Vieiros

O actor e director, Sean Penn, enviou este luns unha carta ao editor do xornal estadounidense San Francisco Chronicle, na cal critica que se cualificou ao presidente venezuelano, Hugo Chávez Frías, de ditador, á vez que lle recorda o talante democrático do xefe de Estado venezuelano.

Asegura Penn que un ditador nin é elixido democraticamente nin perde referendos constitucionais.

"Despois de ler un titular propagandista en The Houston Chronicle, que se burla e mostra envexa cara ás estrelas (Unha proposta modesta para as celebridades que van costa abaixo), só puiden esperar que esta gran cidade fose máis intelixente que o seu inútil periódico", empeza a carta escrita polo actor estadounidense quen publicamente demostrou simpatía cara ao presidente Chávez.

Sinala: "Aínda que vostede non o crea, teño un sentido do humor aceptábel, pero sentín moita vergoña, incluso por The Chronicle. A súa sección de Noticias Duras para a liña propagandista, e agora os seus editoriais diarios, convertéronse nunha revista tola para covardes de mente curta e ex escritores adiñeirados."

A carta de Sean Penn

An actual "dictator" isn't elected by the people
Monday, January 14, 2008

Editor - From reading The Chronicle's banner-line propaganda, which teases the "star envy" piece within ("A modest proposal for celebs on the skids," Thursday), I could only hope this great city was more clever than its increasingly lame-brain paper.

In its unequivocal naming of Chavez as dictator on A1, either "Pop Culture" man Peter Hartlaub or his equally biased Chronicle editor, doesn't quite understand that Venezuela's President Chavez was democratically elected, and that dictators don't lose constitutional referendums.

The Chronicle should take comfort that the New York Times generally does no better than them here. Yet, in the paper's attack on Oliver Stone, who, agree with him or not, has at least the balls, passion and intellectual curiosity to pursue information away from a porcelain dumping bowl and a desperate newspaper, we see another attempt to marginalize the outspoken. (Outspoken: a louder and more credible voice than The Chronicle itself.) For myself, also listed in Hartlaub's piece, it should be noted that my recent trip to Venezuela was as a journalist, and marginalization of that due to "celebrity" is simply "Putin ultra light" to me.

Believe it or not, I have a reasonably good sense of humor (if that's what Hartlaub attempted), but I felt so embarrassed, even for The Chronicle. Its "hard news" section for the banner line, and now its Datebook editorials have become Mad Magazine for small-minded cowards and former writers of substance. Who could that be, Phil?

SEAN PENN