Voice of America expands its Latin American audience

[Judi Lynn]

Voice of America expands its Latin American audience

MIAMI, Nov 22, 2009 (McClatchy Newspapers - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- Facing a group of presidents loudly critical of Washington, the U.S. government's Voice of America broadcast is expanding its audience in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua, VOA officials say. VOA's Spanish-language division also will step up its use of Radio/TV Marti's production facilities in Miami because of budget pressures on both broadcasters, the officials added.

The VOA effort to grow its Latin American audience comes as the Obama administration tries to counter the attacks on U.S. policies by several presidents in the region: Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Ecuador and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua.

"Our focus is on the Andean region because of the upheavals that are going on there," said Spanish division director Alberto Mascaro. "Our second priority is Central America, especially Nicaragua and Honduras." The Andean region includes Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, a Chavez ally, was ousted in July and is seeking to return to power.

VOA _ which only broadcasts internationally _ transmits its reports via shortwave radio, local FM affiliates and satellite television as well as its Web pages. Funded by the government, it is required to observe standards of "accuracy, balance, comprehensiveness, and objectivity." "We need to contribute to informed dialogue" in the Andean region and Central America, Joan Mower, VOA public relations and development director, told El Nuevo Herald in a telephone interview from Washington.

Mower said VOA has 319 affiliated radio stations in the Andean region that broadcast its free programs _ 199 in Bolivia, 77 in Colombia and seven each in Ecuador and Peru. It also has 95 television affiliates, with the largest number, 23, in Colombia. The Spanish division has 21 staffers and a 2009 budget of $3.1 million.

More:
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2009/11/22/4495398.htm

[Downwinder]

1. Have to counter the Corporate "ugly American" image?

or the US interventionist image? Maybe just announcing that the Yanks are coming. Easier than dropping leaflets.

[Peace Patriot]

2. US "message" getting poorly delivered by local fascists elites and 'news' monopolies

and laughed at, scorned and ignored by most Latin Americans, is it? Decided to take better control of the "message," put a pretty face on it, make it "cool," disassociate it from assassins, coupmongers, torturers, racists and thieves (America's "friends and allies" in Latin America, as Rumsfeld called them), all the better to "eat you, my dear"?

:puke:

[Braulio]

3. How do you account for Uribe's popularity?

I wonder, do you think Uribe's popularity is caused by his ability to squeeze money from the US?

[Peace Patriot]

5. First of all, I don't believe in Uribe's popularity. In a country where you can get your head shot

off for speaking your mind or voting the wrong way, not to mention a country with 3 million displaced people, and a civil war of 40+ years running, there is no trusting polls or election results.

Secondly, there is the "Stockholm Syndrome," by which kidnapped people identify with their kidnappers. Colombia is a cauldron of corruption and militarism, ruled over by a government with very close ties to rightwing death squads and drug lords, awash in $6 BILLION in US taxpayer-funded military booty. Peoples' true loyalties and beliefs are about as difficult to determine in Colombia as they would be in a neighborhood controlled by a "protection" racket. Many Colombians are like kidnap victims. They are loyal to whoever they think can protect them, and their fears are constantly played upon as a means of controlling them.

[Downwinder]

6. And possibly a corollary to Darwin's theory.

Survival of the most corrupt.

[EFerrari]

4. What upheavals are going on in the Andean region?

[Judi Lynn]

7. It's a slap in the face to humanity when our government employees lie that way.

Whenever a potential physical "upheaval" surfaces people get tortured and murdered.

If they wipe out a whole population they feel is too much trouble in some country, except for the oligarchy, then they will have a place to bring the 3 million displaced people from Colombia, and solve that problem in a jiffy. Two birds one stone.

[EFerrari]

8. "Zelaya, a Chavez ally" - "Chavez, friend of Fidel" - "Castro, Soviet satellite"

lol

Don't these people know there is no Soviet Union any more? :silly: