The Venezuelan government has been busy lately. They've been stocking up on arms; cracking down on democracy; and now the latest, pressuring the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. to cancel a "newsmaker" event on press freedom organized by Venezuelan students.
The event was canceled (or "postponed" in the words of the club president) with one day's notice (the student organization says that the club told them they could proceed if they came up with $3,700, which would make it a paid event, not hosted by the club). The students complained that canceling the event the day before it was scheduled didn't allow them to make changes requested by the club, and that they didn't have the money to pay to hold it. They also accused the club of caving to pressure from the Venezuelan government. The club, for its part, conceded that they were contacted by the Venezuelan Embassy, but said they canceled it because "newsmaker" events are "one person" events, and that the students' event included several people, all anti-government. That could qualify as a "forum," the club noted, but it would have to include different views (from a government supporter, I presume).
If you set aside the horrible precedent of canceling the event on short notice after being contacted by a representative of a foreign government, the club's explanation almost makes sense. By the letter of the rules, the press club is right, kind of sort of. But not really. I looked, and I found other "newsmaker" events that included more than one person. For example, in January, Terri and Bindi Irwin of Crocodile Hunter fame spoke. Oh yeah, but they're celebrities.
Okay, but I quickly found another example of "newsmaker" events that included more than one person. For example, the Atlantic Council hosted this newsmaker event that included, count 'em, four different people talking about North Korea's nuclear weapons (and funny, not a single person to represent the North Korean regime). I suspect if I looked more, I'd find more.
Anyhow, judge for yourself (I'm a member of the National Press Club, by the way): here is the letter from the National Press Club's president to the students, and this is the letter from the President of the Venezuelan student organization.
