You act like Venezuela had a free and fair press before Chavez? In any case the airwaves belong to the people not to oligarchical monopolies. If the people’s govt found that the radio and television stations were being advocates for political parties rather than unbiased outlets of news then they have a right to shut them down.

FOX news gets away with what it gets away with because it is on cable TV. When the USA eliminated the fairness doctrine thanks to right wing meddling was it done for freedom of speech reasons or to push a right wing agenda of oligarchs.

So sorry, your guilt trip does not work.

Chavez was not perfect but he replaced an even worse govt that had to be rooted out by revolutionary means. The fact that Chavez’s social justice policies - the cornerstone of his revolution - will continue is his win that will go on after his death. Hell, those who come after him will probably implement his ideas more competently than he could but they will be his ideas moved forward not the ideas of the oligarchs who once controlled and raped Venezuela’s natural wealth for their own gains.