To the Editor:

The Center for Public Integrity report "Venezuela Head Polishes Image with Oil Dollars" by Kevin Bogardus is highly misleading. Although we make no accusations of intent, the article strings together unrelated facts, innuendo, and a few denials of things that have no evidence to support them in the first place—to create a false impression of organizations and individuals who support democracy in Venezuela.

The article seems to imply that several individuals and organizations were influenced either by the Venezuelan Information Office (VIO) or something worse to take the side of an oil-rich government. But there is no evidence for this: all of these people had written about or taken action regarding Venezuela before the VIO existed, and in fact before any of the lobbying efforts described in the article occurred.

It is not even clear why most of these individuals and organizations would be the subject of an article—part of a series of articles—on oil-producing states buying influence in the United States. After all, the Venezuelan Information Office contacted hundreds of people, including most of the journalists writing about Venezuela for major newspapers and wire services, editorial boards, and members of Congress and their staff. The implication is that those chosen for the article were influenced or "bought."

The article is also strongly prejudiced in its treatment of issues regarding Venezuela. In several instances, including the opening sentence, the report indicates that Chávez was responsible for the coup against him. This is of course the official line of the Venezuelan opposition: the government "forced" the state-owned oil company, PDVSA, to set aside money for "his" social programs. [Just a reminder: the shareholders in a state-owned oil company are the public; and the government has the right to direct the company]. The idea that $1.7 billion for social programs would reduce investment at PDVSA is also a minority view even among the extremist opposition, as well as among independent industry analysts.

Most journalists doing a series such as this would also make some distinction between a democratic government, such as Venezuela's, lobbying Congress to stop foreign funding of opposition electoral activities within their country—something that is illegal in the United States—versus the Saudi dictatorship lobbying to receive favorable treatment regarding its relationships to terrorist organizations, or its human rights abuses.

It is also worth noting that Miriam Kornblith, who is identified as the "Lead Social Scientist" responsible for your "Global Integrity" report on Venezuela is part of the Venezuelan opposition. Miriam Kornblith currently represents the opposition on the National Electoral Council (CNE). She is also listed (see NED Grant No. 2003-548.0, page 5) as an advisor to Súmate, a group that led the signature drive to recall Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

Súmate has received US taxpayers' dollars for its political and electoral activities in Venezuela, something that has been quite controversial. Súmate has also refused to recognize the results of Venezuela's August 15 referendum, which failed to recall the President by a margin of 59 to 41 percent, and continues to promote the theory that a massive electronic fraud took place. The referendum result was certified by the Carter Center, the Organization of American States, and other international observers, who found no evidence of fraud.

The Center's reliance on opposition sources for its work on Venezuela is the journalistic equivalent of relying on the White House press office for a report on Pentagon outsourcing.

We hope you will take the time to learn more about Venezuela from a more diverse set of sources. You might find that there is even some good investigative reporting that needs to be done: millions (and possibly tens of millions) of U.S. taxpayers' dollars are being used to subvert democracy there. It is an effort with striking parallels to Washington's intervention in Chile between 1970-73, which led to 16 years of brutal dictatorship.

As you well know, if the press had done its job in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, it might never have happened. Perhaps the Center could use its talents and resources to help prevent our government from continuing its efforts at another "regime change" in an oil-producing country—this one with a democratically elected government that by all accounts is using its oil revenues to help millions of poor people.

Mark Weisbrot, Center for Economic and Policy Research*, Co-Director
Bill Fletcher, Jr., Transafrica Forum*, Executive Director
Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange*, Co-Founder
Kevin Danaher, Global Exchange*, Co-Founder
Deborah James, Global Exchange*, Global Economy Program Director [on leave]
Marie Dennis, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns*, Executive Director
Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research*, Co-Director
Eva Golinger; Venezuela Solidarity Committee*, Executive Director
Chuck Kaufman; Nicaragua Network*, National Coordinator
Edgard Hernandez; Venezuelanalysis.com*, Columnist
Benjamin McKean; United Students Against Sweatshops*, Former National Coordinator

*Organizational affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.

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