NYT Editorial: Mr. Chávez's Unsavory Friends

para: letters@nytimes.com,
public@nytimes.com

fecha; 25 de mayo de 2008 17:59
asunto: Editorial: Mr. Chávez’s Unsavory Friends


Sir,

In your haste to further demonise Hugo Chavez, you have altered the facts in this editorial. You state "Despite his protestations of innocence, Interpol has corroborated the authenticity of thousands of computer files captured during a Colombian Army raid on a FARC rebel camp in Venezuela."

Firstly, as you later say, "Interpol only certified that the Colombian government did not tamper with the files but said nothing about the veracity of their content". That necessarily means that Interpol did not confirm that what Colomba says were in those files is true, as they made clear in their press statement: "INTERPOL's report also emphasized that the remit of its technical examination was not to evaluate the accuracy or the source of the exhibits' content." (1)

Secondly, the Colombian Army raid, apart from being illegal, was actually conducted on a Farc rebel camp in Ecuador, not Venezuela.

You also state "Colombia can now take the issue to the Organization of American States, the United Nations Security Council or the International Court of Justice." Let me get this straight: Following an illegal attack on the territory of a neigbouring sovereign state, Colombia now has the right to take this issue to the UNSC?

Your editorial position, being clearly propagandistic and based on false facts, lacks any credibilty. What's new? Your April 13, 2002 editorial, the day after Chavez was overthrown by an anti-democratic coup backed by the US, referred to his 'resignation' when it was clear he had been deposed in a coup. (2)

Yours Sincerely


Links:

(1) INTERPOL media release 15 May 2008

(2) "Business leader Pedro Carmona has been sworn in as Venezuela's caretaker president at the request of the armed forces after Hugo Chavez was ousted from office."
BBC News Saturday, 13 April, 2002, 01:28 GMT 02:28 UK (That would still be 12 April in the US)
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UPDATE: 28 MAY 2008 14.50

I have just seen that FAIR, the national media watch group Fairness & Accuacy in Reporting, have mentioned my e-mail sent to the NYT (above), which I copied to them:

Media Views

New York Times: Mr. Chávez’s Unsavory Friends (5/25/08) A FAIR reader's (unpublished) letter to the editor points out how, in its "haste to further demonise Hugo Chávez," this editorial "altered the facts" by stating, "Despite his protestations of innocence, Interpol has corroborated the authenticity of thousands of computer files captured during a Colombian Army raid on a FARC rebel camp in Venezuela."

Firstly, as you later say, "Interpol only certified that the Colombian government did not tamper with the files but said nothing about the veracity of their content". That necessarily means that Interpol did not confirm that what Colombia says were in those files is true, as they made clear in their press statement: "Interpol's report also emphasized that the remit of its technical examination was not to evaluate the accuracy or the source of the exhibits' content." Secondly, the Colombian army raid, apart from being illegal, was actually conducted on a FARC rebel camp in Ecuador, not Venezuela.

But, of the Times' "clearly propagandistic" editorializing, FAIR's friend asks, "What's new?": "Your April 13, 2002 editorial, the day after Chávez was overthrown by an anti-democratic coup backed by the U.S., referred to his 'resignation.'"