Caracas braced over TV protests (Another example of how great socialism is)

[OrangeEmpire]

BBC NEWS | Americas | Caracas braced over TV protests

Caracas braced over TV protests

Marcel Granier says "the fight continues"

Protests are expected in Venezuela's capital Caracas as a TV station opposed to President Hugo Chavez prepared to be taken off the air at midnight.
Mr Chavez has refused to renew a licence for Radio Caracas TV (RCTV), saying the station has actively tried to undermine his government.
It will still be available on cable, but losing its broadcast frequency will deprive it of most of its audience.
RCTV and rights groups say Mr Chavez is limiting freedom of expression.
RCTV's General Manager Marcel Granier said on Sunday that Mr Chavez was acting illegally.
"We haven't lost hope that before midnight the president will react sensibly... he still has the opportunity to correct this abusive, arbitrary and illegal behaviour," he said.
After midnight, he said, "the fight continues, freedom is something you have to fight for permanently".
Army ready
From midnight on Sunday (0400 GMT Monday) RCTV will stop broadcasting on its public frequency.

RCTV KEY FACTS

Venezuela's oldest private broadcaster, founded in 1953
Only opposition broadcaster with national reach
In 2002, broadcast opposition calls to overthrow Chavez
Airs large numbers of telenovelas and reality shows


In place of RCTV, a new state-sponsored channel, TVes, will launch with programmes that Mr Chavez has said will better reflect society.
The government is providing $4m of funding to launch the new station.
RCTV journalists have vowed to occupy their studios overnight and supporters are expected to rally outside.
On Saturday, thousands of supporters rallied outside RCTV's offices and vowed defiance.
"This is Venezuela, not Cuba!" some protesters shouted. "We have what it takes to fight!"
The protest followed a court ruled on Friday that RCTV must temporarily give up its broadcasting infrastructure, to ensure a smooth handover to TVes.
President Chavez has warned of tough action, should there be violence during protests.
"I call on the country lest anyone be provoked or any group lend itself to creating chaos," he said.
"Venezuelan armed forces are ready. Anyone generating violence will regret it."
Mr Chavez says that private stations like RCTV were involved in a coup that nearly toppled him five years ago and that since then they have actively tried to bring down his government.
Mr Chavez has stepped up his radical revolution since being re-elected in December 2006. With the power to rule by decree he has nationalised key sectors of the economy and is drawing his supporters together under one unified party. All this is hugely popular amongst Mr Chavez's supporters, who back his decision to remove RCTV's licence.

Thoughts?

 

[MG1968]

I wonder if "progressives" in this country will take a break from their flash mobbing and letter writing campaigns in order to get a glimpse of what real fascism looks like.

probably not since they believe Chavez was "democratically" elected, Jimmy Carter said so.