Caracas Chronicles

Quico says: Oh, I do enjoy riling you all up once in a while. But since the general level of up-rilery appears to be a bit higher than usual this time, I thought I would clarify.

I condemn any move by any government to silence media voices merely for reasons of political expediency. I mean, of course I do. Among minimally liberal, half-way modern people, that just goes without saying. (Which, incidentally, is why I didn’t say it.)

Moreover, I have no doubt whatsoever that that’s the reason Nelson Bocaranda is being silenced. I think the government’s campaign to bully the media in general – and the radio in particular – into a bobalicón silence is utterly contemptible, as is this instance of it.

What I cannot abide and will not accept is that extra-step, the cry-me-a-river session where the opposition mono-neuron automatically jumps straight from the premise “the government is repressing this man” to the conclusion that “this man must be an ardent champion of truth, justice and the Venezuelan way.”

Ni es lo mismo ni es igual.

Nelson Bocaranda was an embarrassment to Venezuelan journalism before his show was canceled and he remains an embarrassment to Venezuelan journalism now that his show’s been canceled. Merely being repressed by a brutish, authoritarian government does not magically earn you a halo, Nelson. Nor does it turn you into a minimally respectable journalist.

It just makes you an appalling hack who happened to step on some powerful toes within a brutish, authoritarian government. That’s all.