Owner Venezuelan TV channel denies brokering deal to curb criticism of Chavez

Anti-Chavez TV vows to maintain tough stance

CARACAS, Venezuela — The major shareholder of Venezuela’s only TV channel that remains critical of President Hugo Chavez denied Friday that he worked out a deal with the government to curb the station’s criticism.

Guillermo Zuloaga, president and owner of Globovision, announced that probation measures stemming from a criminal investigation against him were lifted Friday — a day after the channel’s strident anti-Chavez director, Alberto Federico Ravell, said he was pressured to resign.

Zuloaga denied any connection between the two developments, saying some Venezuelans are wrongly suggesting he negotiated a deal with authorities to curb the channel’s criticism of Chavez and forced out the station director.

“Alberto Federico Ravell’s departure was due to differences between us. I don’t negotiate with, nor have I negotiated, with the government,” Zuloaga said.

“There are people interested in using Alberto Federico Ravell’s departure to undermine our credibility,” he added.

Prosecutors accused Zuloaga, who also owns several car dealerships, of usury after the seizure of 24 new vehicles at a home he owns last year. He has denied any wrongdoing, saying Chavez pressured prosecutors to bring trumped up charges against him as a means of intimidation.

Globovision announced Ravell’s departure Monday, saying he resigned. But Ravell denied he stepped down as director voluntarily, saying in messages sent through the Twitter social network that the channel’s board pressured him to quit.

He said the board’s members also urged him to sell his stock in the company — a request he refused.

In a related development, Ravell accused Chavez’s administration of blackmailing Nelson Mezerhane, a fellow Globovision shareholder and president of Banco Federal, a local bank, as a means of forcing his resignation.

“The owner of Banco Federal warned me: the government wants your head (in return) for leaving the bank in peace. Take a year of vacation,” Ravell said in a tweet.

Mezerhane could not be reached for comment on Ravell’s allegations.

Government officials have remained silent about Ravell’s departure.

Globovision’s employees issued a statement Wednesday praising Ravell as a “passionate and brilliant” mentor while vowing to maintain the 24-hour news network’s tough editorial line.

“We remain committed to the country with our values and principles: Freedom and democracy,” it said.

Globovision became Venezuela’s last remaining anti-Chavez TV channel last month, after cable and satellite television providers dropped Radio Caracas Television International from their programming.

RCTV was dropped after Venezuela’s telecommunications regulator accused the channel of violating new broadcasting regulations and urged the cable and satellite companies to take action against the network to prevent more violations.