Hugo Chavez threatens to take opposition TV station off air
The latest move to undermine opponents of the Leftist leader was made amid a frenetic campaign to seize control of privately held businesses, with his government running short of funds due to the fall in world oil prices. Nicolas Maduro, the president of the Mr Chavez’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela, accused the 24-hour news channel Globovision of “media terrorism”, describing the station and its director, Alberto Ravell, as “violators of the constitution and of the rights of Venezuelans” as well as being “anti-democratic, failed and fascist”.The allegations are denied by the station. Mr Ravell said that the government investigation was “laughable” and meant to intimidate the media.The government has already refused to renew the licence of one opposition media network.The attack on the independent media is just the latest sign that Mr Chavez’s democratically elected government is turning ever more authoritarian as it seeks to sustain its generous social programmes and aggressive foreign policy.[…]