LibertySpan

In general, for Socialist Statists, like Hugo Chavez, to control economic outcomes, they need to control much, including people, and the free exchange of information.

However, to be fair, to try to get a more accurate and less biased view of how free the media is in Venezuela, check out what the Press says about Venezuela at Press Reference

Keeping in mind, that political environments change, here a few excerpts I found valuable:

“In October 2000, the International Press Institute included Venezuela on their “Watch List” of nations in which the freedom of the press stood at risk due to the repressive actions of the government. At that time, the same organization accused President Chávez of failing to oppose hostile actions directed at the press.

…

The press situation in Venezuela has two faces. On the exterior, freedom of expression exists, at least legally. However, on the interior, journalists constantly suffer from government repression aimed at eliminating all reporting critical of the official positions. The publication Press Freedom Survey 2000, created by Freedom House, concluded that the press in Venezuela was only partially free. Their criticism took particular exception with the October 1999 passage of constitutional article 59, which most in the press saw as a license for government censorship. The survey also notes that in November 1999, after reporters at Radio Guadalupana broadcast an editorial that criticized the policies and leadership of President Chávez, government intelligence officers appeared at the station and warned the staff that its further broadcasts would be monitored. That same December, explosive devices were discovered in the building that houses offices for several press organizations including the Associated Press, Agence France Presse, and the daily newspaper El Universal.

As critical as the Press Freedom Survey 2000 and other press watchdog groups have been toward Chávez, the situation must be viewed in perspective. The 2000 survey awarded Venezuela a score of 34 out of a possible 100. Nations scoring below 30 are considered to have a free press. Therefore, it was fair to assert at that time that the situation in Venezuela, while not as free as in previous years, was not as yet grave.”

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Venezuela Socialists, lead by the Hugo Chavez, have taken a significant measure to constrict and oppress public information and opinion in Venezuela.

So, exactly how can you have a real democracy when the government is controlling the news and information people receive?

Is this not an insult to the Venzuelean people?

New York Times headline

200 Venezuelans Protest Radio Station Shutdowns

Fox News Headline

Hugo Chavez Pulls 34 Radio Stations Off the Air

Notice any difference in the above?

Does Socialist American Media complain when things like this happen? And, who do they favor?

You decide.

Democracy Now

Any reporting?

Daily Kos

Any reporting?

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