Venezuelan Embassy in Madrid complains about smear campaign against Chávez

Venezuela's Embassy in Madrid lambasted on Thursday a presumed campaign launched by daily newspaper El País against Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, following the release of the photo of a man put on tubes, mistakenly identified as the Venezuelan leader.

The "Venezuelan embassy in Spain denounces the campaign by daily newspaper El País," the diplomatic mission stated in a communiqué. In addition, "rebuts the campaign undertaken by the daily newspaper against President Hugo Chávez and the Venezuelan people and democracy," AFP quoted.

The release "of the photo of a patient on tubes, pretending to show President Chávez and selling it as an ‘exclusive image' unveils the malice and lack of ethics in the coverage of El País concerning Venezuela," the note added.

El País had to apologize on Thursday for making a front page both in its printed and electronic versions of the photo presumably of President Chávez.

"A mere line of apology to its readers cannot remedy whatever reveals the way of publishing such material," the communiqué wrapped up.