Freedom of Expression at Risk in Venezuela

January 31, 2010 El Universal
Workers and supporters of banned cable station RCTV will continue to fight and "will not negotiate principles" said participants of the RCTV ceremony last week. Participating were Roman Catholics, Protestants and Jews,those religions commonly persecuted by the Venezuelan Government. After the TV station was cancelled, RCTV internacional was established in order to reach supporters, yet this effort was also quickly halted. The student movement was actively involved in the cause. As one student, Adriana Mendoza, wished"for a country where everyone can speak without dear;wear one color or another without fear of causing trouble;can watch,read or listen to the media they want rather than the media imposed by the government." Marcelieno Bisbal, director of Graduate Studies at Universidad Catolica in Caracas mentioned that Chavez "has a deep fear of independent media" because it shows the "incompetence and inefficiency of his administration". This explains why he continues to criticize the protest in an effort to surpress the opposition.
This protest represents the unity that the Venezuelans are currently feeling against Chavez. There were many events that led up to this strong opposition- the weak economy, lack of power and lack of resources- the shutting down of RCTV was just the trigger for the inevitable. This is a step in the right direction for the citizens of Venezuela. They are raising their voices against the corruption of the Venezuelan government. They are fighting for their freedom of expression, a right that should have never been taken by the government.
Link to Original Article: http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/02/05/en_ing_esp_freedom-of-expressio_05A3396975.shtml