A South American energy conference is being taped for the television network Telesur.
It doesn't hit the air until July 24, but the new Caracas-based regional television network Telesur is already being called the Latin al-Jazeera. Like the Qatar-based network, which since its debut in 1996 has become the broadcasting voice of the Arab world, Telesur (sur is Spanish for "south") aspires to be the medium through which Latin Americans see their news and culture. Some 70% of its $2.5 million seed money has been put up by oil-rich Venezuela and its flamboyant President, Hugo Chávez--whose leftist, often anti-U.S. agenda includes increased Latin American integration and a rejection of Yanqui-based TV like CNN en...
