Closing RCTV, a new era of Chavez dictatorship

Freedom of expression and dictatorship don't go hand in hand. Chavez is emerging as the successor of Castro in dictatorial practices. Shutting RCTV channel is only the tip of iceberg of wide censorship in Venezuela. Chavez, seeking to be a personality cult, needs channels that broadcast only his speeches and praise his policies.

As he refuses internal criticism, the best thing for him is to shut the mouths of his opponents by closing any channel practicing freedom of expression in any form.

But Venezuela isn’t the only country to crack on freedom of expression. One-party regimes as in China give little space for criticism. To ward off the rise of criticism they simply impose censorship. In china, the internet is the most censored site. Maybe Chavez will take the lead of China and start closing any site deemed as publishing ideas not to his tune.

The message Chavez is sending through his approved channels is that he is there to stay. He is preparing all the means to go unchallenged. This is a familiar policy with dictators. They call for democracy when not in power. When they grip it, they find it hard to relinquish it. It won’t be surprising if another day he will amend the constitution making himself a president for life. He must have learnt a great deal from his “godfather” Fidel Castro, who despite his age and frail health is still “el presidente de Cuba”.

At 03:39 PM on 28 May 2007