TVNewser reported yesterday that Hugo Chavez threatened the network again. This was a second response from Chavez to the graphical screw-up that aired on CNN International en Espanol.

“If any international channel comes here to take part in an operation from the imperialist against Venezuela, your reporters will be thrown out of the country, they will not be able to work here,” Chavez said. “People at CNN, listen carefully: This is just a warning.”

A CNN Spokesperson issued a statement in response…

We are observers, not political players. We are committed to continuing to cover the current situation in Venezuela in a fair and objective manner. For example, we’ve frequently offered live, extended coverage of President Chavez’s speeches and news conferences, even when he uses our air to voice his criticisms of CNN.

We work hard to avoid errors on our air but we are human and sometimes mistakes will happen, especially considering the dynamics of a 24-hour news channel. It is important to put things in context: we have aired thousands of stories about Venezuela since President Chávez assumed power and the number of errors has been minimal. And in the few instances of significant errors, we have aired corrections prominently and promptly, and apologized as appropriate.

We reiterate our commitment to upholding the highest professional standards and presenting a balanced portrayal of events in Venezuela, even in the face of harsh criticism and baseless accusations.

Honestly, I don’t know why CNN is even bothering. It was an accident. Everyone, including Chavez, knows it. He’s just using the network for propoganda purposes and from my point of view it really doesn’t matter what they say or do at this point because he has his own agenda. By engaging, it just continues to legitimize an illegitimate issue.