A court on children and adolescents in northwestern Lara state found both Teodoro Petkoff -director of Tal Cual newspaper- and columnist Laureano Márquez guilty of violating the rights to due protection, honor and reputation of President Hugo Chávez' daughter and ordered them to pay fines.

Petkoff will have to pay the equivalent to 10 months and 15 days of the highest wage paid in the newspaper, because he okayed the publication of an editorial entitled "Dear Rosinés" -written by Márquez in November 2005.

For his part, the humorist and author of the story must pay the equivalent of 10 months and 15 days of the income received the month immediately before the penalty. 

Newspaper sources estimate that the amount to be paid by next Wednesday to the Fund for Children's and Adolescents' Protection is close to USD 94,000.
 
In an editorial released Tuesday, Petkioff labeled the move as "ludicrous and wacky" and claimed that all that President Hugo Chávez wants is to silence the newspaper.