19 line of the law […] The moment they cross the line of the law they will certainly be closed down to 45 keep the peace in Venezuela, to preserve order in Venezuela.” 76. Defense: On June 14, 2006, President Chávez said the following at an event at the Ministry of I have ordered a review of the television concessions. Some stations or channels have signaled that they are prepared to change, and it would appear that they intend to obey the Constitution and the law, joining those who supported the 2002 coup, which was everyone. We had the chance then to eliminate those concessions. However, we called for dialogue instead. Was it a mistake? I don’t think so. Everything in its time […] We’re going to have to take a second look at concessions granted to television stations that are about to expire. They begin to expire in 2007. We cannot be so irresponsible as to continue to grant concessions to a handful of people who, availing themselves of the spectrum that is the property of the State –and by that I mean the people- then operate those stations and use them against us, functioning like a fifth column, under our very noses. I couldn’t care less what the oligarchs of the world say! […] On more than one occasion we’ve demonstrated that we are neither authoritarian nor arbitrary. We will always prefer to call for unity. Still, there are those who will never hear that calling”. […] We have to act and have to enforce the Constitution […] to protect our people, to protect national unity, because that is what we are called to do every day. Messages that incite hatred, disrespect for our institutions, doubts about each other, rumors, psychological warfare waged to divide the Nation, to weaken her and destroy her. […] This is an imperialist plan. These are Trojan horses right under 46 our very noses. 77. That same day, June 14, 2006, Minister William Lara, in charge of the Ministry of Communication and Information (MINCI), said the following at a press conference: If we examine the behavior of certain television channels on April 11, 12 and 13 [, 2002], which were then openly in support of the coup d’état, and compare it to their conduct today, there are qualitative changes in programming, in the news line, the editorial line and –I repeat- their respect for the rights of the viewing audience and their obligation to perform their duties as public service providers. However, there are other cases where no such change, correction, is in evidence; 47 instead, they have stubbornly clung to their conduct as it was on April 11, 12, and 13. 45 Transcript of the program “Aló Presidente” No. 171 that aired on November 9, 2003, page 79, available at: http://www.alopresidente.gob.ve/materia_alo/25/1551/?desc=alo_presidente_171.pdf; IACHR, Application in the Case of Ríos et al. v. Venezuela, April 20, 2007, Annex 47, and I/A Court H.R., Case of Ríos et al. v. Venezuela, Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs, Judgment of January 28, 2009, Series C No. 194, paragraphs 127-128. On May 9, 2004, President Chávez made a statement on his program ”Aló Presidente” to the following effect: “[t]he ones who violate the right to receive and impart information, the right to freedom of expression, are the owners of the private media organizations -with some exceptions- but especially the big television networks: Venevisión, Globovisión, RCTV […] The owners of these media organizations are committed to a coup, terrorism, and destabilization, and I can tell you now, because I have no doubt, that we could well declare the owners of these media organizations enemies of the people of Venezuela.” Transcript of the program Aló Presidente that aired on May 9, 2004, IACHR, Application in the Case of Ríos et al. v. Venezuela, April 20, 2007, Annex 47. 46 Annex 26, Speech delivered by President Chávez on June 14, 2006, communication from the petitioners, received on March 1, 2010. Attachment B.3, video recording, fragment; press communiqué from the Ministry of the People’s Power for Communications and Information, titled Presidente Chávez ordena revisión de concesiones a plantas televisoras [President Chávez orders review of television concessions], June 14, 2006, available [in Spanish] at: http://www.rnv.gob.ve/noticias/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=34504; Annex 27; El Universal, report titled Chávez anunció nuevas compras y cambios en concepción de equipos militares [Chávez announced new purchases and changes in military equipment planning], June 14, 2006, available [in Spanish] online at: http://www.eluniversal.com/2006/06/14/pol_esp_14A723331.shtml. Communication from the petitioners received on February 18, 2010, Annex 31; El Universal, news report titled “Chávez: He ordenado la revisión de las concesiones de los canales de televisión” [Chávez: I’ve ordered a review of the television channels’ concessions], June 14, 2006, available [in Spanish] at: http://www.eluniversal.com/2006/06/14/pol_ava_14A722973.shtml; El Mundo, report titled Chávez ordena revisar las concesiones de televisión privada en Venezuela [Chávez orders review of private television concessions in Venezuela], June 15, 2006, available [in Spanish] at: http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2006/06/15/comunicacion/1150362475.html 47 Annex 28, El Nacional, article titled Chávez amenazó con revocar concesiones a televisoras en 2007 [Chávez threatened to revoke televisión concessions in 2007], June 15, 2006. Communication from the petitioners received on February 18, 2010, Attachment 29; Annex 29, Vive, article titled Lara: Hay televisoras y emisoras de radio que violentan los derechos de los usuarios [Lara: there are television and radio stations that violate the rights of the audience] June 14, 2006, available [in Spanish] at: Continúa…