition leader Gerardo Blyde said Sunday, noting that Venezuela's suffrage law prohibits the use of public resources for political activities.
Blyde, who is now running for mayor of Baruta, one of Caracas' five boroughs, is joining scores of other opposition candidates in demanding that Venezuelan election officials bar Chavez from using presidential events to campaign.
Chavez -- who was criticized for unfairly using state media to further his own re-election in 2006 -- has never been shy about insulting his critics, but the frequency and tone of his comments have recently heated up. He now uses the term "little Yankees'' almost daily, trying to tar opponents as U.S.-loving traitors. And his message travels: law requires all network TV and radio stations to interrupt programming and broadcast most of what usually are his political speeches.
Information Minister Andres Izarra denies that pro-Chavez candidates benefit unfairly from that publicity. But he readily admits the government is waging "a media war'' against privately owned television and radio stations and newspapers, which heavily favor the opposition. Facing a "hostile and manipulative private press, it's our duty to take advantage of the public media'' to spread Chavez's message, Izarra told The Associated Press.
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