[QODLink]
Americas
Venezuela TV move draws protest
Hundreds rally in support of channel due to close after government suspends licence.
Last Modified: 27 May 2007 06:18 GMT
Hugo Chavez accuses RCTV of backing a coup
against his rule five years ago [AFP]

Hundreds of people have protested in Venezeula's capital Caracas against the imminent government move against a television station.

 

The demonstrators took to the streets on Friday in support of Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), after the governmen

Chavez accuses RCTV of backing a 2002 coup against him, and said on Friday that Venezuela's government was ready for any attack by "the oligarchy" - a pro-US elite which Chavez says RCTV epitomises.

 

He said: "We will be on alert, we are always on

'No to closing'

 

Hundreds of students shouted "No to the closing!" as they gathered on Friday for a march to Venezolana de Television, the main state-run channel.

 

The demonstration came after a protest in the capital last Saturday, which thousands of people attended.

 

"Minority groups cannot go against the will of the majority of the Venezuelan people to create uncertainty in the case of RCTV's licence"

Raul Baduel, Venezuela's Defence Minister

"People have to realise that we have a totalitarian president," said Maria Alecia Klemprer, a 25-year-old university student at Friday's rally.

 

Hundreds of police and national guard troops were dispatched across Caracas to discourage expected demonstrations on Sunday, when RCTV goes off the air.

 

Venezuela's government say the opposition demonstrators are pursuing a "destabilisation campaign" as RCTV loses its licence.

 

Raul Baduel, Venezuela's defence minister, said on Friday that "minority groups cannot go against the will of the majority of the Venezuelan people to create uncertainty in the case of RCTV's licence".

 

The US senate foreign relations committee passed a resolution on Thursday against the "transgression of freedom of thought and expression" in Venezuela.

 

Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders have also condemned the closure of RCTV.

 

RCTV has operated since 1953 and has consistently led viewing figures in Venezuela.

Source:
Agencies
Topics in this article
Country
Featured on Al Jazeera
Journalist who recently travelled around the country discusses the nature and goals of the opposition.
American decline is real - but the US remains the world's dominant power by a large margin.
The Republicans Party's highly unpopular stance on birth control will backfire in the November election, says author.
Is Israel being deliberately indecisive on whether or not to support the Syrian opposition?
<  > 
join our mailing list

Enter Zip Code
Go