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From: ekrell@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Strangling Nicaragua
Message-ID: <5310@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 9-May-85 13:42:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.5310
Posted: Thu May  9 13:42:09 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 12-May-85 11:23:23 EDT
References: <576@cadovax.UUCP> <164@ttrdc.UUCP> <1021@uwmacc.UUCP> <173@ttrdc.UUCP>
Reply-To: ekrell@ucla-cs.UUCP (Eduardo Krell)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 27

In article <173@ttrdc.UUCP> mjk@ttrdc.UUCP (Mike Kelly) writes:
>
>By the way, critics of Nicaraguan censorship should remember
>that the La Prensa of Chile (El Mercurio, I believe) was CIA-controlled and
>contributed significantly to the general sense of turmoil and destabilization
>the CIA successfully cultivated against Allende.

  "CIA-controlled" and "contributed significantly" are overstatements. El
Mercurio was at the time the only moderated newspaper that resembles what
we know as a newspaper today. I remember some newspapers like "El Clarin",
"Puro Chile" and some others that were totally controlled by the Unidad
Popular (the governemt party). These newspapers were nothing else but a
propaganda tool for the marxist regime. The headlines of these newspapers
(and the language used) were unbelievable.
  Also, trying to compare that situation with "La Prensa" in Nicaragua is
nonsense. The Allende government never attempted to censor "El Mercurio"
and it certainly didn't see in it a destabilization factor. Also, during
the Allende government there were a large number of political forums in
TV and Radio programs, where politicians from both left and right wing
were invited to discuss.
  No such thing in Nicaragua. Just like in the USSR or an East European
country, the government denies the freedom of speech to opposing viewpoints
and makes sure that the people hear and see what they (the Sandinistas)
want them to...
-- 
    Eduardo Krell               UCLA Computer Science Department
    ekrell@ucla-locus.arpa      ..!{sdcrdcf,ihnp4,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!ekrell