Thread: Chavez communist censorship

The Communist leader of Venezual, Chavez, will now deal with protests about freedom of the press. The world watches.


As Lenin said: "The bourgeoisie is many times stronger than we.
To give it the weapon of freedom of the press
is to ease the enemy’s cause, to help the class enemy.
We do not desire to end in suicide, so we will not do this."

Venezuelans march against closure of TV station | International | Reuters
Venezuelans march against closure of TV station
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....."

"....
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....."

At leasts it's good to see these people challenging Chavez.

Sounds like the world's newest "worker's paradise" may be having a little trouble.

Originally Posted by mdmx96

Sounds like the world's newest "worker's paradise" may be having a little trouble.

Yes lots of trouble. Here is why:

Chavez on censorship:

"...The first step was a new media content law, adopted by the Chavez-controlled legislature last December, that subjects broadcast media to heavy fines or the loss of their licenses for disseminating information deemed "contrary to national security." Its impact was soon felt: Two of the most prominent anti-government journalists lost their jobs as anchors on morning television shows, and Venezuelans quickly noticed the appearance of self-censorship among those who remained.
Ten days ago Chavez handed Izarra a still-bigger stick: a new penal code that criminalizes virtually any expression to which the government objects -- not only in public but also in private.
Start with Article 147: "Anyone who offends with his words or in writing or in any other way disrespects the President of the Republic or whomever is fulfilling his duties will be punished with prison of 6 to 30 months if the offense is serious and half of that if it is light." That sanction, the code implies, applies to those who "disrespect" the president or his functionaries in private; "the term will be increased by a third if the offense is made publicly."....."


Chavez's Censorship (washingtonpost.com)

It is truly sad what is going on down there. And I have a personal vested interest in the Venezuelan politics because my fiancee lives there. I am looking into ways of getting her and her family out of there. Venezuela is a beautiful country with wonderful people. They may not be as politically savy as we are, that is why they are in the situation they are in. Chavez began as just a loudmouth but after his re-election, he began to show his true colors. His socialist policies are going to hurt the economy there and he is stifling free speech. It will not last long, though. The people there are happy and want to live free. If their freedoms become severely threatened, Chavez will go, but it will not be pretty.

Originally Posted by mjollnir

It is truly sad what is going on down there. And I have a personal vested interest in the Venezuelan politics because my fiancee lives there. I am looking into ways of getting her and her family out of there. Venezuela is a beautiful country with wonderful people. They may not be as politically savy as we are, that is why they are in the situation they are in. Chavez began as just a loudmouth but after his re-election, he began to show his true colors. His socialist policies are going to hurt the economy there and he is stifling free speech. It will not last long, though. The people there are happy and want to live free. If their freedoms become severely threatened, Chavez will go, but it will not be pretty.

A civil war down there could be really bad and could spread to neighboring countries.......bloody shame too because Ven was finally having some semblence of normallcy and things were finally calming down in Columbia.

It is sad that a leader who has done so much good for his country as far as redistribution of wealth away from an elite few, to provide some prosperity to the masses, ends up going the same way as so many leaders, cracking down on any dissent.
Still, he is not alone. Vladimer Putin has destroyed almost all independent media, and even the US goes to consideralble length to silence any dissenting voices. Banning al-Manar TV is an example of this.
Research Topics

Originally Posted by Aussieliberal

It is sad that a leader who has done so much good for his country as far as redistribution of wealth away from an elite few, to provide some prosperity to the masses, ends up going the same way as so many leaders, cracking down on any dissent....Research Topics

Great! yet another Communism lover.

Originally Posted by justoneman

Great! yet another Communism lover.

Chavez is a socialist rather than a communist. There is nothing wrong with socialism. Why should the citizens of a country not benefit from the exploitation of that countries natural resources?