Chavez Government Expanding Censorship In Venezuela

Chavez minister vows more Venezuela radio closings

Venezuela will pull the plug on 29 more radio stations, a top official in President Hugo Chavez's government said on Saturday, just weeks after dozens of other outlets were closed in a media clampdown.

Infrastructure Minister Diosdado Cabello closed 34 radio stations in July, saying the government was "democratizing" media ownership. Critics say the move limits freedom of expression and has taken critical voices off the airwaves.

The powerful Chavez ally has threatened to close over 100 stations in total, part of a long-term campaign against private media that the government says are biased against Chavez's government.

I can definitely see this becoming a reality here in the U.S also. Why else would Obama appoint Mark Lloyd as the FCC's "diversity czar". And it also looks like the left wing censorship machine is in full swing.

Meh I don't care what anybody says.

I like Hugo Chavez.

Why do I like him?

He has the gull to kick the US companies out of his country and stop producing oil which is sold back to his people at a higher rate. They actually produce a clean fuel with the biproduct of sugar cane harvests.

And he makes business accountable for the products they create.

IMO that's good government oversight.

This stuff is a little extreme, I will give you that. Censorship is never good. But he's done ALOT of good for his people, and is one of the first leaders in years that went against the USA and won.

~Keeper

I wonder if he thinks the media there is being influenced by multinational corporations and such... and/or perhaps foreign intelligence agencies... people trying to put ideas into the minds of the people, challenging Chavez power etc...

That's the only reason for censorship I think, maintaining and securing power. I'd love to know what his real reasons are. Perhaps he thinks people in his country are being manipulated by outside forces.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Ahh so your saying that you like the idea of the president of a country deciding that no more elections are needed I can run this place for life? Here's were I got a big problem with that. What makes anyone fit to dispense with term limits and place themselves in power for life? People knock the idea of monarchy and their rules of sucession, but you get some one who decides they are the only person fit to rule and it's all good.

reply to post by hangedman13


Hangeman

May be you should sit down with Queen of England or King of Saudi Arabia and discuss it with them why they are there for life?

The history of the private media in Venezuela is complicated with a long tradition of dirty deals and un-democratic behavior!

So this headline about 'Censorship in Venezuela' could be taken as out of context if you don't have an understanding about the underlaying background and history about Venezuela & these business oligarchs/ moguls in Venezuela and their involvements with heavily corrupt politicians/Presidents in Venezuela etc.

These oligarchs/moguls have never been on the people's side

Most of these oligarchs also work for Washington!

Hugo Chavez main enemy in Venzuela is one of the ultra rich & elite families: Cisneros

www.cisneros.com...

The Cisneros Group is similar to Berlusconi's Business & Media Empire in Italy.

Cisneros is also a friend & business partner with Rupert Murdoch with joint projects and business adventures.

In this link you could read more about the history of Venezuela's (dirty) media & business empires - to have a understanding WHY the situation is like it is today:

Over the years, the Cisneros brothers nurtured relationships with politicians and power brokers around the world. Gustavo listed David Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger, and Washington lawyer Vernon Jordan as personal friends. At home, the brothers had close ties to Venezuela's president, Carlos Andres Perez, which proved almost as problematic as beneficial when the country's economy began to sputter. In 1989, for instance, rioters attacked Cada supermarkets to protest austerity measures introduced by the government. When threatened by a military coup attempt in 1992, Perez sought refuge at Venevision's well-fortified Caracas television studio, from which he thwarted the military by addressing the nation on television. The Cisneros' connection with Perez became a clear liability during the economic turmoil of 1994. In January of that year Venezuela's second largest bank, Banco Latino, failed, triggering a major financial crisis that required the government to bail out a number of banks. Ricardo Cisneros, one of 83 Banco Latino directors, was caught up in the resulting scandal. He quickly fled the country for Miami after arrest warrants were issued for him and the other 82, who faced charges of fraud, misappropriation, and publishing false bank balances. In addition, President Perez would be placed under house arrest for two years, accused of misappropriating funds. Gustavo Cisneros, however, was not implicated in the scandal and continued to run the family business from Caracas.

www.answers.com...

When the coup d'état against Chavez happened - the Cisneros Media Empire took advantage of the situation through their media and stood on coupsters/cia's side through the week long crises.

And they have ever since been a torn in the side for Chavez with their TV channels and other media groups working against him.

And I almost forgot that the other Media company 'Globovison' a 24-hour news channel that he accused of trying to instigate his assassination - they also took advantage of the coup attempt against Chavez.

Globovision is owned by an investor group called Corporacion GV Inversiones CA. This group has ties to many American Investors & Media

Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) the country's oldest broadcaster which had a national distribution - Since 27 May 2007 the station lost their radio nationwide broadcast license for what it claimed was the station's role in the coup.

Currently, as of January 22, 2009, RCTV continues to broadcast on cable and satellite systems under the name Radio Caracas Televisión Internacional (RCTV Internacional)

I knew some people who used to work at RCTV

Venezuela's RCTV Acts of Sedition

In the days leading up to April 11, 2002, Venevision, Globovision, Televen and RCTV suspended regular programming replacing it with anti-Chavez speeches and virulent propaganda featuring strong rhetoric and calling on the Venezuelan people to take to the streets on that day they knew in advance had been scheduled for the coup. They blared it was "For freedom and democracy. Venezuela will not surrender. No one will defeat us." This went on continuously in tone and content practically announcing a call to arms insurrection on the scheduled coup date asking people to participate supporting the overthrow of their democratically elected president and government.

On April 10, one day before the coup, General Nestor Gonzales got air time on the major corporate broadcast media announcing the high military command demanded Hugo Chavez step down from office or be forcibly removed. The day following the coup, the dominant commercial media revealed their involvement in it, and on one April 12 Venevision morning program military and civilian coup leaders appeared on-air to thank the corporate media channels for their important role, including the images they aired while it was in progress, stating how important their participation was to the success of the plot. It failed two days later largely because of mass public opposition to it with huge crowds on the streets supporting their president in far greater numbers than those favoring the coup-plotters.

It was also later revealed the two-day only installed Venezuelan president Pedro Carmona had used the facilities of Gustavo Cisneros' Venevision as a "bunker" or staging area base of operations and was seen leaving its building heading for the Miraflores to take office as president of Venezuela on April 11 in flagrant violation of the law.

The dominant private corporate media clearly and unequivocally were part of the coup plot. They colluded to promote it in advance and then incited the public with anti-Chavez propaganda encouraging it while suppressing all news and information supporting Hugo Chavez that might have helped prevent it.

www.globalresearch.ca...


All that is happeneing now against the private media, is some kind of pay-back from Chavez!


[edit on 6-9-2009 by Chevalerous]

reply to post by charlie0


Yea but is the Queen of England involved in the day to day running of her land? Lot's of wars established her families reign. The people of England are more involved in their countries government then the king of Saudi Arabia. That country I must confess ignorance on the royal families history. More than likely the golden rule. I just asked why the permissiveness when someone makes a power grab like that. Complain about the US way of government but at least we have coup's every four years without alot of people dying.

It would seem to me that Venezuela is some type of NWO experiment. Nationalizing certain parts of the infrastructure makes sense to some degree. The problem is the rebellion to change that makes it appear as if they've lost their 'Illusions" of freedoms. Governments will than seem more like one huge corporate monster. Chavez will most likely fail and or die in the process. Anyone have a crystal ball handy?

Originally posted by aleon1018
It would seem to me that Venezuela is some type of NWO experiment. Nationalizing certain parts of the infrastructure makes sense to some degree. The problem is the rebellion to change that makes it appear as if they've lost their 'Illusions" of freedoms. Governments will than seem more like one huge corporate monster. Chavez will most likely fail and or die in the process. Anyone have a crystal ball handy?

"Anyone have a crystal ball handy?"

Yeah! I know some Venezuelan people who are now living abroad, who would give an arm or a leg for one of those!

The nationalization of some of the smaller industries could also be some kind of pay-back from Chavez against the oligarchs for their part in the coup attempt against him in 2002

Workers are taking control in Venezuela

Everywhere in Venezuela today workers are forging ahead with new formations of workers’ organization. They are taking over factories here, experimenting with co-management there. Workers are challenging the old class relationships and coming to a collective realization of their historic role in the struggle for socialism.

In 2001, the CTV was forced to hold the first leadership election in its history. However, it was so corrupt that 50 to 70 percent of the workers refused to participate in this process, and Venezuela’s Supreme Court refused to recognize the results. In 2003, during the CTV-backed lockout by the business opposition, many workers responded by occupying factories to keep them open, running them as cooperatives.

When owners threatened to shut down factories, workers took over plants, including a Pepsi-Cola bottling facility in Villa de Cura owned by an active supporter of the coup.

A large grouping of Venezuelan workers, fed up with the CTV’s corporate unionism, gave up attempts at reform. In May 2003, at a jubilant gathering in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, workers from nearly every sector of the country’s labor force joined together to form a new confederation, the National Union of Workers (UNT).

www.workers.org...

So what we are seeing now is a strike-back against the business oligarchs of Venezuela by Chavez.

For example the Pepsi-Cola bottling facility in Villa de Cura was owned by one of these oligarchs: Gustavo Cisneros

And the nationalization happening is not so much that the State becomes the new owners but more that the state now take their oil money and are forcing the oligarchs to sell their industries to them at a market price.

The state in turn after that let the ownership go to the unions of workers and cooperatives.

So for the workers of venezuela this is a very good thing!

For the previous oligarch owners - not so good thing!

These strikes against the oligarchs is almost similar to what Putin did with the oligarchs in Russia.

I'm quite interested of the developments in Venezuela since I have lived there 5 years of my life and have friends there.

The conditions for the poor was awful & very miserable when I used to live there, so I hope they now have at least a little better life with health, education, food & living etc.

(more than 50% of the people used to live below the poverty line)

Some of my richer friends moved abroad though! many of them are now living in Florida or in Europe because they were terrified by Chavez socialism.

The funny thing now is, that many of them wants to move back again!

Chavez or no Chavez! most of the the Venezuelans are great & fun people and I wish them all a good life!

Gloria al Bravo Pueblo!


[edit on 6-9-2009 by Chevalerous]

.... and Obama's appointee to the brand new position of FCC Diversity Officer (aka - Freedom of Speech Czar) is Mark Lloyd who just LOOOOOVES Chavez. :shk:

Originally posted by FlyersFan
.... and Obama's appointee to the brand new position of FCC Diversity Officer (aka - Freedom of Speech Czar) is Mark Lloyd who just LOOOOOVES Chavez. :shk:

Also, Obama seemed to get along pretty well with Chavez at the Summit of the Americas. So, no surprise he would appoint another Chavez fan as his czar at the FCC.

Socialist countries eventually always resort to censorship on a grand scale. Thats a historical fact. However, the U.S. is not a socialist country and its populace a bit too awake to allow that here.

[edit on 6-9-2009 by Skyfloating]

reply to post by charlie0

The British monarch has very little say over day to day affairs; yes he/she can dissolve parliament, fire the prime minister, and in theory reject a piece of legislation but in practice this is rarely done unless he/she is advised to do so by the prime minister. Other European monarchs such as the Netherlands and Monaco for example the monarchs do have actual day to day power.

Saudi Arabia on the other hand is indeed an absolute monarchy ... however if it comes down to that vs an Iranian style Islamic fundamentalist state then I would certainly rather the absolute monarchy.