CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela’s government is urging a television station to stop airing a Colombian soap opera featuring a character named “Venezuela” who has a tiny dog named “Little Hugo.”  Venezuela’s National Telecommunications Commission issued a statement Thursday condemning “Chepe Fortuna,” a Colombian soap opera, for its alleged “degrading treatment of Venezuela.”

The Commission is urging the station to “immediately stop airing” the program.  According to the Commissions statement, “[the soap opera] intends to underestimate the intelligence of viewers by presenting two characters identified as sisters, Colombia and Venezuela, where the latter is repeatedly characterized as associated with criminal activities.”

Miguel Angel Baquero, the producer and script writer for the show, said that Venezuelan officials are taking things too seriously. “Here we are not underestimating anybody,” Baquero said. “This is humor. Making comedy is the most difficult thing to do, and to do it in a simple style that can successfully cross borders is even harder.”

The Commission presented clips of the soap opera which show the character named Venezuela calling out for her dog, Little Hugo, and claiming that “without Little Hugo, Venezuela will be free.” The Commission claims that such content “promoted political and racial intolerance, xenophobia and incitement of crime.”

This is not the first time that this particular television station has come under fire. In 2009, it was  ordered to stop showing episodes of the US cartoon Family Guy, over its apparent endorsement of the use of marijuana. In 2008, the channel was forced to broadcast public service films as a punishment after it broadcast episodes of The Simpsons,  a cartoon that the authorities consider inappropriate for children, during a morning time slot.

President Hugo Chavez maintains tight control over the media in Venezuela, causing many opposition groups to accuse him of trying prevent coverage of political discontent.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Venezuela Anger at “Mocking” Colombia Soap Opera – 15 January 2011

CNN – Venezuela Slams Soap Opera Featuring Dog Named “Little Hugo” – 15 January 2011

Colombia Reports – Venezuela Demands Soap Opera to be Taken off the Air because of “Little Hugo” – 15 January 2011

Wall Street Journal – Venezuela Urges Removal of Colombian TV Show for Insults – 14 January 2011