The following article was published on the BBC web site as a "novel" piece to entertain its readers:

Venezuela serves up record stew

Venezuelan chefs have broken the record for the biggest stew in the world, which was enough to feed 70,000 people.

It took 100 people to help prepare the dish, known as a sancocho, on the streets of the capital, Caracas.

The cooks worked on specially-built stoves, throwing in 7,000kg (15,340lb) of vegetables and 5,000kg of meat and chicken to make 15,000 litres of stew.

Guinness World Records officials monitored the record attempt, which was promoted by Venezuela's food ministry.

Food shortages

The stew took 13 hours to cook in a huge 20,000-litre pot that was about 5m high, with a diameter of 2.5m. It was then dished out to passers-by.

A team of men used giant ladles to scoop the soup into small pots, which were then lowered to the ground by a forklift truck.

The previous record was set in Mexico in July.

The BBC's James Ingham in Caracas says the aim of the event was to highlight the government's food distribution programme, which helps ease sporadic shortages due to economic issues.

Our correspondent says many people rely on the government's food initiatives, which guarantee fixed and often subsidized prices. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6996104.stm

On the very same day, Minister of Food, General Rafael Oropeza, announced another world record for Venezuela:

Venezuela holds the Guinness Record as the happiest country

Currently Venezuela holds the Guinness World Record as the country with the happiest population in the world.

This was announced by Food Minister Rafeal Oropeza when he showed an article from the Guinness Book of World Records 2008.  

With a copy of the book in his hands Oropeza said, "according to Guinness, in 2007 Venezuela has the record as being the happiest country in the world".

The article points out that the results were based on a survey carried out by the Guinness World records organization which showed that 57% of Venezuelans were fairly happy.

In contrast the former Czechoslovakia, Latvia and Namibia CAME out as the least happy countries. http://www.abn.info.ve/go_news5.php?articulo=103370

Is it not strange that the BBC correspondent in Caracas, James Ingham, is prepared to cover a world record stew attempt, but not the world record happiness quotient of the Venezuelan population, which is a vindication of Chavez's social policies?

In fact, James, it was the same Minister General Oropeza, which organized the stew and publicized the news about Venezuela having the happiest population in the world form the Guinness Book of World Records.

How could James have possibly covered one story but not the other when both events were on the same day?

Readers, draw your own conclusions. Omission by decision is the phrase.

The BBC did the same when RCTV appeared on cable and satellite channels after the Beeb had consistently printed articles saying that the channel had been closed. There is never any rectification. Especially from James Ingham and the BBC editorial line regarding Venezuela.  

Andy Goodall - VSC Coordinator