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((Infobox organization
| name          = Venezuela Information Office (VIO)
| native_name   = 
| image         = File:Venezuela_Information_Office_logo.png
| image_size    = 250px
| alt           = 
| caption       = 
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| abbreviation  = 
| motto         = 
| predecessor   = 
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| successor     = 
| formation     =  July 2003<ref name=CPI>((cite web|last1=Bogardus|first1=Kevin|title=Venezuela head polishes image with oil dollars|url=http://www.publicintegrity.org/2004/09/22/5963/venezuela-head-polishes-image-oil-dollars|website=[[Center for Public Integrity]]|date=22 September 2004|access-date=3 April 2015))</ref>
| founder       = 
| extinction    =  <!-- e.g. use ((end date and age|YYYY|MM|DD)) -->
| merger        = 
| type          = [[Lobbying]]
| tax_id        =  <!-- or | vat_id = (for non-profit org) -->
| registration_id =  <!-- for non-profit org -->
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| purpose       = 
| headquarters  = Washington, D.C.
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| region        = 
| services      = 
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| methods       = 
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| owner         =  [[Government of Venezuela]]
| sec_gen       = 
| leader_title  = Executive Director
| leader_name   = Olivia Goumbri
| leader_title2 = 
| leader_name2  = 
| leader_title3 = 
| leader_name3  = 
| leader_title4 = 
| leader_name4  = 
| board_of_directors = 
| key_people    = [[Deborah James (activist)|Deborah James]] <small>(former Executive Director)</small>
| main_organ    =
| parent_organization = [[Embassy of Venezuela, Washington, D.C.]]
| subsidiaries  = 
| secessions    = 
| affiliations  = 
| budget        = +$1 million <small>(2007)<ref name=MCC>((cite news|last1=Bachelet|first1=Pablo|title=Venezuelan leader works to improve image in U.S.|url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2008/01/22/25242/venezuelan-leader-works-to-improve.html|access-date=3 April 2015|agency=McClatchy Newspapers|publisher=[[The McClatchy Company]]|date=22 January 2008))</ref></small>
| revenue       = 
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| staff         = 
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| website       =  <!-- ((url|example.com)) -->
| remarks       = 
| formerly      = 
| footnotes     = 
))

The '''Venezuela Information Office''' ('''VIO''') was a [[Washington, D.C.]]-based [[lobbying]] agency that stated to be seeking to "present a more accurate view of the current process in Venezuela for the US public, build strategic allies for the Venezuelan people, and prevent the US from intervening in the democratic process in Venezuela."<ref name="FARAUSDOJ">((Cite web|url=http://www.fara.gov/docs/5609-Exhibit-AB-20040227-HVRFJZ04.pdf|publisher=US Department of Justice|title=FARA US Department of Justice|access-date=2009-02-07))</ref> Created and financed by the [[government of Venezuela]],<ref name=globe300106>((cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/01/30/venezuelan_oil_marks_chavezs_latest_bid_to_win_over_us/ |title=Venezuelan oil marks Chavez's latest bid to win over U.S. |last=Melia |first=Michael |work=[[Boston Globe]] |date=30 January 2006 |access-date=2009-02-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228204203/http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/01/30/venezuelan_oil_marks_chavezs_latest_bid_to_win_over_us/ |archive-date=February 28, 2007 ))</ref> VIO was registered with the [[United States Department of Justice]] under the [[Foreign Agents Registration Act]].<ref name=FARA04>[[Foreign Agents Registration Act]] - [http://proveo.org/viofara0804.pdf Venezuela Information Office - FARA fillings 29.08.04]</ref> While operational, conservative and pro-opposition outlets have defined the agency of being a [[propaganda]] organization of the Venezuelan government and the [[Bolivarian Revolution]].<ref name=EU2005>((cite news|last1=Garcia Nevett|first1=Isabel|title=The revolution hires opinion makers to clear its image: Fees are in Dollars|url=http://www.eluniversal.com/2005/03/26/en_pol_art_26A545233|access-date=25 March 2015|agency=[[El Universal (Caracas)|El Universal]]|date=26 March 2005))</ref>

==History==
[[Hugo Chávez]] set up the VIO in 2003 in order to combat criticism from the United States.<ref name=EU2005/><ref name=SPT2005>((cite news|last1=Adams|first1=David|title=Latin America's balanced/biased voice|agency=[[St. Petersburg Times|Tampa Bay Times]]|publisher=Times Publishing Co.|date=8 August 2005))</ref> In September 2003, VIO contacted [[Global Exchange]] in order to "ensure success" of their campaign while also discussing "ideas for strategizing on Venezuela" and "to begin conference calls of solidarity groups".<ref name=CPI/><ref name=EU2005/> In February 2004, it closed and then suddenly reopened a month later with new staff and a budget of $660,000.<ref name=CPI/><ref name=EU2005/> In 2005, the VIO received about $800,000 for the year.<ref name=MH2005>((cite news|last1=Bachelet |first1=Pablo |title=Chávez builds base with grass-roots circles in U.S. |url=http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13221493.htm |access-date=2 April 2015 |agency=[[The Miami Herald]] |date=21 November 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051125055531/http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13221493.htm |archive-date=November 25, 2005 ))</ref> By 2007, the funding received by the VIO had risen to over $1,000,000.<ref name=MCC/> The VIO's "rethinkvenezuela.com" website has not been active since 2009.<ref>((cite web|title=Home |url=http://rethinkvenezuela.com/index.html |website=Venezuela Information Office |access-date=4 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811145356/http://www.rethinkvenezuela.com/index.html |archive-date=August 11, 2014 ))</ref>

==Work==
[[File:The Toronto - Washington, D.C..jpg|260px|right|thumbnail|The Venezuela Information Office (VIO) was located in The Toronto ''(pictured)'' in [[Washington, D.C.]]]]
According to the VIO, the agency sought "to present a more accurate view of the current process in Venezuela for the US public, build strategic allies for the Venezuelan people, and prevent the US government from intervening in the democratic process in Venezuela," using Congressional advocacy and grassroots public education and action.<ref name="FARAUSDOJ"/> In 2007, the VIO only contacted 8 offices of the United States Congress, though it had contacted hundreds of journalists, local officials, academics and students.<ref name=MCC/>

===Media===
In addition to maintaining a public website and a [[blog]], VIO promoted its views in the media in a number of ways, including issuing press releases, contributing articles (such as responses to the 2008 [[Human Rights Watch]] report<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2008/09/18/decade-under-ch-vez|title= A Decade Under Chávez: Political Intolerance and Lost Opportunities for Advancing Human Rights in Venezuela|last=Holland|first=Alisha|author2=Brett, S. |author3=Taraciuk, T. |author4=Wilkinson, D. |author5=Fillippini, L. |author6=Loxton, J. |date=22 September 2008|publisher=Human Rights Watch|access-date=2009-03-13))</ref> on Venezuela<ref>Venezuela Information Office, ''Monthly Review'', 22 September 2008, [http://www.monthlyreview.org/mrzine/venezuela220908.html The Truth Suffers in Human Rights Watch Report on Venezuela] ((Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090921032350/http://www.monthlyreview.org/mrzine/venezuela220908.html |date=2009-09-21 ))</ref><ref>((cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/sep/19/venezuela.humanrights|title=Human Rights Watch condemns Chávez's decade in power|last=Carroll|first=Rori|date=9 September 2008 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=2009-03-12))</ref>), and being available for interviews. The VIO had also run a campaign of ads in the United States.<ref name=SPT2005/>

The VIO also created a "rapid response" group that would counter articles critical of Hugo Chávez.<ref name=CPI/> They would refute claims using e-mails, sending letters to the editor, writing articles, and using video documentaries such as ''[[The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (film)|The Revolution Will Not Be Televised]]''.<ref name=EU2005/> Journalist received emails "suggesting ideas for balanced reporting" and asked activists to "complain against alleged newspaper biases".<ref name=SPT2005/> The VIO targeted newspapers that had alleged "biases" which included ''The Washington Post'', ''The Miami Herald'', ''The Denver Post'' and other organizations.<ref name=SPT2005/> At protests, conventions and on college campuses, the VIO distributed books and played ''The Revolution Will Not Be Televised''. They had also emailed multiple independent theaters to play ''The Revolution Will Not Be Televised'' year-round.<ref name=CPI/>

===Lobbying===
In 2004, the VIO contracted [[public relations]] company [[Michael Shellenberger#Lumina Strategies|Lumina Strategies]], headed by former Global Exchange employee [[Michael Shellenberger]], to help [[Lobbying|lobby]] for the Venezuelan government and improve the poor image of then President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, in the United States.<ref name=CPI/><ref name="Lumina Strategies' filing to US DoJ Foreign Agent Registration Unit">((Cite web|url=http://www.fara.gov/docs/5624-Exhibit-AB-20040520-HYN72M04.pdf|title=Lumina Strategies' filing to US DoJ Foreign Agent Registration Unit|publisher=United States Department of Justice|access-date=2009-02-07))</ref><ref>((cite news|last1=Collier|first1=Robert|title=Venezuelan politics suit Bay Area activists' talents|agency=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|publisher=Hearst Communications Inc., Hearst Newspapers Division|date=21 August 2004))</ref> Reporters that had questions for the VIO were directed to Lumina.<ref name=JJmiller/> According to public records the VIO spent $379,000 on lobbying the [[United States Congress|US Congress]] in the years 2004 to 2007.<ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?lname=Venezuela+Information+Office&year=2004 opensecrets.org, Venezuela Information Office entry]</ref>

===Visits===
The VIO helped organize trips to Venezuela for their activists in January 2004.<ref name=CPI/>

==Personnel==
In 2004, [[Deborah James (activist)|Deborah James]], was the executive director of the VIO.<ref name=CPI/> In 2007, the staff was paid between $30,000 to $60,000 annually.<ref name=MCC/>

The VIO was also incorporated in the state of Florida under VIO Investments Corp., owned by Isaura and Evelio Gilmond.<ref name=CPI/> Isaura Gilmond performed administrative and accounting services for the VIO.<ref name=CPI/>

==Reception==
[[Douglas Schoen]] and Michael Rowan along with [[conservative]] journals have portrayed the VIO as one of Hugo Chávez's "modern [[propaganda techniques]]" and a part of a "propaganda operation in the United States".<ref name="JJmiller">((cite journal|last1=Miller|first1=John J.|title=Friends of Hugo|journal=National Review|date=27 December 2004|volume=56|issue=24|pages=36–37))</ref><ref name="TCHchavez">((cite book|last=Schoen|first=Douglas|title=The threat closer to home : Hugo Chávez and the war against America|date=2009|publisher=Free Press|location=New York|isbn=978-1416594772|edition=Free Press hardcover|author2=Rowan, Michael|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781416594772))</ref><ref name=HEortiz>((cite journal|last1=Ortiz|first1=Ana Maria|last2=Vadum|first2=Matthew|title=Marxist Hugo Chavez Calls on Friends in America|journal=Human Events|volume=64|issue=10))</ref>

According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', VIO activists would not only "spiff up Venezuela's image" but also "doggedly unearth damaging evidence of Bush administration ties to opposition groups".<ref>((cite news | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00EFDD1538F933A0575AC0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 | title = Venezuela's government seeks to show that its oil riches are well spent | last = Forero | first = Juan | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = 30 September 2004| access-date = 2009-02-09))</ref> In a 2005 article, ''[[El Universal (Caracas)|El Universal]]'' characterized the agency as using "alleged journalists and political analysts to disseminate positive information on the [Bolivarian] revolution in the US media and among politicians" while working to deny alleged "lies" that were supposedly published by the international and Venezuelan media.<ref name=EU2005/>

== See also ==
* [[Bolivarian propaganda]]
* [[United States-Venezuela relations]]

== References ==
((Reflist|2))

===Bibliography===
*((cite journal|last1=Miller|first1=John J.|title=Friends of Hugo|journal=National Review|date=27 December 2004|volume=56|issue=24|pages=36–37))
*((cite journal|last1=Ortiz|first1=Ana Maria|last2=Vadum|first2=Matthew|title=Marxist Hugo Chavez Calls on Friends in America|journal=Human Events|volume=64|issue=10))
*((cite book|last=Schoen|first=Douglas|title=The threat closer to home : Hugo Chávez and the war against America|date=2009|publisher=Free Press|location=New York|isbn=978-1416594772|edition=Free Press hardcover|author2=Rowan, Michael|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781416594772))

== External links ==
*[http://www.rethinkvenezuela.com/index.html Venezuela Information Office]
((Authority control))
[[Category:Dupont Circle]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Venezuela]]
[[Category:Lobbying organizations based in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Venezuelan propaganda organizations]]

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