Chavez Inaugurates Venezuelan Film Studio

In this photo released by Venezuela's Miraflores Press, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, left in yellow, inaugurates a Venezuelan film studio complex in Guarenas on the outskirts of Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 3, 2006, to counter what he called a Hollywood cultural "dictatorship." He accused Hollywood movies of stereotypes that cast Venezuela and other Latin American countries as violent havens of criminals and drug traffickers, and said U.S. film studios had a virtual strangle hold on the global film market. (AP Photo/Miraflores Press, HO) (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez inaugurated a Venezuelan film studio Saturday to counter what he called Hollywood's cultural "dictatorship."

Chavez announced $11 million in funds for the complex as he toured movie sets, costume rooms and sat in a director's chair _ all part of Venezuela's new "cultural artillery" to combat U.S. domination, he said.

"It's a Hollywood dictatorship," he said. "They inoculate us with messages that don't belong to our traditions ... (about) the American way of life, imperialism."

He accused Hollywood movies of stereotypes that cast Venezuela and other Latin American countries as violent havens for criminals and drug traffickers.

Chavez has pledged to use Venezuela's oil wealth to battle what he calls the evils of U.S.-style capitalism.

His government is the primary investor in Telesur, a television station billing itself as a Latin American alternative to corporate media outlets.