*Venezuelans, All But Done: Dictator In Place*

[CheesyMuslim]

Sorry bout that,

1. But what is happening is the people of Venezuela, are being slowly marginalized.
2. Its sad really, that so many people allow one fat man to take over all points of their government.
3. Many say, Chavez is doing so good for the country.
4. Even may bankers says as much, and she's a college grad.
5. Its going to have to get a helluva lot worse before it gets a little better there.
6. Here's a link:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2621739620070526?feedType=RSS&rpc=22
"
Venezuelans march against closure of TV station
Sat May 26, 2007 2:33PM EDT


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Venezuelans march against closure of TV station
More World News... Email This Article | Print This Article | Reprints[-] Text [+] By Brian Ellsworth

CARACAS (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Venezuelan protesters marched on Saturday to the Caracas headquarters of an anti-government television station, which is being forced off the air after President Hugo Chavez's administration refused to renew its broadcasting license.

Waving flags with the logo of RCTV, demonstrators packed the streets of the capital where news anchors and soap opera stars slammed the imminent closure of the opposition channel.

"What is happening here is simply the silencing of a television station," shouted soap opera actress Gledys Ibarra.

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The government is not renewing RCTV's license after 53 years on the air because of accusations that the broadcaster participated in a bungled 2002 coup against Chavez, incited violent demonstrations and aired immoral programming.

On Friday Venezuela's top court ordered the military to seize control of some of the TV station's installations and equipment in a show of force that included mobilization of anti-riot vehicles to prevent protests from turning violent.

Critics condemned the closure for silencing an influential opposition voice and called the move evidence that Chavez's self-styled socialist revolution is concentrating power and muzzling the opposition.

Late on Friday a group of demonstrators shouting pro-Chavez slogans spray-painted the headquarters of news channel Globovision, the country's last openly anti-government station, which Chavez has also threatened to take off the air for its critical coverage.

The closure of RCTV drew heavy international criticism including a U.S. Senate resolution last week unanimously condemning "transgression of freedom of thought and expression" in Venezuela
"

Regards,
SirJamesofTexas

[CheesyMuslim]

Sorry bout that,

1. More of the story came forward.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/world/americas/27venez.html?ref=world
"
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By SIMON ROMERO
Published: May 27, 2007
CARACAS, Venezuela, May 26 — Arturo Sarmiento speaks upper-crust English polished at Sandhurst, Britain’s aristocratic military school. He made fortunes trading oil and importing whiskey. Now Mr. Sarmiento, just 35 and a staunch supporter of President Hugo Chávez, owns an expanding television network here.

As tempers flare around Mr. Chávez’s decision not to renew the license of RCTV, the nation’s oldest broadcaster and a vocal critic, effectively shutting it down on Sunday, a new media elite is emerging. It is made up of ideological devotees to Mr. Chávez, senior government officials and tycoons like Mr. Sarmiento.

That is a marked contrast with the state of the news media when Mr. Chávez’s rule began in 1999. Then, the industry was largely privately owned by moneyed interests hostile to Mr. Chávez. His supporters say that old guard — as partisan as newspapers in the early United States — sought to derail his actions during much of his presidency.

“With the polarization that’s befallen Venezuela, media organizations have been used to cause political change,” Mr. Sarmiento said in a recent interview. He says his ambitions for TeleCaribe, a private broadcaster he bought last year, are different: to provide programming tailored to regional audiences in Venezuela. “Media vehicles should not be engaged in politics,” he said.

Mr. Chávez has dueled with opponents in the news media while fortifying news organizations loyal to him. For instance, newspapers favorable to the government have received nearly 12 times more government advertising, said Andrés Cañizález, a researcher at Andrés Bello University, citing a study of four leading dailies.

“Previous administrations in Venezuela also used advertising as a way to consolidate media support,” Mr. Cañizález said. “The difference now is that the government has made growing its own media operations and combating its opponents in the media central elements of its political strategy.”

In what may point to a rare example of widespread disagreement with the popular president, recent polls show that most Venezuelans oppose Mr. Chávez’s decision not to renew RCTV’s license.

Thousands of people marched through downtown here on Saturday to RCTV’s headquarters to show support for the network, following a protest by opposing groups late Friday in front of Globovisión, another dissident network, that left that its building and neighboring buildings painted with pro-Chávez slogans.

The RCTV move has rallied the president’s base. Anti-RCTV graffiti covers walls throughout Caracas alongside criticism of President Bush, whom Mr. Chávez regularly derides. Mr. Chávez has described RCTV as “putschist,” with his disdain for the network intensifying since a group of military officers briefly ousted him in 2002.

The president accuses RCTV and other private broadcasters of supporting what amounted to a 48-hour coup. In RCTV’s case, the government says the network colluded with the coup’s conspirators by conducting a news blackout after Mr. Chávez’s removal and broadcasting cartoons when he returned to office two days later.

As Mr. Chávez’s political power has grown, with loyalists controlling the Supreme Court, the national assembly and most state governments, RCTV has remained critical of Mr. Chávez. Two other nationwide broadcasters, Televen and Venevisión, have curtailed critical coverage. Globovisión, the cable news channel that drew the anger of pro-Chávez groups on Friday, remains critical of Mr. Chávez but is viewed by a relatively small part of the population.

Mr. Chávez’s partisans often say critical coverage of the government illustrates elitist and racist sentiments, while dissidents say the news media are their only outlet for expression, since other institutions are controlled by Mr. Chávez.

Meanwhile, changes in the criminal code and new legislation have raised defamation penalties and enhanced the government’s ability to intimidate critics through legal action while Mr. Chávez has created an array of new state media ventures. When he was first elected, the government had just one television station and two radio stations. Now there are four new television stations controlled by central and regional governments and seven new radio broadcasters.

"
Regards,
SirJamesofTexas

[bobbylien]

Assuming there isn't another side to this(I know its foolish to take CWN's word for it) I think its bad for the country.

[lily]

Well I think that this year when Chavez offers the poor in America reduced heating fuel, like we accepted for 2 years in a row now, we refuse it...........that'll teach him!

[CheesyMuslim]

Sorry bout that,

1. But that's how Chavez is winning folks over, with the freebies.
2. He didn't make the oil, that's why he can give it away.
3. He will steal the power by giving free stuff to idiots, and the poor.
4. Sadly people are blind in the face of a free lunch.
5. But not, ( I ), * The Great CWN*.
6. I see what's happening, and am here to report it.

Regards,
SirJamesofTexas

[jafar00]

Aww Chess, you are just angry at him because he is one of the few leaders who dare to be openly anti-Bush.