CounterPunch - Francisco Armada and Carlos Mutaner: Venezuela, Chomsky's Tropical Nightmare

To suffer in your own flesh and blood what Noam Chomsky writes about the ideological power of Media is very different from reading it. We have enjoyed reading his articles about the media that helped us understand its enormous influence in contemporary societies. However, living in Venezuela during the last three years has allowed us to suffer directly that power.

The role of the media was crucial during the short coup of last April 11 against the president Hugo Chávez. Private TV chains and local newspapers maintained a constant campaign of attack to the government and they supported a national strike just before the coup.
...They even went so far as to endorse the coup's first government action whereby the self-proclaimed president annulled the Constitution of the Republica Bolivariana of Venezuela, changed the name of the country and dissolved all public powers, including the legislative power and the dismissal of state governors. The media quickly launched a campaign with an "Orwellian" doublespeak celebration of return to "democracy".