Declaration of TeleSUR in Response to the Affirmations of Minister Santos

(Translated by Steve Cagan, a CSN volunteer translator)

The multi-country news channel TeleSUR is issuing a communiqué in response to the recent declarations by the Colombian Defense Minister, Juan Manuel Santos, with reference to the illegal use that his government made of the logo of this journalistic center.
 
Herewith, we transmit the communiqué in its entirety:
 
TeleSUR Communiqué

Faithful to our commitment to inform in a truthful and timely manner, a few days ago we recorded and communicated to our audience the declarations of the Colombian Defense Minister, Juan Manuel Santos, during a forum in the Center for American Progress in the city of Washington in the United States, in which he affirmed that they had trained military personnel “to be able to pass for an Italian, an Australian, an Arab, a doctor, a nurse and a cameraman of TeleSUR.”
 
In respect to this, TeleSUR, the multi-country information channel, emphasizes to world public opinion:
 

1. Pretending to be journalists in a military operation is a wicked simulation and a fraudulent felony as serious as pretending to be the International Red Cross, one that cannot be accepted under any pretext, because it violates people’s rights, international agreements and the rules of war, which are accomplishments of civilization.
   

1. Such irresponsibility constitutes a danger for the lives of innocent professional, endangers their security, and thus is an assault on the universal right to information.
   

1. Rigor and honesty are the foundation of the daily work of TeleSUR. This channel is committed to transmitting information in a truthful and opportune way, as the Colombian government and those of those countries where we have correspondents can confirm.
   

1. Neither journalists nor personnel of TeleSUR participated or will participate in what was called “Operation Check,” nor in any action outside the objective of informing.
   

1. TeleSUR did not and will not authorize the Colombian government, nor any other, to pretend to be us or to use the distinguishing marks of this journalistic center.
   

1. We exercise our work in an ethical and responsible way, which is why we energetically reject the use of our name to make truth be the first casualty of battle.
   

1. TeleSUR respects international law and those of every country, including Colombia, for which we demand reciprocity.
   

1. Therefore, TeleSUR is evaluating the possible legal actions and international denunciations that it can carry out with respect to this aggression against our credibility and independence.
   

1. TeleSUR gives thanks for the innumerable expressions of professional organizations and associations of journalists, social communicators, artists and intellectuals of the whole world who have joined the repudiation of this action committed by the Colombian Government.
   

Latin America
Caracas City
July 26, 2008
 




Colombia Support Network
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