'Calibrated' Dishonesty: Western Media Coverage of Venezuela Sanctions

[Judi Lynn]

JUNE 13, 2022

RICARDO VAZ

US sanctions, even by outdated estimates, have killed tens of thousands of Venezuelans. The unilateral policies have been widely condemned by multilateral bodies and human rights experts for their deadly impact, as well as for violating international law (Venezuelanalysis, 9/18/21, 9/15/21, 3/25/21, 1/31/19).

But corporate media readers/viewers in the Global North are completely oblivious to this reality, as establishment outlets have gone out of their way to endorse sanctions by whitewashing their effects altogether (FAIR.org, 6/4/21, 12/19/20)—writing for example, that Washington has “sanctioned the government” (AP, 5/21/22) rather than the people of Venezuela.

A recent policy opening, microscopic to begin with and closed quickly enough, put all these dishonest traits on display, illustrating howTwo weeks later, the White House renewed Chevron’s current license, which only permits maintenance work, until November. Nevertheless, this brief opening revealed some clear trends. free a rein US officials have to continue inflicting collective punishment on Venezuelans without challenge or scrutiny.

Stenographers at ‘ease’

The US Treasury Department on May 17 allowed the US-based oil company Chevron to talk to PDVSA, the Venezuelan state oil company, to discuss its operations in the country. Officials made clear that the energy giant remained forbidden from drilling or dealing in Venezuelan crude (AP, 5/17/22). Two weeks later, the White House renewed Chevron’s current license, which only permits maintenance work, until November. Nevertheless, this brief opening revealed some clear trends.

More:
https://fair.org/home/calibrated-dishonesty-western-media-coverage-of-venezuela-sanctions/

[EX500rider]

1. Venezuelanalysis is hardly a neutral reporter of Venezuelan news.

Venezuelanalysis is a pro-Bolivarian Revolution website.
Gregory Wilpert and Martin Sánchez co-founded the Venezuelanalysis site in September 2003. Wilpert was the site's main editor for six years, until 2009, and is a member of the site's board of directors.[3] The Global Post described Wilpert as "perhaps the most prominent Chavista."[10] Wilpert's wife Carol Delgado was named Consul General of Venezuela in New York in 2008.
In 2007, Wilpert stated the site had received "some funding" from the Venezuelan government's Ministry of Culture, in addition to "grassroots donations"
According to Brian Nelson, author of The Silence and the Scorpion, Venezuelanalysis.com performs "damage control" for the Venezuelan government and "tried to discredit virtually every independent human rights study" while Hugo Chávez was in office as part of "an integral part of Venezuela’s propaganda complex," according to Venezuelan government sources.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelanalysis