CARACAS, June 16 (Reuters) - It was an unusual moment in television news broadcasting: a worried journalist grilling his fugitive boss about whether Globovision's 400 staff would still be paid after the latest crackdown in Venezuela.
Authorities in the OPEC nation have turned up the heat on Globovision, the last major broadcaster to stick to its editorial stance opposing socialist President Hugo Chavez ahead of legislative elections in September.
Critics say Chavez is taking the Latin American country down an increasingly authoritarian route, stifling dissent and nationalizing much of the economy. Supporters say he is the victim of propaganda and a U.S.-led campaign of vilification.
Globovision boss Guillermo Zuloaga is a fugitive after an arrest warrant charging him with usury was issued on Friday.
Then on Monday, the government took control of a bank that is owned by another Globovision director and handles its payroll, citing liquidity problems and risk of fraud, and leaving the station’s employees in fear for their livelihoods.
Late on Wednesday, Chavez suggested he might also take control of the bank owner’s shares in the broadcaster, further increasing the pressure on the channel.
Globovision staff have thrown themselves into their work, and while the brief diversion of World Cup matches has provided respite for some, the mood in the newsroom is grim.
"I am very affected, personally very worried. This is my only income, and my husband also works here," said 35-year-old economic journalist Adriana Salazar.
Globovision co-founder Nelson Mezerhane, who ran Banco Federal until the government takeover, is overseas.
When he called the broadcaster to denounce the authorities’ move against his bank, veteran presenter Leopoldo Castillo took the opportunity to ask if he and his colleagues would receive their next paychecks. Mezerhane assured them they would, at least for the next 12 months.
Globovision officials said Venezuelan political exiles were helping with financial contributions to support its staff.
OPENLY HOSTILE
Known for its partisan coverage, Globovision has provided an important platform for political opponents of Chavez, who has substantially increased the number of pro-government newspapers and broadcasters since he took power 11 years ago.
His supporters say he is only countering private media companies, many of which have been openly hostile to him.
Zuloaga said in a phone call to the station from an undisclosed location on Monday he was the victim of a political witch hunt by Chavez, who wanted to silence his critics, and that he had no plans to turn himself in.
Chavez says he will not tolerate illegal incitement in the media, and has accused opponents of waging a propaganda campaign against him ahead of September’s ballot.
Workers at Globovision, however, believe they are the targets of a state campaign to stifle attempts by the channel to expose cases of official corruption and incompetence.
"We are willing to continue working here everyday, and harder every day," Lisber Ramos Sol, a member of the station’s board of directors, told Reuters.
"We don’t depend on the voice of one person," she said, while adding that she was sure Zuloaga would stay in his job.
Balanced journalism is rare in South America’s top oil exporter. In 2007, Chavez refused to renew the concession for RCTV, the country’s oldest private network, accusing it of supporting a short-lived coup against him in 2002 because of its one-sided coverage.
Perla Jaimes, a Globovision lawyer, said the broadcaster was enduring its harshest politically motivated attack yet.
"This is an act of vandalism with the objective that ‘Globovision must belong to us’ — because nobody can speak badly about the government," Jaimes said.
